Tell her what we tell clients at work.
There are people who need a dog.
There are people who need a cat.
There are people who need a hamster.
Then there are people who need pet rocks, we think you fit into this category. =D
I personally fit into the cat lifestyle thus why I don’t have a dog.
A lady who boards with me has two Weim’s. Her husband uses them to hunt. The one is about 5 and very nice, but the younger female is about 2. Yikes she is a mess. She has her own small farm, but boards as she and her husband travel fairly frequently. When she is home, they get out multiple times a day for walks and she usually brings them to the barn almost everyday(100 acres to run around on) The younger female has taken to nipping my friend in the butt. She has a trainer that they work with. She is very mouthy and will jump up on people or grab your hand. She is also very quick to hit you with her front paws. To be a good running partner the dog will need some training as you can just about see this dog explode when she gets out of the car at the barn.
When I was young, one of my trainers had two Weimeraners (mother and daughter). They spent all day at the barn and didn’t get into a lot of trouble. She was from Hawaii and I kept the dogs when she went home for the holidays. Having those dogs in the house was totally different from having them around at the barn! They killed a bunny in the backyard and we ended up having to raise the orphaned babies. They stole the Thanksgiving turkey off the counter and ate it up. We had to lock up the cats or they’d have eaten them too. I loved those dogs, but my parents didn’t let me take them in again ;).
Unless you’re hoping that the shelter/rescue/humane society will turn her flat down as a foster home & give her the reasons, I can’t think of ANYTHING worse than having these people foster a dog. And unfortunately there are many shelters/rescues/humane societies who are so desperate for foster homes, they might not be as diligent as they would be for potential adopters. Go figure.
Rescued/shelter dogs AREN’T GUINEA PIGS, & shouldn’t be used for “trial runs” to see if you want/can care for a dog. The last thing these poor dogs need is to be dumped on someone who is totally inexperienced with dogs. “If it’s a total flop” actually means that the dog has suffered due to ignorance/idiocy. WHY would you want to subject a dog or puppy to that, just to teach some ignorant moron a lesson as to why she shouldn’t buy a puppy?
I am somewhat experienced with dogs…had them my whole life, worked as a vet tech many years ago, used to have a small pet sitting service…I swore I would NEVER get a puppy again, but just adopt adult dogs. DH and my 10 year old REALLY, REALLY wanted a puppy, just once, as DS10 has never had one around. I gave in and last August, got the BC Mix (don’t know what else is in there, maybe Boxer, maybe Heeler, maybe Aussie…in any event what we call a “Real Dog”) at 12 weeks.
NOW I remember why I was not going to get any more puppies, at age 50 with a job and a kid and the horse and all that. I love her, she’s a great dog, but it has been such a challenge…lots of time, lots of money, lots of wrecked stuff, lots of plans changed last minute, etc…
I can deal with this, I have a sense of humor and do love dogs enough that I’m willing to put up with large amounts of inconvenience and expense for the pleasure of their company. Friends and relatives have commented that she’s very lucky she ended up with us, as most adopters would have taken her back long before this ;). She’s a great dog, everyone loves her, but she is HIGH MAINTENANCE and will be this way for quite a bit longer. We’ll eventually have a great adult dog. A Weimeraner puppy? At LEAST as bad as this, not for the faint of heart or the lover of tidiness, schedules and peace and quiet.
The upside is that this dog is keeping me from getting old to fast…it’s hard to put on the middle-aged pounds when I’m constantly exercising and running after this girl ;).
My roommate just got a part rag doll cat. She said they are supposed to have dog-like personalities.
[QUOTE=wendy;6350285]
I burst out laughing when I got to the weimeraner puppy part.[/QUOTE]
I was guessing border collie when I saw the thread title, but weimaraner is right up there on the OMG not that breed list, too.
I hate Weims. And not because of the dogs themselves, but because 90% or more of them are owned by completely inappropriate homes. Every time I see one walk through the front door i can almost guarantee we are in for being dragged around and mauled by a hyperactive wound up strong dog with little to no manners. The vast majority of even the most well meaning owners do not provide enough mental and physical exercise to keep them happy tired dogs.
