indy
Puppy
Indy - Pasquinel's Ahanu
Posts: 132
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Post by indy on Jul 13, 2006 20:24:20 GMT 1
One thing makes me sad.. When I meet another new weimaraner owner and ask them what kind of plans they have for the puppy. Agility, obidience, hunting, bloodtracking etc? And they say: NO he is only going to be a companion dog. We don't plan to work him at all. And when I ask them why they bought a weimaraner of all dogs if they didn't want a workahollic the answer is: I liked the look.  This had happened more than once and it breaks my heart. The last puppy I met is now a wery stressed young dog, I don't blame him. I have tryed to tell them to contact me if they wan't to start working with him, but NO... |
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Post by lisaandstorm on Jul 13, 2006 21:29:20 GMT 1
i was fully aware of breed details and decided Storm was the best breed to have with older children ans with with our active lifestyle. i am a wous and could never hunt Storm but very much want to do agility trainig. we all rave on about our dogs but Storm is so inteligent and is hunger to learn more at 8 months old. any ideas will be much appreciated.
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Post by weimaranermama on Jul 13, 2006 22:25:45 GMT 1
INdy, you are right. A weim must do something in his life. It doesnot matter what, but the like work so much. It makes me sad too, when I see a weimie only walk the house around and futher there is nothing.
Gr. Ina
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Post by groovydreamyfab on Jul 13, 2006 23:15:20 GMT 1
Well...my weims don't hunt, do agility or show or tracking, and I don't care who knows it. My weims appear to be happy, unless it's just a front to make me feel better  I'm not against any of these things, we've always just found other stuff to do that they have had a blast with. Dig into their website and see for yourself...http://hometown.aol.com/groovydreamyfab/1human4weims.html I got a weim because I wanted a best friend who would constantly challenge me, someone who I could always learn from. They've given me that and then some. Rock on, companion weims!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cassandra |
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Post by emma on Jul 14, 2006 10:05:17 GMT 1
Well, I agree fully with indy although I guess a weim can be happy as a plain companion as well. It is so much up to the owners behaviour.
I got a weim because I wanted a versatile working dog, I did some serious research before deciding it was going to be a weim.
So for me the choice was made based on working characteristics.
However, if a dog owner can provide the weim with a good, loving, caring home with meaningful things to do and good social and obedience training the dog can for sure be happy. This is my opinion. On the other hand, there are many "companion" breeds out there so it could be a better choice to get another breed for pure companionship.
The problem with weims are that they look so damn fantastic! This is why people get weims although they don´t know anything about the breed or even if they don´t know the first thing about dogs in general! So I guess the looks of a weim is also their curse. I also know some people here in Finland who have recently got a weim puppy just for the looks and to have as a companion dog. Some of them I meet on a regular basis and I strongly encourage them to go to obedience training and make tracks to their dogs for fun at least.
I don´t think a dog get stressed just because it's a companion dog but because there are problems with basic home training and daily routines. I think this goes for all breeds and I think this is an increasing problem of our society today. Unfortunately.
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Post by rute_paredes on Jul 26, 2006 15:39:05 GMT 1
I'd like to know the standard definition of "work".
If it's "hunting" then I'm sorry but I don't hunt with my Weim. I don't own a gun, nor would I be able to shoot at an animal, so I'm kinda limited that way.
I give him every oppportunity to exercise his hunting instinct however, and take him out to fields were he can sniff and chase wild game at will.
I do a lot of retrieving and tracking with him (no animals involved, just toys) and his scent and search drive are so intense its a pleasure to watch.
I'd love to enter him in field trials but I have never heard of any in Portugal, nor of places where he can train for this particular thing.
Iago goes to obedience school and we would love to try doing agility with him, because I think he would love it.
Bottom line is, for us, what matters the most is that our dog is stimulated, healthy and happy. We try to give him varied activities, different places to explore and new challenges.
I hope this does not put me in the "wrong" side of the argument.
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Post by marjolein on Jul 26, 2006 16:03:55 GMT 1
I don't think it's wrong not to hunt with them, some people just don't have the opportunity. As long as you do something with them.
What I do know though, is that the dog chances completely when you take them on a hunt. Then you know what they're originally bred for.
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indy
Puppy
Indy - Pasquinel's Ahanu
Posts: 132
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Post by indy on Jul 26, 2006 17:36:33 GMT 1
With working I mean obidience, agility, tracking, reteriving, IPO/BHP, searching, bloodtracking etc. etc. Working with your dog and getting it to do things the way you like.. alolowing it to think and work with you and please you.
