Weimaraner: how to recognise the Grey Ghost
One colour, every shade of grey, and eyes that seem to look through you: few breeds are as recognisable as the Weimaraner. Upload a photo to check how your dog compares.
Also known as: Weim, Grey Ghost, Weimaraner Vorstehhund
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About the Weimaraner
The Weimaraner takes its name from the court of Weimar in Germany, where it was developed as a versatile hunting dog that points, tracks and retrieves. Its uniform grey coat and light eyes earned it the nickname Grey Ghost. It is energetic, bold and very people-oriented: most Weimaraners want to be wherever their owner is and dislike being left alone. With enough exercise and training, it is an affectionate family dog; without them, it finds its own entertainment.
At a glance
- Type
- Pedigree breed
- Size
- Large
- Adult weight
- 25–40 kg
- Life expectancy
- 10–13 years
- Exercise
- Very high
How to recognise a Weimaraner
- A single colour in shades of silver, roe or mouse grey, often lighter on the head and ears; a small white mark on the chest is the only white allowed.
- Eyes are light to dark amber or blue-grey in adults; puppies are born with striped coats and sky-blue eyes.
- Short, smooth, sleek coat on most dogs; a long-haired variety with feathered ears and tail exists and is recognised by the FCI.
- Long, lean head with a moderate stop and a slightly arched nose; long, high-set ears that fold and hang beside the cheeks.
- Athletic, deep-chested build with a straight back; the tail is docked in countries that allow it and full length elsewhere.
Photo tip. Take the photo outdoors in soft daylight, side-on with the head in profile: indoor light turns the grey brown or blue, and the head shape is what separates it from a silver Lab.
Weimaraner or look-alike?
“Silver” Labrador
A silver Lab has a broad skull, a thick otter tail and a denser coat, with a heavier build overall. The Weimaraner’s head is long and narrow and its ears are much longer.
Vizsla
The same lean pointer outline, but always golden rust. A grey dog with this shape is a Weimaraner, or a Weimaraner mix.
German Shorthaired Pointer
Solid liver GSPs share the frame, but the coat is brown and coarser, and most GSPs show white ticking or patches. The Weimaraner is grey with no patterning.
Great Dane (blue)
A blue Great Dane is far taller and heavier, with a square, deep muzzle and higher-set ears. The Weimaraner’s colour is softer and silvery rather than steel blue.
Weimaraner mixes
Weimaraner crosses are increasingly common, especially with Labradors (sold as “Labmaraners”), Poodles (“Weimardoodles”) and other pointers. The grey colour is recessive, so a first cross with a black or yellow dog often loses it entirely; the long ears, light eyes and lean frame survive more often. On a photo, a Weimaraner mix tends to come back as Weimaraner plus a retriever or another gundog. A grey coat on a mixed puppy usually means both parents carried the dilute gene.
Health and care
- As a deep-chested breed, the Weimaraner is at raised risk of gastric dilatation-volvulus (bloat). Feed two or three smaller meals, consider a slow-feeder bowl and avoid hard exercise for an hour around meals.
- A swollen, tight belly with unproductive retching is an emergency: go to the nearest vet straight away.
- Hip dysplasia is known in the breed. Ask for hip scores, plus DNA results for hyperuricosuria (a cause of bladder stones) and hypomyelination, both screened in the breed.
- Mast cell tumours are among the breed’s predispositions, so have any new lump checked rather than waiting. Growing puppies can also develop hypertrophic osteodystrophy, a painful bone condition.
- It needs very high daily exercise and company. Many Weimaraners struggle with separation anxiety, so build up time alone gradually from puppyhood.