Is this your husbands sister and husband or your brother and wife? You can get away with being a lot more direct to your brother about how bad of a fit this dog would be. If they really want a dog look at a golden or greyhound. Either one can easily run like they want, but would be easier to care for than a Weim. Hell almost any breed would be a better fit for them. Starting with the pet rock
[QUOTE=Horsegal984;6352063]
I hate Weims. And not because of the dogs themselves, but because 90% or more of them are owned by completely inappropriate homes. Every time I see one walk through the front door i can almost guarantee we are in for being dragged around and mauled by a hyperactive wound up strong dog with little to no manners. The vast majority of even the most well meaning owners do not provide enough mental and physical exercise to keep them happy tired dogs.
Is this your husbands sister and husband or your brother and wife? You can get away with being a lot more direct to your brother about how bad of a fit this dog would be. If they really want a dog look at a golden or greyhound. Either one can easily run like they want, but would be easier to care for than a Weim. Hell almost any breed would be a better fit for them. Starting with the pet rock[/QUOTE]
Unfortunately it’s my husband’s sister, who I have already “had words” with on other occasions about her bad attitude and condescending language towards her family members. Needless to say we do not get along all that well, making my advice something that goes in one ear and out the other, but for the potential dog’s sake I REALLY want to get this point across! And I am probably the most knowledgeable person she knows, having had dogs my whole life, worked at a groomer’s and a vet’s office, done tons of pet sitting, and at one point wanted to be a small animal vet before I decided that was not the career for me. So yeah, I’d be the family member to ask if she had dog questions, but instead she just plows ahead with this stupid, stupid, stupid idea.
Thank you again everyone for all of your advice and information, I’m trying to think of a way to share this thread with her without insulting her or starting a fight!!
Sometimes you just can’t fix stupid. Be prepared that if she’s determined to get this specific breed of dog that she will. In the meantime, arm yourself with contact information of local breed specific rescues and be prepared to step in and help find the dog a soft spot to land should things go south.
I would also talk to a very reputable Weim breeder who shows and discuss with them the situation with your SIL. Ask if they would be willing to “mentor” your SIL and give her a sense of reality. Find out what show they’re going to next and tell your SIL that she should go and talk to this specific breeder. The breeder can be the one to break the bad news to your SIL that she’s not an appropriate Weim home. Any breeder who is an ambassador of the breed should be willing to tell someone “no” when they’re clearly not the appropriate home for this breed of dog.
Can you at least persuade her to adopt an adult rescue dog that’s gone through housebreaking and chewing?
i love dogs…any dog, all dogs…multiple dogs at one time…i’ve had 50 years of dogs in my life and there are stil certain breeds that i lust after, but am thankfully smart enough to know that fufilling that lust would be an epic fail for me and dog…
lemme seeeeee…my almost 3 yr old anatolian shepherd is available for free lease and dog walking…i’ll be sure to send the retractable string-thingy leash along,instead of the one that attaches to his heavy harness on the front of his chest to enable me to keep my feet grounded while we walk, in case he sees a squirrel, bunny , or OMG, a cat!..and he is a GOOD dog, a great dog, one that is well socialized, well entrtained and WELL exercised, has 4 other vibrant,rowdy canine playmates…and yet, if i am out of his sight for more than a couple of hours, he becomes velcro dog for a while once we are “reunited”…i cannot imagine him being all alone or crated for the duration of a workday…
yeah, let her spend some quality time with my Pasha, and see if she still thinks a young weim is a good fit for them!..lol
[QUOTE=Marshfield;6352221]
Can you at least persuade her to adopt an adult rescue dog that’s gone through housebreaking and chewing?[/QUOTE]
Did you read the original post with the prospective dog-owner’s profile? These are definitely people who should NOT be owning a dog - ANY dog - at all.
Well, I gave her contact info for a breeder local to her and FINGERS CROSSED she will get shot-down immediately!!
[QUOTE=caradino;6352346]
Well, I gave her contact info for a breeder local to her and FINGERS CROSSED she will get shot-down immediately!![/QUOTE]
Arrgghh! I guess we can only hope that your SIL doesn’t lie through her teeth about her household/work-life circumstances simply in order to get a puppy. It happens all the time & not every reputable breeder does house visits & asks for personal references. One can only hope that since SIL won’t have a vet reference that this will raise a flag re: suitability of a Weimer puppy as a first dog for a professional couple who aren’t around much.
