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Weimaraner Longhair

History

The first breeding entries regarding the Weimaraner appeared in the pedigree book of the German Shorthair Club. Most entries were from the SH Weimaraner. Noticeable changes were brought about through the notable Austrian, Ludwig von Merey von Kapos Mere (1871-1938), who was famous for his many books on hunting dogs written under the pen name Hegendorf. At a show in Vienna in 1934, he saw the LH Weimaraner "Tell von Stranzendorf" (OZW 279). TELL was from the SH parents "Hella Wagner" bred with "Pollo von Hollabrunner." TELL's sire and dam each had SH parents and grandparents. Among Hegendorf’s most notable books was "The Successful Battle Against Poachers By The Use of Hunting Dogs in Forestry and Game Protection." He was not concerned with color and hair texture, but rather with this versatile hunting dog and its many practical uses. The honorary title "forestry dog" applied only to such dogs, which in addition to their hunting ability, proved reliable in game protection and by distinguishing themselves in tracking these poachers. Hegendorf worked closely with Otto Stockmeyer, the head of the Austrian Weimaraner Club. Stockmeyer also held the title of Chief of the Department of Forestry in Grafenegg. He had been handling Weimaraners since 1913. Stockmeyer convinced Prince Hans of Ratibor-Hohenlohe of the usefulness of the Weimaraner. Consequently, each forester and hunter in the service of thegovernment was required to have a Weimaraner for his use.In 1924, when the Austrian Weimaraner Club was founded, 10 of the 32 Weimaraners in Austria were owned by the Department of Forestry in Grafenegg. The Club was also the first hunting dog organization in Europe which trained its dogs for security duties and for this purpose, established competitive testing procedures. Using Stockmeyer's influence, Hegendorf was able to convince Major Robert a. D. (retired) Herber, the President of the German Weimaraner Club from 1921-1946, of the value of the LH Weimaraner.During the 1935 International World Dog Exposition in Frankfurt/Main, the variety gained both national and international recognition. The breed standard would be supplemented with a corresponding addition. Meanwhile, in Austria, a systematic plan for breeding the LH Weimaraner was developed. Klaus Hartmann from Wolfsburg, Germany (Breeding Regulator from 1963 until 1975) attracted the attention of the club members for the qualities of his LH Weimaraner, "Nina von Branneckerhof" (W. 983) and her offspring. Countless valuable purebred LH Weimaraners have come from the Greifenburg Kennel.

Longhairs Although longhaired Weimaraners have been around about as long as the modern shorthaired coat type (which replaced the original Stockhaarig coat), information about their history in the United States is very scanty. Denlinger's 1954 Weimaraner book mentions two longhairs in Texas, two in Massachusetts, and one each in Minnesota and Washington. He also states that when Clarence Schukei (from Iowa) mated his 1951 Austrian import Satta v. Brunneckerhof to Silver Lion of Forest Tatarus, a longhair from shorthaired parents, she produced seven longhaired puppies. Schukei then purchased two California-bred longhairs, also from shorthaired parents. (Denlinger 1954, 190-191) In other words, by the early 1950s, longhairs were cropping up in litters from all over the country. Through the 1950s and 1960s, longhairs were more of a curiosity than anything else. They could even be shown because the trait was not even mentioned in the standard until the revision of 1953, which added it as a serious fault. The major issue of the standard revision of 1965 was over the controversial size disqualification, for Weimaraners at both extremes were numerous; the longhair disqualification apparently was quietly slipped into the revision, and few people cared either way.

Coat

Hunting conditions have changed. The aristocratic, finely-tuned, high performance, racing machines have lost their field of action. New evidence in genetics and behavioral science, as well as, ethical animal protection laws are gaining greater influence. The extensive game bird hunts from the turn of the century are past. Animals which have adapted to civilization, i.e. ducks, doves, rabbits, foxes, hares and in some areas pheasants are the primary hunting game.

Coat The longhaired Weimaraner variety has without question proven excellence in free-ranging field abilities, tracking wounded game and search/retrieve strengths during water work. It is a versatile, well-mannered hunting partner. The ideal hair length is between long and shorthair in the range of the original coarse. It should be smooth and thick with a water repellent undercoat, resistant to weather and thorns. At the same time, it should not be too sensitive to dirt and burrs.

Definitions and differences in coat types *Longhair-W.W. Denlinger:"The long-haired Weimaraner has been described as conforming to the Standard for the short-haired dog in every respect except for the length of coat. At birth, the coat of the SH Weimaraner is inclined to be rather crisp, with definite stripes which disappear within a short time.That of the LH Weimaraner is soft and wooly at birth, and has no stripes. The coat of the mature dog, no longer wooly, has a silky texture, and is straight or slightly wavy. On the upper part of the body, the coat is tighter than on the SH dog; on the lower part, it is not so tight. The outer sides of the ears are covered with long, soft, silky hair. The tail, which is not docked as is that of the SH Weimaraner, is heavily feathered so that in the field the dog appears to have a graceful plume-like flag.There is soft feathering on the backs of the legs, and between the toes."

Stockhaarig The Germans cannot breed a "pure" stockhaar Weimaraner. Stockhaar only appears in breeding dogs with longhair genes. Therefore, there is no recessive gene responsible for stockhaar. There has never been a "real" stockhaar in Weimaraners. Occasionally observations occur which represent a mixture between longhair and shorthair, ie. medium top coat with a light undercoat. Therefore, the registration number is followed by (LK) indicating long/short coat. LH breeders favor occasional breedings to LK to improve quality and resilience of longhair coats. Necessary permissions must be obtained. A "real stockhaar" can be seen in the German Shepard (shorthair variety) or the Dingo. In the "new" FCI Weimaraner standard, there is no mention of a stockhaar-Weimaraner.

Drahthaar During the 1960's, people in Czechoslovakia crossbred the Weimaraner and the wirehaired Pointer (Griffon, deutsch Drahthaar, Stichelhaar, etc.) and obtained some gray wirehaired dogs. The German Weimaraner Klub did not recognize these dogs as "Weimaraners," because they were NOT purebred Weimaraners. Today, dogs exist in Tschechia and Slovakia appearing as brown, some gray and gray with darker plates. But, this breed is not declared as "Weimaraner." The breed is referred to as the "Slovensky Hruborstsy stavac" - Slovensky Wirehaired Pointer.

Rauhaar Coarse coat with wooly,coarse undercoat.

Hirsute: French term. Covered with black hair- -shaggy, tousled in appearance.
**For further coat type information, please refer to the article entitled, IRON CURTAIN"S HIDDEN GUNDOGS, by Bruce Fogle, published in the WCA Magazine, August 1997.

BREED VARIETY Weimaraner Long Hair

GROUP * Gundog

PLACE OF ORIGIN * Germany

ORIGINAL FUNCTION * Hunt/Point/Retrieve

AVERAGE LIFE SPAN * 11 though we are often hearing of Weis living
up to 16 years of age

HEIGHT * Dogs 23 1/2 to 27 12 inches and
Bitches 22 1/2 to 25 1/2 inches

COAT TYPE * Long free flowing though easy to manage, extra feathering on the legs, tail & ears.
The length of coat is usually one and a half to two inches long, climate and environment are contributing factors to coat length.

COLOUR * Silver Grey/Mouse Grey/Roe Grey

Faults Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault is regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

Note * Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.