Weimardoodle (original) (raw)

Despite their physical differences, both the Weimaraner and the Poodle were bred in Germany as hunting dogs. The former was a more conventional “gun dog,” while the latter was built to retrieve game from the water with its strong swimming ability. This deep hunting pedigree shows up in the Weimardoodle’s exceptional athleticism.

First bred around the turn of the 21st century, the Weimardoodle is a combination of a Weimaraner and a Poodle. This “designer dog” (which means it has two purebred parents) comes from good stock. Both the Weimaraner and Poodle are friendly, athletic, and intelligent breeds, but they do differ physically. While the former breed has a shorter coat of fur, the latter has long, elegant, curly or wavy tufts. When you combine them together, you will usually get a dog with a slim physique, a long and narrow muzzle, flapping ears, and a long, furry tail. The coat can come in many different variations between curly/wavy and smooth/coarse. The most common colors are black, white, cream, gray, brown, fawn, and a combination of black and white.

3 Pros and Cons of Ownership

Pros Cons
Fiercely loyal: They are able to form a deep bond with its owner. Separation Anxiety: They should not be left alone for too long without human companionship.
Intelligent: They can learn lots of different human commands and tasks quickly. Suspicious of Strangers: They need time to become familiar with new faces.
Athletic: This mix is very good for owners who want to get plenty of exercise with their dog. Stubborn: Some individuals may inherit a slight amount of stubbornness from one of their parents.

Black Weimardoodle standing near the water

A Weimardoodles is an intelligent and athletic dogs able to form a deep bond with its owner.

©Blumqvist/Shutterstock.com

Size and Weight

The Weimardoodle is a medium-sized dog with a rather sleek and muscular frame. The size of the Weimardoodle usually depends on the size of its Poodle parent, which can come in many different sizes (standard, mini, etc). While mini Weimaraners exist as well, only the larger dogs tend to be used for the purpose of breeding the Weimardoodle, whichch doesn’t yet have a mini version.

Height (Male): 22 to 27 inches
Height (Female): 20 to 25 inches
Weight (Male): 50 to 70 pounds
Weight (Female): 45 to 65 pounds

Common Health Issues

Since the Weimardoodle is a recent mix, there is unfortunately not a lot of data available about the dog’s health on a population-wide scale. It’s believed that the most common health problems it can inherit from either parent are cancer, hypothyroidism, skin issues, luxating patella (essentially, a loose knee cap), bloating, and retinal atrophy and other serious eye conditions.

Some uncommon diseases that nevertheless could cause serious complications including Cushing’s syndrome (overproduction of the cortisol hormone), Addison’s disease (when the adrenal gland doesn’t produce enough hormones), Von Willebrand’s Disease (a bleeding disorder caused by low clotting proteins in the blood), and Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease (low blood supply to the hip joint). Some of these are very serious genetic disorders and should be identified early to give your dog the best opportunity at a good quality of life. If serious health problems are avoided, then you can expect the Weimardoodle to have a decent lifespan of some 10 to 13 years. To sum up some of the most common health problems:

Temperament

Gray Dog Breeds

The Weimaraner, one of the parent dogs of the Weimardoodle, is a German hunting dog.

©iStock.com/alberto clemares expósito

The Weimardoodle is a very loyal companion that forms a strong attachment with its owner. Since it really thrives on constant physical or mental stimulation, it should be given a variety of different activities to do. However, if not properly socialized from an early age, then it may develop some anti-social behaviors, including a deep suspicion of strangers, which can take time and effort to overcome. As a highly athletic mix, this dog does best in homes with large yards. However, it can adapt to apartment living as long as it receives enough outdoor activity. This is not exactly a low-maintenance breed, but many people will enjoy its friendly personality and temperament.

Care

Potential owners should be aware that the Weimardoodle will require a lot of responsibility to care for since it needs daily exercise and grooming. As a puppy, this mix should have an early health checkup at the vet, and annual visits are recommended after that for a routine physical examination and tests. If you ever need tips about how to take care of your dog, then you should consult with your vet.

Best Dog Food

The Weimardoodle needs around 2.5 cups of high-quality dog food a day to support its active lifestyle. However, the exact amount will almost certainly vary with the dog’s age, size, and activity level. If you notice your dog gaining weight, then you should cut back on the number of calories in its diet.

The full extent of this new breed’s health profile is still somewhat uncertain. So definitely mention your dog’s diet at its regular vet appointments to make sure it’s getting the best nutrition possible to keep any health conditions in check.

