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Weimaraners
Weimaraner board and train in Gloucester, MA
A breeder quoted by the AKC sums up the Weimaraner neatly: the good news is that they are smart, and the bad news is that they are smart. A Weim learns your habits, its own shortcuts and every rule you forget to enforce. A stay points that brain at the right things.
Gray Ghost
Hunting drive, a strong bond and a habit of learning everything: the Weimaraner's mix
The AKC's breed page describes Germany's sleek and swift Gray Ghost, males 25 to 27 inches and 70 to 90 pounds, and gives energy, trainability, playfulness and mental stimulation needs five out of five, with watchdog and protective nature at five as well. Weimaraners learn quickly, the AKC says, and that includes both good and bad behaviors. They operate on the principle of what's in it for me, so the advice is to make what you want what they want.
According to the AKC's breed facts article, the Weimaraner was developed to hunt bear, boar and other large game in the forests around Weimar, then spend its evenings indoors with its owners. The same article warns that Weims can get depressed and act out if ignored, which can lead to separation anxiety problems, so puppies should learn early that there will be times when they are on their own.
Two practical notes from the breed page complete the picture. Weimaraners have high exercise requirements and love to stretch their legs at a full head of steam. And they love to chew, which leads to mouth injuries and swallowed objects. A training plan for a Weim therefore includes management: what can be chewed, where the dog rests, and how much running it gets before it is asked to concentrate.
- Energy, trainability and protective nature: 5 of 5 on the AKC scale
- Learns good and bad habits equally fast
- Prone to separation problems if ignored
- A keen chewer, so management matters
Week by week
Foundation teaches a Weim to settle and wait; Advanced makes recall and manners hold outdoors
In the Foundation week, the crate and the settle carry the most weight for a young Weimaraner. They are where alone-time skills begin, and they give a chewer a safe place to be while nobody is watching. Waiting at doors and the food bowl, a slack leash in quiet places and a long-line recall complete the week, with a daily update to you and a go-home lesson at the end, as listed on our board and train page.
Advanced suits the adolescent Weim with a strong recall at home and none near wildlife, or one that drags toward every dog and greets strangers like long-lost friends. Its second week adds outings, distraction proofing, neutrality and structured socialization, then two scheduled coaching lessons. A dog that guards the house or panics when left needs a different plan, worked with you present, and Gabby will say so at the consult.
| What a Weimaraner needs | Foundation, 1 week | Advanced, 2 weeks |
|---|---|---|
| A settle and crate comfort | Taught and practiced daily | Practiced in busier settings |
| Recall | Built on a long line indoors and on the turf | Proofed around distractions on outings |
| Leash manners | Slack leash in quiet places | Slack leash past dogs, people and traffic |
| Calm with strangers and dogs | Daycare integration when ready | Neutrality work and structured socialization |
| Coaching for you | One go-home lesson | Two scheduled coaching lessons |
Attention traps
Weimaraner mistakes are mostly about attention: too much, too little, or for the wrong thing
Constant company is the first trap. A puppy that is never left alone never learns the skill the AKC's facts article asks for, being on its own at times, and the first long absence becomes a crisis. Start with minutes: a chew in the crate while you are in the next room, a gate while you shower. Long days need cover, a $42 day of daycare or a $33 half day, rather than a sudden eight hours alone.
Ignoring the dog is the opposite trap, and the AKC links it to depression and acting out. A Weim that gets no exercise or training will make its own entertainment out of the couch cushions. Paying the wrong behavior is the third: a dog that barks and gets let out, or nudges and gets petted, learns that lesson fast. Ask what's in it for the dog and make the answer the behavior you want. Never punish a chewed shoe after the fact; manage access instead.
- Practice short separations from the first week home
- Hard daily exercise before training sessions
- Reward calm, not barking or nudging
- Chew-proof the house and the crate for unsupervised time
Departures
Run the settle daily, keep absences small and give a Weim's drive a regular outlet
Your coaching sessions at the end of the stay cover the settle, the crate routine and the recall cues as your Weim learned them. Use the settle before every departure and keep absences short enough that your dog stays relaxed. Any sign of real panic, such as howling, drooling or damage at the door, is a reason to book private sessions from $94 and to ask your vet about the graduated departure plans the Merck Veterinary Manual describes.
For the drive, a run on a long line at Wingaersheek on an odd-numbered day between October 1 and April 30 does what a walk cannot, and the fenced Gloucester Dog Park at Stage Fort Park gives a safe space for recall games. Dogtown Academy, $89 a full day or $69 a half, adds trainer time to the exercise. Owners in Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea can book the Pup Van for those days at $10 each way.
- 01
Exercise first, then a few quiet minutes on the mat
- 02
Hand over a stuffed chew in the crate or behind a gate
- 03
Leave without a long goodbye
- 04
At first, come back before the chew is finished
- 05
Lengthen absences only while the dog stays relaxed, and shorten them at any sign of distress
At Dogtown
Drive, company and a plan
Training programs, daycare for the long days a Weim should not spend alone, and Academy days that pair exercise with trainer time.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
Can a stay fix my Weimaraner's separation anxiety?
Is my Weimaraner too energetic to concentrate on training?
My Weim greets everyone by jumping. Which program fits?
Will my Weimaraner stop chasing wildlife after training?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Sources
- AKC: Weimaraner breed profile
- AKC: Weimaraner facts
- Merck Veterinary Manual: behavior problems of dogs
- City of Gloucester: dog regulations and beach rules
- Gloucester Dog Park at Stage Fort Park
Rules and dates change. We re-check every beach, licensing and ordinance page each spring and fall; the source above is the current word.
Keep reading
Next step
Make what you want what they want.
Send us your Weimaraner's age, how it handles time alone and what it chases. Expect an answer within one hour on business days.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
