The Weimaraner, from the beginning of its breed history more than 100 years ago, has been known as the “Gray Ghost”—a good nickname for a gun dog with a silvery coat and somewhat spooky-looking yellow-amber eyes. Originally developed in Germany at the court of Weimar (hence its name), the Weimaraner was successfully bred to be a versatile hunter of upland gamebirds, waterfowl, predators, and big game.
When it arrived in North America, however, several changes came about to reduce the status of this breed as a functional gun dog. Though introduced here in the 1920s, the Weimaraner did not become popular until the 1950s when the Weimaraner Club of America hired a professional publicist to promote them as a “super dog” designed to out-hunt all other versatile breeds. The exaggerated claims created a surge in the number of dogs bred and sold. But when the claims were exposed to the harsh light of reality, the Weimaraner’s popularity and reputation as a gun dog plummeted.