The elegant 'gentleman's gun dog' image hides a breed that is one of the most likely to develop genuine separation anxiety — destructive chewing, self-injury, and non-stop barking or howling when left alone are common complaints from owners, not rare bad luck.
12.8years, median
0.3 years above the all-dog median of 12.5.
Measured, not estimated: the middle age at death across 584,734 UK dogs, 284,734 of them deceased. Based on 4,219 dogs of this breed. 95% confidence interval 12.6 to 13 years. Half lived longer than this, half did not. UK dogs, so treat it as the best available figure rather than a promise about yours.
In the same study, large breeds as a group had a median of 11.9 years and medium-muzzled breeds 12.8. This breed is large and medium-muzzled.
McMillan et al. 2024, Scientific Reports 14:531 — open access · CC BY 4.0Health tests to ask the breeder for
Weimaraner Club of America sets the tests a Weimaraner needs for a CHIC number in the OFA's open database. A CHIC number means the tests were done and the results are public. It does not mean the dog passed them: ask for the results for both parents, or look them up yourself on ofa.org.
- Hip Dysplasia (OFA Evaluation, minimum 24 months, or PennHIP Evaluation)
- Autoimmune Thyroiditis (OFA evaluation, minimum 24 months)
- Eye Examination by a boarded ACVO Ophthalmologist (results registered with OFA CAER)
- Hyperuricosuria (HUU) DNA test (Weimaraner-validated assay)
- Hypomyelination (HYM) DNA test (Weimaraner-validated assay)
- Spinal Dysraphism (SD) DNA test (Weimaraner-validated assay)
When to spay or neuter: the guidelines split at 45 pounds grown, five to six months under it and after growth is complete over it, and the UC Davis study gives a guideline by breed for 35 breeds. The spay and neuter page has both, and the two weeks after.
- Advanced Cardiac Database evaluation (minimum 12 months; WCA recommends 24 months)
- Elbow Dysplasia (OFA Evaluation, minimum 24 months)
- OFA CHIC DNA Repository submission
Test names as the club lists them; checked September 2026. OFA CHIC breed page. How to use this at the breeder: check a breeder.
Adopt a Weimaraner near you
Shelters and rescues list Weimaraners and Weimaraner mixes on Petfinder. Enter a ZIP code to see who is waiting within 100 miles.
Listings come from Petfinder and open there. Petipedia does not take part in adoptions and earns nothing from them.
Living with a Weimaraner
Weimaraners need at least an hour or two of real, vigorous exercise every day or the energy turns destructive — this is a hunting dog built for all-day fieldwork, not a jogging-optional companion. They are famously 'velcro dogs' that struggle badly with being left alone, so crate training and gradual alone-time conditioning from puppyhood matter more with this breed than almost any other on this list, and bloat-prevention feeding habits (small meals, no exercise right after eating) are a lifelong practice, not a one-time lesson.
Health you should know about
- Gastric dilatation-volvulus (bloat) — a sudden, life-threatening stomach twist; a peer-reviewed veterinary study found roughly 7% prevalence in Weimaraners, placing it among the higher-risk breeds alongside Great Danes and Akitas.
- Hip dysplasia — malformed hip joints leading to arthritis and pain.
- Entropion — an inward-rolling eyelid, described as the breed's most common eyelid abnormality, often needing surgical correction.
- Hypothyroidism — an underactive thyroid gland requiring lifelong medication once diagnosed.
Read the full Dog Care Guide first — costs, daily time, and everything a dog needs before you choose a breed.
Naming a Weimaraner? German dog and cat names, 88 of them, with what they mean.
Sources — 4 references
Last reviewed October 2026. 4 sources listed below. Written and maintained by Petdeals.io. General care information, not veterinary advice — for a sick animal, call a vet.