Why Teach A Weim To Stay Alone?

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Why teach a Weimaraner to stay alone? That must seem like an odd question to people who do not know or understand this breed. Failing to teach your Weimaraner to stay alone is failing your Weimaraner.

First, think of your Weimaraner. Think of their basic tendency to be the ultimate Velcro dog. Weimaraners are all about being with you! Having said that, it is important to understand that this adoring (and sometimes perplexing and even frustrating) quality sets a Weimaraner up for failure. Failure due to being prone to severe separation anxiety.

Therefore, in our opinion it is important to teach them how to stay alone. Teaching them to stay alone will save you and them a lot of heartaches. A Weimaraner who doesn’t learn how to stay alone is one that is miserable and in turn destructive. All too many Weims end up in rescue due to separation anxiety. Teaching them to stay alone may sound silly. Silly as it sounds, this method has worked for our clients. We hear from clients time-and-again that although they had raised a Weimaraner before, things went better this time. Most also comment how teaching their pup how to stay alone was a lifesaver.

From their first day it is important to set the stage. Upon their arrival to their new home (just when you want to baby them) the lessons need to begin. They need to learn that when you leave they are safe in their crate. They need to learn that they can trust you. You will always return.

The most common method of teaching them to stay alone involves using a crate. Although the crate might be resisted initially, when handled correctly your Weimaraner will not only embrace their crate but often prefer it.  Crate training your Weimaraner is not only smart but kind.

This theme of teaching your pup to stay alone is woven through nearly aspect of training your Weimaraner puppy. There is good reason we talk about this a lot! Whether you are a serious hunter or just wanting a companion Weimaraner, your Weim needs to learn to be still. Some say they need to learn to calm. Either way, they need to learn to settle and be OK with being alone. This is one of the cornerstones of training a dog. Different training styles use different terminology and have different criteria but the idea is the same.

If you have a companion Weim, teaching them to (whoa, sit, or down-stay) is vital for having them easy to live with and user-friendly. Cliff (being a hunt trainer uses the Whoa rather than other commands). Whoa means to stay where he put them regardless of what happens–distractions, him leaving, or length of time. Whoa means stay until I release you.

Keeping the commands to a minimum and expectations clear helps your Weimaraner learn quickly and understand what you want. Mixed signals are confusing and lend to frustration for you and them. Years ago we used the down-stay and the sit command but we now opt for Whoa. If you do not choose the Whoa command we recommend opting for Stay and forgetting the Down-stay command. One simple command that they obey does the trick. You want a fail-safe obedient command rather than a dozen different variances.

Save the dozen variances for tricks and fun exercises. With time you can add and build upon your basics. There is no end to what your Weimaraner can learn. They are limited by your patience, understanding, knack of teaching them, as well as your ability to inspire them. None of these things will happen if you fail to develop a special relationship or bond. Everything you ever do with your Weimaraner is going to be based upon the relationship you forge.

Your WEim counts on you to prepare them for life

~Shela and Cliff

Note: If you are part of the extended OwyheeStar family or on our waiting list, then please feel free to share your questions, comments, pointers, insights, experiences, and valued tips. Please keep in mind that all of our information is based from our experience and is our personal opinion.  Information found within this blog and on our website is not meant to replace that of your personal Veterinary. We are not licensed Veterinarians or licensed Vet Techs. We do not give treatment advice, diagnose illness, or consider ourselves the final authority on Veterinary medicine.