Well, that depends. But before you run off to find one, remember that they are large lap dogs that live inside the home with their owners and require a lot of attention, especially when younger, including outdoor exercise DAILY. They can weigh up to 90 pounds.
The biggest mistake made by those who, unfortunately for the dog, give up the dog, is not realizing that they can not be left alone for large amounts of time without human interaction and that they need regular exercise and walking with their owners at least once a day. They cherish their "outing" with their "pack leader."
(Be sure you read our other page "Adopting/Fostering a Dog.")
Weims were originally bred for hunting. Many still are and all carry many of the instincts of their ancestors when around birds and other prey. But more and more the housepets of today are like family members, very accustomed to being with their owners and participating in family activities, as they did in decades past. A lonely Weimer will become destructive with boredom and can even develop psychological problems and become very obnoxious when left with no challenge, nothing to do. If you see one in a small kennel or on a chain, you are probably looking at a very miserable dog. If you think about it, most dogs today are worse off than just a generation or two ago of us humans, when they accompanied their masters all day, worked and played with them and got plenty of exercise, mostly in rural areas. Many had a role in the workday, such as herding or fetching prey. Nowdays we are trying to keep them in small areas, often without even seeing much of the outdoors and unable to roam leash-free.
Weims need a lot of exercise and an area to run and play. To ignore this is to risk creating a destructive, unstable canine.
Many Weim owners will gleefully admit, with pride, that their dog sleeps right with them in the bed, lounges on the furniture all over the house and is treated as a member of the family. They can have a beautiful, silky-smooth coat with the right diet, exercise and grooming. They are fun to watch, always have a new expression, stick to you like glue and want to be part of whatever you do, go wherever you go. They make eye contact with you and are always "in tune" to what's happening.
There are other issues as well having to do with anal ducts needing expulsion and flatulence which will not be dealt with in detail here. Weims drinking water from a bowl will usually dribble water about four feet across the floor when they leave it due to the nature of their lips and jaws. Take a look at our other page about puppies
http://houstonweimaraner.com/puppy.aspx and the other pages about health and links.
Plus, take this quiz about what it is like to own a Weim:
AND REMEMBER, DOGS COST A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF
$ money $ TO MAINTAIN.
They eat AT LEAST four cups of commercial dry dog food a day.
They require trips to the vet for shots, and regular healthcare such as vaccinations, teeth cleaning, nail trimming etc.
If you are not a Weim owner and have questions, please feel free to write for more info. If you'd like to visit us to see "Weims in action" join us at one of our Weim get-togethers. If you are a Weim owner and have info to offer or a suggestion to add to the above, please do so.