NOT fetching a stick, tricks and walking around the block.
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Post by Faust on Jul 26, 2006 18:53:42 GMT 1
I will say just one thing how I see it: we are all here with good intentions and we are giving our weims enough exercise that they need in our personall way. Hunters give it their way, sportsman give it their way, breeders their way,...
As long as they (weims) are happy and healthy in bodey and soul, it's a good thing for them and for us!!! This is the most important thing.
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Post by rute_paredes on Jul 26, 2006 20:33:50 GMT 1
I'm sorry but what is IPO/BHP? Unfortunately, many of the activities you mention I've never come across in Portugal, at least not in a context or place where I could enrol myself and Iago and join in. With working I mean obidience, agility, tracking, reteriving, IPO/BHP, searching, bloodtracking etc. etc. Working with your dog and getting it to do things the way you like.. alolowing it to think and work with you and please you. NOT fetching a stick, tricks and walking around the block. |
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Post by marjolein on Jul 26, 2006 20:55:50 GMT 1
Well, there are loads of FT's in Spain Rute, so there must be some in Portugal as well. There are training schools in Spain who do obedience and agility and I'm sure that's the same in Portugal. Contact your Weim club or maybe local doggy friends.
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Post by Wetdog on Jul 26, 2006 23:03:56 GMT 1
Rute--IPO is a type of Schutzhund work, I believe the main country using IPO would be Belgium, or else where it originated.
Schutzhund is German meaning protection dog. Basically, it is police dog training made into a sport. There are minor differences in the rules and procedures, but they are all similar enough(Schutzhund, IPO, Ring Sport) that some competitors take part in more than one type.
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Post by rute_paredes on Jul 27, 2006 1:03:31 GMT 1
My obedience school does agility as well. As for field competitions there is very little information on the competitons themselves and none on where you can train for them. Well, there are loads of FT's in Spain Rute, so there must be some in Portugal as well. There are training schools in Spain who do obedience and agility and I'm sure that's the same in Portugal. Contact your Weim club or maybe local doggy friends. |
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indy
Puppy
Indy - Pasquinel's Ahanu
Posts: 132
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Post by indy on Jul 27, 2006 9:18:45 GMT 1
My obedience school does agility as well. As for field competitions there is very little information on the competitons themselves and none on where you can train for them. Well it's not easy in sweden either... you have to do alot of digging to find people to train with (field and bird) try contacting those who breed other huntingbreeds (pointer, vorsteh, breton) and ask them where they work their dogs. Don't you have a hunters club in Portugal? |
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Post by ozworkinweis on Jul 27, 2006 10:49:15 GMT 1
I believe in working my dogs. To leave them in the backyard doing nothing with them is one a waste of a good dog and secondly causes them to become destructive.
There are so many people that get wei's because "they look pretty", then when they become out of control they end up at the pound. Not any of us though as by being in this forum shows how much everyone here loves their weis.
Fair enough if you want a wei just for a companion but at least do something with them to occupy their minds. They are so intelligent and they need the stimulation of working whether it be obedience, retrieving, hunting, tracking or agility etc. You don't have to trial them but it doesn't take much to go down the local obedience club and do some training. If you don't have time to do that you should not have any dog let alone a wei.
but that's just my opinion everyone is entitled to their own.
sarah
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sian
Junior
what shall we play next?
Posts: 214
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Post by sian on Jul 28, 2006 7:22:27 GMT 1
Well, I don't think it's wrong not to hunt with your weimaraner. (We did try with Cassie, but as I posted elsewhere, the local gundog group would not let us join, once they knew that a weimaraner was involved....) Sometimes circumstances don't allow things to go as you plan.
Cassie is a working dog, in that she is at my side every day at my place of work. She interacts with many people and dogs every day, as they visit. She has plenty of exercise through woodland (and we only "count" off-lead walks, as these are what are needed to exercise her brain - just don't tell the Belgian authorities!!) We have encouraged her to track, and the retrieve work has always been more than "throwing a stick". For the first 5 years, we did 2 hours of obedience a week with her, and she seemed to enjoy that.
Why did we choose a Weim? because of the temperament, the ability to cope with lots of different stimulations, and still keep her cool. Her enthusiasm for exercise - we both love to walk a lot. But mainly for the intelligence! The looks count too - but I was captivated by the brains!
Cassie is probably occasionally bored with life. But then aren't all dogs, whether they hunt or not? After all, not every day is a party! (Though yesterday was - Cassie's birthday!!)
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