Feeding a Weimaraner: What I’ve Learned
Last Tuesday I watched my Weimaraner, Duke, turn his nose up at a bag of top-end grain-free kibble that cost $65 for the third straight day. He simply stared at the bowl, then examined me with a look that told me I had personally shamed the entire Weimaraner pantheon. Meanwhile, the bag assured me the food had an “irresistible taste” and contained a crest of a happy dog.
As my own dinner, I ate cereal because I had had to blow my grocery budget on dog food Duke refused to eat. That one episode pretty much sums up feeding a Weimaraner. These dogs are not golden retrievers who eat whatever you spoon in front of them.
Weims are fussy. And just when I think I have a handle on it, I stumble upon a food that’s served up like a neutered black lab jumping through hoops in a front-bow pose—only to have my Weim say, “You know what? No.” To be fair, I have had Weims who ate the same kibble for eight-plus years without a hiccup, so maybe I’m just a weirdo. But I am convinced it has nothing to do with the particular dog and everything to do with the individual—and if someone tries to tell you that there’s one perfect answer with these dogs, they are selling something.
Fat Content is Critical
Here’s what I am sure of: Weimaraners require a lot more fat than many of us feed them. That’s just where I will stake my life. These are energy-packed, high-endurance working dogs, and they eat A LOT. Their train-heavy ancestors used to burn through them all day long, every day.
For every 100 calories they consume, a Weim needs about 70 to put toward keeping muscles in shape. Choose a good dog food with this recipe in mind and preferably with a guaranteed analysis or a guaranteed minimum of 18% fat, not 15%, or you might as well be feeding them cardboard. Higher fat also provided a coat that was shiny, healthy, and sleek without anything added.
Switching from the typical 12% to a kibble with almost double that amount of fat within two weeks led to an overjoyed, energetic, lean-of-body dog who cleared his dish in the first go. The difference is actually too hard to put into words and the explanation is way too complicated, but, when in doubt, look at your dog’s skin and coat. Too dry, overweight, or flaky—try more fat next time.
At 16% or below, you’re definitely missing the boat.
Add Water to Kibble and Prevent Bloat
The other to-die-for tip: add water to his kibble. It would slow his eating and help aid digestion, we’re told, and everyone wants to know about bloat prevention.
This is no joke in high-energy, deep-chested breeds like Weims. Gastric dilatation-volvulus is a rarity that is 50% hereditary, has an increased risk if the dog is fed in a raised dog bowl, and can be fatal in a matter of hours. Two close friends of mine have lost Weimaraners to bloat.
My own dog is on Edge A on WD’s bloat severity forecast, and I take no chances. He’s fed twice daily, on a down-bowl, while the food bowl is kept on the floor, and I run him for at least an hour after he eats. For a lot of people the newest, brightest research seems to show that even a raised bowl may not be better and could in some circumstances even be worse.
So I take my chances. Some people add water to their bowls to slow down delivery and aid digestion. Yes, dude acts like I’ve just given him cyanide, so I can’t attest to how effective this is, but it works for some.
Raw Food vs. Kibble
The raw-feeding contingent makes my head spin in complicity and contradiction. Many have had very good experiences with it, myself included, but the phenomenon that seems to be commonest among aggressive raw feeders is trying to beat the whole paradigm into the heads of the unconverted. Good quality kibble has served other dogs and people well for decades. It will be fine for you too.
Not enough people talk about adding fresh food into their dry, that they don’t want to switch breeds, raw, back to full-blown formula. If you’re interested, cook yourself up some chicken, beef, fish, or eggs and lay it on to the kibble a few times a week. Nothing shabby about that. I feed Duke maybe three times a week we chunks of cooked chicken breast in the afternoon and he makes a people-pleased happy sound every time he gets it.
Training Treats Matter
Treats matter more than most trainers will tell you because Weims are forever training. You’re going to go through a ton of the things. Weims crave more mental participation and training reinforcement than most breeds do, and it’s something you’ll need to work on for the rest of his life, not just while he’s a little puppy.
Whatever you choose to give: make sure they are tiny, want them, and cannot be so caloric that they turn into Weim phoneys. I only break off bits of commercial treats; from one I get about 4 pieces to reward a bunch of training. Duke is not large but is not picky about size—a handful of tiny, sweet tasties will do fine, and he is great about the frequency and carries 10-12 every day. Affordable as I can boil chicken breasts or purchase sardines or eggs in bulk.
Eating Habits Change With Age
So here comes the thing: unforeseen and unknown, no one warns you how much this bigs as the dog ages. When Stella turned two, she was eating about a third or more than she was at 18 months. I’m not overselling: it was more significant in its dramaticity than I had predicted.
Duke was on a scaled-back kibble at 9-years-old, but, at 7, I had to eliminate a quarter of his entire meal overall in order to maintain her sleek and lean appearance. It really is about the individual dog, and everybody who tells you ‘The holy grail is…’ is just using it to sell you something.
Body Condition and Weight Management
Overshadowing all other considerations for health and happiness: Weimaraners need proportionately more fats in their diet than most of us give them. That’s where I will stand. As I write this, Duke—who’s an ABSOLUTE couch potato—awaits his next meal, and he’s not one bit excited because he knows there’s one deserving thief in the house. What you should be able to see from the very fact you are caring enough to read this: his waistline.
If the ribs aren’t clearly visible but are barely palpable—you’re on the right track. Weims look best lean but not emaciated. And the excess weight takes a toll on their joints, not “having a beer belly” as you’d suppose.
I use the scale every month to get a more objective picture on Duke. Not because I am neurotic but rather because the staring-fat-at-you photographs do not tell the whole tale. Two pounds in two months— very little but noticeable.