Do Weimaraners Like Water?

The Weimaraner is a medium-large dog with an elongated body. It’s a hunting dog with a thin and slightly arched neck, slightly tucked in sides, with well-developed musculature and strong limbs.  

They are athletic dogs that are trained as hunting and retrieving dogs on land and in water. Most Weimaraners like water but, it depends on the condition they are raised in, their parents, and training received.  

If you got it from your breeder as a puppy, it’s best to put it through some swimming practice. In this article, we’ll see how naturally adapted Weimaraners are to water and whether you can train them to swim better. But first, let’s discover what this breed is.  

Who is this breed meant for? 

Don’t make the mistake made by many owners who choose the Weimaraner as their companion simply because they have been won over by the beauty of their unusual coat. 

The Weimaraner is indeed a versatile companion. It makes both families and hunters happy. But it nevertheless has important purposes that should not be neglected! 

Weimaraner living conditions

Unless you spend your time outdoors with your companion, the Weimaraner can’t stand apartment living! It is a dog who needs space, and who loves to run, track, and explore its environment. 

Weimaraner Sportiness and activity level 

Very athletic, the Weimaraner has a great need for activity. It loves to go on a hunt in the bush. It can hunt, track, and point both on land and in the water. And if it is not accompanying you on the hunt, it will do wonders in agility courses or Canicross! 

Keeping your Weimaraner 

If it has been used to it from an early age, the Weimaraner can be kept in kennels as long as it is not separated from the pack with which it evolved.  

The Weimaraner is an animal who likes to walk in its master’s footsteps all the time and never takes his eyes off him! 

It is therefore very difficult to teach it to stay alone or to part with him for some time to travel or in case of unavailability. 

Weimaraner Withstanding heat with water 

Be careful not to stimulate this dog during hot weather. Passionate about hunting and determined when in action, it could go to the point of exhaustion without really realizing it. 

Thus, regulated activities, unlimited water, and cool shade are necessary when it is hot. 

The Weimaraner likes water. Water games and walks in the water can therefore be offered to this hunting dog during the summer periods. 

Why not all Weimaraners are adaptive to water  

Many canine lovers are fond of the wrong notion that all Weimaraners are great swimmers. They are right but could be wrong with some breeds. Once again, it depends on the raising and the skills of the dogs’ parents.

If the parents are not great swimmers, perhaps the puppy will not inherit swimming skills. But the basic swimming tendencies are always there. They just have to be taught how to discover that sometimes.  

How to train a Weimaraner? 

The young Weimaraner is very malleable and learns quickly if the owner is firm, logical, and consistent. 

It is advisable to instill in the dog the training very early, as well as the basic rules of life. This is so that it can remember them more quickly and retain them for a very long term. 

The training methods must be adapted to its sensitivity. Always devoid of any violence or brutality so as not to generate deviant behavior in the dog. 

If it is an Adult Weimaraner

The adult Weimaraner stands a good chance of responding to training faster but may take longer to learn than a puppy. Bad habits are already formed and their learning ability is reduced, as in human adults! 

To implement training techniques adapted to the personality and character of your dog, learn about its background and experience. 

The more your training methods are personalized and correspond to the needs and attitude of the animal, the more effective they will be! 

By calling a Dog Trainer

Whether you are an expert or a novice, you always have the possibility of calling on a professional trainer who will teach your dog some basic rules of life and orders. 

By soliciting the services of a professional dog, you greatly reduce the risk of providing your dog with an education poorly adapted to its needs. And it’s less likely for it to have behavioral disorders. 

Most dog trainers are physical, that is to say, they welcome your dog into their facilities and take care of its education themselves. 

These educators must be handpicked. Ensure that their methods are modern, adapted to the breed of your dog, and are of demonstrated effectiveness. 

Why teach your Weimaraner to swim  

Teaching your Weimaraner to dive has many advantages. First of all, you will become familiar with water and enjoy that experience. You will also have access to a host of fun activities that you are sure to love. On the other hand, teaching it to dive will let it know how to hunt, retrieve games, and defend itself in the water. 

How to teach the Weimaraner to swim 

Among the summer activities that you can do with your Weimaraner pet are the aquatic ones. So how do you teach your dog to dive? 

Educating a Weimaraner is generally not very complicated. A few precautions are often enough to teach it to do extraordinary things or just to have fun, especially on hot summer days. Hence, we will show you a simple and short guide on how to teach your Weimaraner to swim. 

If the Weimaraner is a puppy 

If it is a puppy, times will certainly be shorter. Just take it calmly close to the shore (possibly with sand). Then try to enter slowly with it perhaps with a treat like a tennis ball. Give it to the dog when it first puts its leg in the water. 

At a later time, with the same reward, you should try to move a little further in the water and try to bring it close by throwing the ball. After several trials, the puppy will surely have found the instinct to swim. But if it doesn’t work the first time, however, it will have gained some water safety skills. 

If your dog is an adult 

If the Weimaraner is an adult and can’t really swim, the situation is more complicated, but not impossible.   

Usually, if the dog is afraid of water, then you should always present the water creatively and introduce the dog to calming situations.  

For example, avoid taking it into the sea for the first time when the water is very cold, rough, or in waves. Take it on beaches with shallow, pleasantly warm waters.  

After a few months, you can move on to the ball game and try the games more and more. If, on the other hand, it’s not taking any of your tricks (if we are talking about dogs with trauma), the alternative is the pools for dogs with simple swimming courses.  

Equipped with rehabilitation and physiotherapy programs, you can get one of these at a really low cost. Tools such as inflatables, harnesses, and vests are also used in these structures. They guarantee the safety of the dog and calm the owner’s anxieties. 

Some tips and tricks  

Using toys 

A very effective way for the dog to enter the water without being forced is by using a toy that it likes a lot. Throw the toy in the water and invite the animal to look for it.   

This technique can be combined with offering treats and also using encouraging and loving phrases. Let’s not forget that patience is key to achieving our goals. 

Encourage your Weimaraner

The owner must enter the pool and patiently and lovingly encourage the dog by inviting it to enter the water. The animal mustn’t be forced to enter the water, much less to submerge its head.

This should be a gradual and adaptive process that will likely require several sessions until the dog is comfortable. You can also encourage him by offering him some dog treats as earlier discussed. 

Prevent infection or irritation 

Don’t forget that after a good swim in the water, either on the beach or in the pool, you should always bathe it to remove salt or chlorine. This helps to avoid infections or irritations. If neglected, they can be dangerous to the dog’s health. 

Conclusion 

Weimaraners have the instinct to take to water easily and better than many dogs. They love water; and require it for daily survival during hunting and retrieving activities, games in the outdoors, and as a form of exercise.

But, sometimes, you may have to put them through some swimming tasks. Teaching Weimaraner dogs to dive is possible and easier. The most important thing is to take all the necessary measures to guarantee the safety of the animal and also to make the experience enjoyable and fun at all times.