At A-Z Animals, we think the best dog food for Weimardoodles is Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach, High Protein Dry Dog Food.

The real salmon recipe provides natural glucosamine for the joints, naturally occurring in the fish ingredients. It’s specially formulated to nourish the skin and coat, with omegas, vitamin A, and vitamin K, also helpful when it comes to eye health.

Check Amazon or Chewy for this product.

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Maintenance and Grooming

The amount of grooming required by this dog will, of course, depend on the length and quality of the coat it inherits from the parents. If it inherits the longer coat of the Poodle, then your dog will probably need to be brushed several times a week to prevent matting and tangling. You should also plan to have the coat trimmed several times a year, preferably by a professional. Fortunately, this isn’t much of a shedding dog. Among other grooming tips, you should bathe the dog with a delicate shampoo whenever it becomes excessively dirty, clean its ears at least once a week to prevent infections, trim its nails whenever they grow long, and gently brush its teeth at least three times a week to prevent dental problems and bad breath.

red royal poodle

Poodles were originally bred for hunting, as was the Weimaraner, and they pass on this heritage to the Weimardoodle mix.

©Diana Kellior/Shutterstock.com

Training

The Weimardoodle is an intelligent, curious breed that responds well to human guidance. It will need a firm, consistent, but friendly hand to overcome some of its strong hunting instincts and stubbornness it may inherit from its parents. It responds best to positive reinforcement methods such as praise and treats. If you need some help, then you can take your dog to a professional trainer. For best results, this should be done as early as possible in the dog’s life to help it become properly socialized around new people and dogs.

Exercise

The Weimardoodle is an energetic dog that needs at least an hour of exercise per day. Around 30 to 45 minutes of this should come from daily walks or runs, so it is highly encouraged that you have some kind of yard or park nearby in which the dog can freely roam. This dog also enjoys fetching, swimming, and toy time to keep it engaged.

Puppies

As with any other type of dog, it is a good idea to obtain any Weimardoodle puppies from a high-quality breeder. They select only the best dogs for breeding purposes in order to minimize the chances of genetic disorders arising. If necessary, ask for documentation about the parent dogs. Another good option is a rescue group. While there are no specific Weimardoodle rescue groups available, you might be able to find this dog at a Weimaraner or Poodle rescue agency that carries mixes. Since the Weimardoodle is a mix between two breeds, the puppy may have a large range of potential traits that will only become apparent with time. That makes it even more important that you do your homework before purchasing one.

Children

The Weimardoodle should get along very well with children of all ages. Its gentle but energetic and fun-loving demeanor is perfect for a family companion, and if have more than one kid in your home, they can take turns caring for it. Just make sure an adult is present to supervise interactions between your dog and younger children.

Similar Dogs

If you are a fan of the Weimardoodle, then you might want to check out its two parent breeds, the Weimaraner and the Poodle. There are also several other types of dogs that bear a strong similarity to the Weimardoodle. Many of them are hypoallergenic as well.

Famous

The Weimardoodle has not been around long enough to make much of an impact on the wider culture. However, it does come from very famous stock. The Poodle is one of the most popular breeds in the world, and even the Weimaraner is widely known; President Eisenhower once owned this breed, and it has been featured prominently in the artwork of William Wegman.

If you’re looking for a good Weimardoodle name, then you might want to consider the following options:

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The Weimardoodle is a cross between a Weimaraner and a Poodle. This medium-sized dog tends to have an athletic frame, a friendly bearing, an intelligent mind, and somewhat curly hair of varying lengths and colors. Of course, because this is a cross between two different breeds, there is quite a lot of variation between individuals, even within the same litter.

Depending on the traits it inherits from its parents, the Weimardoodle doesn’t actually do much shedding at all, but its coat will need to be carefully groomed on a regular basis.

A Weimardoodle may inherit the hypoallergenic coat from a Poodle parent, but unfortunately, it isn’t possible to predict which puppies will be hypoallergenic ahead of time. If it’s absolutely essential that your dog has a hypoallergenic coat, then you should wait until it becomes absolutely clear before purchasing it.

The price of a typical Weimardoodle is between 250and250 and 250and1,000. If you want a dog with an exceptional pedigree, then you may end up spending more, but it isn’t necessary to pay a higher price for a regular companion dog.

Yes, the Weimardoodle is a great family dog. Its gentle nature, its active lifestyle, and its need for constant companionship mean that the entire family can take part in caring for this dog.