This page was last updated on: October 29, 2008
Comments from Weim owners
used with permission....
Experiences, Thoughts, & Comments...
How exciting to even be contemplating adding a four legged friend to the family! My husband and I got Winston, a Storm/Dusty blue male on November 11th (2007) from Owyhee. Our experience was so amazing with the Nielsen's and we love Winston so very very much that I had to write a quick note to you.
Our experience in working with the Nielsen's was just incredible. I never miss an opportunity to rave about Owyhee. Throughout the whole process Shela took the time to write us emails often, send pictures of the pups and even called us to tell us which pup they thought would be best for us via temperament testing. Once we had Winston (he was flown in since we live in Michigan) Shela called several times in the first day or two to check in, and has always been available for questions/concerns through email. I always have felt the Nielsen's cared GREATLY for their Weim pups and their new owners and I continue to feel that I have a friend in Owyhee. They are just great!
While I'm just slightly biased, Winston really is the most healthy, handsome Weim I've seen. When we are out with him everyone just fawns on him. His coat is like velvet and the vet says she's never seen a Weim with a better docked tail. She was very impressed with the Nielsen's record keeping from his previous vet visits and told us we were very fortunate to have found breeders that took such good care of their pups before they went home. I truly believe that Winston is so happy and beautiful now because of the care that he received before he came home and his early diet with the Fastrack® Microbials and NuVet.
While I love Winston more than I ever could have imagined, I will definitely say that having a puppy is a challenge to be sure. We were very diligent with house training and it really only took about two weeks. He had maybe three accidents in the house, but like I said, we watched him like a hawk. We also began taking him to puppy school when he was about 12 weeks old, and I would suggest that to anyone. It was good socialization and really got us going with obedience training. Weims are very smart, and he was the top of his class (this is actually true...no bias speaking here!). The biggest challenge for us was his biting stage, but this is over before you know it. Thankfully they're still so little and cute at the time that it's easy to forgive them : ) Our biggest challenge now is that he loves to bark. Some weims are notorious barkers (ours in particular) and some are not. Just luck of the draw...
Weims are great dogs, and so often I hear that once you have a Weim you'll be in love with weims forever. However, weims require a lot of attention. They are not the kind of dog that will just lay quietly in the corner. They need a lot of exercise and always are your shadow in the house.WInston is curious about EVERYTHING and needs to be watched closely still at almost 6 months old. While I always sing the praises of weims, I don't think they are a good choice for a family that doesn't have time to devote to a lot of exercise (a minimum 30 mins. a day outside), training and attention. But if you are up to the challenge, a Weimaraner is an amazing family member and will love you so much and make you laugh, cry (and maybe scream a little).
If I were to have done anything differently, it would be that I would have waited until the spring (because where we live the winters are very harsh) to get a pup. It was difficult to get adequate exercise on the days that were a high of four degrees because it was hard on his growing joints. Since you are thinking of getting a pup now, this won't be a problem for you : ) Still...I would never have wanted a different baby than the one we have. Shela and Cliff were right on in choosing Winston for us.
I have no idea if this will be helpful, but I wish you the best of luck regardless of your decision!
God Bless,
The Nardins (Emilee, Vance and Winston) Click here to visit Winston's Web Page
First of all I cannot say enough about Shela and Cliff as caring breeders. We contacted them in March of 2007 just after having tragically lost a 2 year old to complications from being a cancer survivor. I explained to Shela that we were in serious mourning and I wanted to find a companion weimie as soon as possible after we lost our Sophie. NOTE! My wife, Fran and I have had weimies for over 30 years and truly love the breed. Anyhow, we traveled from Whidbey Island WA to Ontario the Saturday after we lost Sophie as Shela had some 12 week old puppies left from a litter by Gracie. We were extremely impressed by the love and care that the Nielsens provide their puppies. I cannot emphasize enough how socialization of puppies plays in there overall temperament. Anyhow, we came home with our little Stella. She has truly been a joy and is very close to our nearly 15 year old weimie (Leela).
