Articles
How Does Your Dog Food Score?
Selecting the right dog food for your dog is very important. Take a minute to learn what ingredients are in the food and how your dog's food scores.
A Dog is for Life, not just for a Holiday
Thinking About Getting a Dog?
So, you think you would like to purchase a dog. Owning a dog is a responsibility that can be the beginning of years of happiness or the beginning of an overwhelming relationship. Consider these questions seriously and honestly to help you determine if you are ready for such a job.
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Do we really want a dog?
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Can we afford to keep a dog?
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Will we make time to train, groom, and exercise a dog?
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Will a dog fit into our lifestyle today and years from now?
Is a Weimaraner the Right Dog for You?
The Weimaraner Standard describes the breed temperament as friendly, fearless, alert, and obedient, but this is but the half of its personality. Assertive, bold, loyal, and headstrong also fit, giving the dog a loving attitude with a willingness to take the upper paw in the family if the opportunity presents itself. Housebreaking can be a problem, as can destructive chewing.
Like most large hunting breeds, the Weimaraner needs lots of exercise and must be kept in a fenced yard to prevent him from ranging in search of game. Because he was developed as a hunting dog and still maintains those instincts, he may be dangerous to birds and small mammals.
Bloat
Bloat kills many dogs each year, PLEASE, PLEASE read the following and PAY ATTENTION!
Bloat is a condition where the stomach rapidly expands while it fills with gas and water. Many times it is accompanied by TORSION where the stomach twists over on itself and the ends actually are twisted shut - so nothing can get in or out. The condition is an emergency, if not treated immediately it always results in an agonizing death.
No one knows what causes Bloat, it generally BUT NOT ALWAYS, begins an hour or so after eating. Eating an overly large amount, and/or vigorous exercise before or after eating can contribute to the condition.
Information for New Dog Owners
Congratulations on adopting a Weimaraner, and welcome to our Rescue family! The next few weeks are very important in establishing a good working relationship with your dog. That’s right WORKING! You’ll both be working toward a successful adoption and teaching your Weimaraner to fit into your home and family. This sheet and the attached evaluation will give you some help. If you have any questions or problems, we are here to answer them. Please feel free to call. We are standing by to assist you during the adjustment period.
A Lesson in Becoming Alpha
By: Vicki Rodenberg De Gruy
• "My dog just tried to bite me! All I did was tell him to move over so I could sit on the couch next to him."
• "My dog got into the trash can and when I scolded her, she growled at me. What's wrong with her? I thought she loved me!"
• "Our dog is very affectionate most of the time but when we try to make him do something he doesn't want to do, he snaps at us."
Housetraining Basics
House soiling is a spatial problem, wherein a dog has been allowed to eliminate in the wrong place, thus establishing a toilet status quo, which heralds many more mistakes to come, as the dog develops a strong preference for eliminating on carpets indoors. Now, before you get angry at your dog, perhaps we should consider: Who let an unhousetrained dog have free run of the house? I rest my case. Bad owner, Baaad owner!
1. Prevent mistakes at all cost!
When Baby Makes Four
Preparing Your Weimaraner For a New Addition to the Family
by Patty Cornelius
It never fails, each week we get at least one call into our rescue program from a tired, frantic new parent saying “Help! We have a new baby and we need to find a home for our Weimaraner!” New parents are often finding life with a weim and a baby difficult to handle. The problems they now face could have easily been avoided with some prior planning and a little bit of time and patience. There are thousands of dogs dumped in shelters each year because a new baby came along and life suddenly became too hectic for the family. Most of these dogs never make it to another home. In fact, owner released dogs often are given only 1-3 days to find a new home before they are euthanized.
Preventing Dog Bites
Q: How many dog bites occur every year in the U.S?
A: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, estimates that more than 4.7 million people are bit-
Q: Wbicb dogs most commonly bite? Are some breeds more likely to bite than others?
A: The list of top biling dogs changes every year and from one area of the country to another. Factors such as whether the dog is spayed/neutered, properly socialized, supervised, humanely trained, and safely confined play a significantly greater role than the dog's breed.
Taking Care of Your Pet's Teeth
Have you looked in your pet's mouth lately?
Dogs and cats can't brush their teeth. But foul breath and yellow-brown teeth are not only unappealing, they could indicate a serious gum disease. And that can lead to other health problems.
Periodontal disease affects nearly 80 percent of all cats and dogs over the age of three. It starts as bacteria and plaque on teeth and progresses into a disease that can cause tooth decay, bleeding gums, tooth loss and even damage to the heart and other internal organs according to the American Veterinary Dental Society and their spokesperson for the Pets Need Dental Care, Too™ campaign sponsored by the American Veterinary Medical Association, the AVDS and Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc."
When You Can't Keep Your Dog
Not long ago, you were thrilled to have a Weimaraner puppy of your very own. You never dreamed that you might have to give him up someday. Your Weim still depends on you to do what is best for him, just like he depended on you when he was a puppy. Now, more than ever, he needs you to take the time to think things through and make the right choices for his future.
WEIMARANER RESCUE helps to find new homes for Weims. Rescuers are unpaid volunteers with full time jobs and families to care for, just like you. They usually do not have kennel facilities nor do they receive financial help from the government.