I have 2 GSP’s which are similar in energy levels to a Weim. I’ve learned to hunt to keep them happy and exercised. They crave attention from their people and are often called velcro dogs!! Hopefully a responsible breeder will ask lots of questions before they sell a pup. The breeder of my 2 runs bird dog training session which have been great for the dogs and me.
Sometimes there is nothing that can be said, you just have to step back and let the chips fall where they may (and have the Weim Rescue on speed dial for when the time comes).
My son-in-law went out and got a yellow lab puppy last summer. My daughter had come to the marriage with a pyranees mix who really wasn’t a great fit for their life style but she made it work. Unfortunately he died mysteriously. We all suspect he might have been poisoned. He spent most of his time outside as that was his preference.
SIL asked daughter if she wanted a poodle but she said" no, I don’t have time for a dog right now. Our daughter gets plenty of dog interaction with my parent’s and sister’s dogs". He wanted the yellow lab “his dream dog”. She knew exactly how I felt about it all. I didn’t meet the dog til he was 5 months old. I came in and told her "you can either have the monster lab in the backyard that everyone hates or take over and turn the dog into something decent for your family and daughter to play with ". The one thing he had going for him was he was a low keyed lab. I showed her a few things to do and told her to forget that it’s suppose to be his dog. He hadn’t done anything with the dog when he was jobless and now he just got a job and would be gone much of the time.
She has managed to make him a decent dog to be around. Her husband said one day " he’s more your dog now than mine" . Well She’s the one walking him and teaching him things. I’m still not fond of Labs.( Have they NO sense of personal space for people or dogs?) Hiccup (yes! that’s his name, hubby wanted 3 yr old daughter to name him!) is okay but I’ll take my herding dogs any day of the week.
[QUOTE=Burbank;6350505]
try to direct her to a Greyhound rescue and ask for a couch potato or a nice adult pug or other “house” dog[/QUOTE]
I would def point them in the direction of a greyhound.
They are SUPER apartment dogs, and they have that sleek look that might appeal to someone who likes the look of a weim, and they are still a big dog.
Personally, I knew I was ready for a dog last year, but I still lived in a small apartment and had a fairly grueling work schedule. I started looking for a breed that would be appropriate (and I had zero desire for a small breed), and greyhounds kept coming up again and again.
1.5 years later, and we are looking for greyhound number 2. We are just now moving into a place with a yard, and our first girl was perfectly happy to live in a studio apartment and get 3 walks a day (only one longish one, the others just to go to the bathroom.) She’s beautiful, quiet, hardly sheds, and is wonderful with people of all ages (and our cats.)
Your SIL may not bite if she’s really into a puppy (people who get puppies and work full time jobs AND don’t have yards AND rent just boggle my mind…) But at least it’s still a dog suggestion, rather than, “girl, you are CRAZY!” Many greyhound groups are also happy to foster first (trial run), and they are usually VERY good about making appropriate matches.
So, my advice to her: greyhound or something OLDER and CALMER… NO PUPPIES, and definitely nothing like a Weim. I think they are stunning, but it’s highly unlikely we will ever have one because of their personality and activity levels = )
those photos of the dogs in clothes?
Do you think that’s why she likes the breed-those crazy pictures make them look so laid back…
UPDATE - they got a dog 
WELL my idiot SIL and her husband managed to get themselves a Weim puppy… poor thing is only 7.5 weeks old and was shipped to them in Seattle from MONTANA, most likely because they could not find a local breeder dumb enough to sell them a dog. Needless to say they did not meet the breeder/pup/parents in person before the purchase. They are totally clueless and have absolutely no idea how to care for and train a dog, much less a difficult breed like a Weim. Poor girl will be gated in their tiny apartment kitchen all day, every day, and most likely will not even get house trained ever because there will be no one home to let her out often enough.
I am just furious beyond belief for this dog. The animal is going to suffer and be lonely and confused because of their selfishness. At this point I’m just trying to give them as much good advice as possible, but when they’ve already gotten a dog that they really shouldn’t have, there’s not much I can do…
Anyone know of any reputable Weim rescues in the PNW?? I have a feeling we’re gonna need one…
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