Stella was one of the more shy and smaller females of the litter and has been one of the best weimaraner puppies we have ever had. She will be 15 months next Saturday. When we got home from Ontario OR (1100 mile round trip) Stella settled in very quickly. As a 12 week puppy we needed to take her out frequently to do her business. Yes, we did have some "accidents" for the first couple of months but they were fairly infrequent.
NOW! weimies are not for everyone. They generally do not do well confined for long times alone say in a carrier crate or left alone at home. They need a time each day to romp and play and run. They really bond with their people and are very loyal and protective of their home.
I have never had a hostile weim in the 30+ years that we have had them, but they are quite protective of their owners and surroundings. They are also a bit headstrong as a breed. There is a saying in our home that if you give a weimie and inch they will take the mile. Fran let Stella sleep on top of the covers of our bed one night when I was traveling for business. Guess where she sleeps every night now?
Anyhow, I do hunt occasionally but that was not the primary reason for getting another weimie. A true companion was and with proper love and caring they will be that special creature in your life. I would recommend you consider a female if you are considering a weimie solely as a pet. They generally are much more docile. You might have a similar experience with a neutered male, but I cannot comment on that as we never had one.
Good luck on your deliberations. I will say again that Cliff and Shela are tops as to the care and love they provide for their puppies.
Best regards,
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If you are reading this I am guessing you are thinking about adding a Weimaraner to your life/family/household, here are some thoughts based on personal experience.
My fiancée, Claire, and I obtained Heidi from Shela a little over a year and a half ago, and have been very impressed with both Heidi and the follow-up with Shela (here are some pictures on Shela’s web site: http://owyheestarfeaturedweims.homestead.com/Mollie/Shea.html , starting from the day I picked her up in Boise).
A little background might be in order here. Claire and I live in southwest Virginia, near Roanoke, on Smith Mountain Lake. My previous dogs include a Great Dane, a Newfoundland, an Australian Sheppard, and golden retriever/Labrador mix. Claire already had 2 Weimaraners when we met, Skipper (6) and Rudy (10). After Rudy was gone, we began to consider getting another companion for Skipper, and I spent considerable time researching both breeds and breeders. Many breeds had begun to show the signs of careless breeding, such as the aggressiveness of the Cocker Spaniel, and while I was fairly sure I wanted another Weimaraner (Skipper in particular was a rare find as a dog of any breed), I understood that this was going to be a decision we would live with for quite a while. We re-affirmed that the Weim was the breed we wanted, now to find a breeder. I can assure you I did NOT start out looking on the west coast, but all the breeders I located fell into generally one of 2 categories: the backyard breeder, trying to pick up a little cash while teaching their children about the birds and the bees, and the show breeder, who was trying to offset some of the costs of going to dog shows. This is not to belittle their efforts, but they clearly had their priorities, and their first priority was not the satisfaction of the future owner of any of the puppies, whom they never expected to see again (unless they wanted to retain breeding rights to your new puppy). For the time and energy (and life impact) of a future member of our family, this seemed a little too subject to luck for my taste. But I was impressed with the level of dedication of Shela and Cliff, and started inquiries about obtaining a puppy.
And then Skipper got sick. He was diagnosed with cancer, and the projection was he had 3-6 months. Claire knew that she didn’t want to go without a dog, but we were also concerned that Skipper not be stressed at the end of his life, he had been much too good for that kind of treatment. Shela was very understanding about the timing and equally careful about selecting a puppy that would fit our situation. So despite my dislike for flying I went to Boise, and got Heidi. After Skipper got over the shock of not being the only dog they got along famously, and Skipper actually survived for 18 months.
Heidi has turned out to be a perfect pet for us. I have developed a strong friendship with Shela as a result of my experience. When we decided to get a companion for Heidi, there was only one place we considered, and are getting a puppy from True’s current litter.
The Weimaraner as a breed has several strong traits that prospective owners should be aware of, but not necessarily intimated about. They are not a laid back breed, and if I was expecting to leave a dog at home for 10 hours a day during the week, I would select another breed. They are bred intentionally to be family companions, and while they are always ready and willing to go for a walk (or run), they want to be with you more than roam, and you will both be unhappy if you expect this to be an outside dog on its own most of the time. They can be strong willed, but as long as you are definite, they are intelligent and quick learners, and easily trained. But they will always try to push the envelope if they sense any give on your part. We are not particularly disciplined individuals, so Heidi continues to be Claire’s lap dog (even at 75 lbs.), but when she reached 25 lbs. I put her in the basket between our easy chairs, and she is happy with that arrangement, so long as I reach down and pet her frequently. And Weims are a fairly easy breed to keep up with, shedding is minimal (particularly compared with a Lab or Newfoundland), and the color neutral. Heidi was very inclined to counter surf, but persistence (and treats) have kept that in check, and we have never had an issue with her, although we still pay attention if she wanders in the kitchen. Probably the most surprising (and annoying) experience was when Heidi went through a teething phase at 3 to 6 months, where she would chew on anything and everything, including your hand. We spent a fair amount of effort trying to find toys to distract her, but she always liked socks and dirty laundry the most, and wasn’t particularly gentle when she got them. But she was just demonstrating her devotion, and after it tailed off, her occasional entrance with an article of clothing that she has “retrieved” is usually not disastrous, provided we coax it away from her quickly.
In short, I still believe the Weim is an ideal pet for the person who wants a medium sized constant canine companion. (Claire works from her home office and considers them perfect in that regard, they will always being laying at your feet, probably under the desk). I hold Shela and Cliff in the highest regard as a breeder. Thier devotion is at a level that I have to just shake my head when I contemplate whether I could be so conscientious.
If you have any specific questions, I am always willing to dialogue via email and at times I let Shela give out my phone. If you have questions regarding the Weimaraner breed, I can certainly think of no better authority than Shela and Cliff.
Regards,
George Murdock
Breeder's Note: We asked several OwyheeStar homes if they would be willing to write to a sprospective home about their experience with us as a breeder as well as what it means to add a Weimaraner to your home. We have many more references available upon request. You can also read more testimonials and see the puppies that we have raised over a number of years by taking this link: http://owyheestarfeaturedweims.homestead.com/index.html
Now among all these glorious testimonials we are quick to admit not everything always goes as smoothly as we might like. Any breeder who says they have never had a problem is either not truthful or has not had very many puppies born. Over the years we have had newborns die. It is always devestating! We have had a few pups born with a problem. We have had a mother step on a baby and injure it. Despite all our efforts things still happen.
Even though every puppy receives a Veterinary Wellness Exam some come down with minor ailments. These ailments may include: ear infections, puppy vaginitis, UTI's, skin infections, etc. Sometimes once something happens and the puppy starts on antibiotics then they get the vaginitis as well. It can be very frustrating. In discussing this with our very highly respected Veterinarian (Dr. Calhoun of the Idaho Veterinary Hospital in Nampa, Idaho), we have learned that this happens in most every breed. Puppies have weaker developing immune systems. Then we tax their immune system with all kinds of stimuli including vaccines. Once the puppy matures and becomes about 6 months old their immune system simply is better developed. Unfortunately, no matter what we do we cannot avoid every problem a puppy can face. Instead, we look at the parents to make sure they are healthy. Healthy parents normally make healthy puppies. Sometimes initially it may seem like a pup is not doing well but almost without exception if you look at the same pup at 6 months to a year then you find they are thriving and healthy.
It is very important when considering a Weimaraner that you realize that they require special care and consideration:
- Exercise (but not too much during the first 9 months to a year while the pup is still growing rapidly)
- Training
- Proper Diet/healthy snacks
- Ear Cleaning
- Nail Trimming
- Adherence to the WCA Vaccine Protocol
- Considering always their immune system and not over vaccinating or challenging it.
We hope you have found this information helpful. Over time we have acquired a bank of information and experience that we hope benefits you. Let us know if there is something else we can do to be of service to you.
