Weimaraner exercise needs and bloat risk around meals

A Weimaraner needs daily hard exercise and something to do with its nose and brain, and it is also one of the deep-chested breeds most at risk of bloat. Planning a Weimaraner's day means fitting both facts together: plenty of running, but not on a full stomach. Adults are large dogs; the American Kennel Club gives 70 to 90 pounds (32 to 41 kg) for males and 55 to 75 pounds (25 to 34 kg) for females, with a life expectancy of 10 to 13 years.

How much exercise a Weimaraner needs

The breed takes its name from the German town of Weimar, where noblemen developed it to hunt big game such as bears and wolves. As those animals disappeared, it became an all-purpose gundog that points and retrieves birds. The AKC describes Weimaraners as good family dogs as long as their owners are committed to keeping them physically active and mentally engaged (AKC breed profile).

No study has set a number of minutes for the breed, and dogs vary. In practice, a healthy adult usually needs more than on-lead walks: off-lead running in a safe area, a run with its owner, retrieving or a long hike, most days, plus some training or scent work. The best measure is how the dog behaves at home afterward. A Weimaraner that settles and sleeps after its daily routine is getting about the right amount. One that paces, chews and cannot rest is not.

Exercise and separation anxiety

Exercise is not a treatment for true separation anxiety, but it seems to matter. In a Finnish questionnaire study of 3,264 family dogs, the amount of daily exercise was the environmental factor most strongly associated with separation anxiety and noise sensitivity, with anxious dogs getting less exercise (Tiira and Lohi, 2015). A survey like this shows an association, not proof that more exercise prevents anxiety.

A practical routine for a dog left alone during the day:

• A good session of running or off-lead exercise in the morning, finished well before breakfast (see the bloat section below).
• A calm period and a meal, then a long-lasting food toy such as a stuffed rubber toy when the owner leaves.
• Short absences built up gradually for a dog that is not used to being alone.

A dog that howls, destroys doors or windows, drools heavily or soils the house every time it is left, even when well exercised, likely has separation anxiety. That needs a vet and a qualified behavior professional, and sometimes medication alongside training.

Activities that suit the breed

Running. A fit adult Weimaraner makes a good running partner. Build distance over several weeks, as for a person starting to run, and use grass or trails where possible. Avoid hot pavement and the hottest part of warm days; the short coat gives little protection from heat or cold.

Hiking. Long walks over varied ground combine steady effort with constant scent work. Because the breed was selected to hunt, a Weimaraner that picks up a scent can be out of earshot quickly. Train a reliable recall first, using a long line in open areas, before letting the dog off lead where that is allowed.

Swimming. Many Weimaraners take to water. Swimming is low-impact exercise that suits dogs with stiff joints. Introduce it gradually, in calm water with an easy exit.

Work for the brain. Physical exercise alone often leaves this breed restless.

• Scent games: hide treats or a toy around the house or garden and let the dog search.
• Food puzzles and snuffle mats at mealtimes.
• Short training sessions of 10 to 15 minutes, using rewards.
• Organized dog sports such as tracking, hunt tests or field trials where available.

Puppies and young dogs

Young Weimaraners should be exercised in short sessions of free play rather than long runs or forced exercise, and serious running should wait until the vet confirms the dog has finished growing. The best evidence on early exercise comes from other large breeds. A Norwegian study that followed 501 Newfoundlands, Labradors, Leonbergers and Irish Wolfhounds from birth found that puppies using stairs in their first 3 months had a higher risk of hip dysplasia, while off-lead exercise on soft ground in moderately rough terrain during that period was linked to a lower risk (Krontveit and colleagues, 2012). The Weimaraner was not studied, so this is a cautious extrapolation rather than breed evidence: free play outdoors, and no daily stair climbing, for young puppies.

Bloat and exercise around meals

Gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV, or bloat) happens when the stomach fills with gas and twists, cutting off its own blood supply. It is an emergency that needs surgery. The Weimaraner was one of 11 large and giant breeds in a US prospective study of 1,914 dogs. Over the study period GDV developed in 5.7 percent of the dogs, and 28.6 percent of those that developed it died (Glickman and colleagues, 2000).

The same research program identified risk factors owners can act on. Faster eating and a raised feeding bowl were both linked to higher risk, along with older age and having a close relative with GDV. For large-breed dogs, about 20 percent of cases were attributed to raised bowls (JAVMA, 2000). A diet analysis found that dogs fed a larger volume of food per meal were at higher risk whatever the number of meals, and risk was highest in dogs fed a large volume once a day.

• Feed two or more smaller meals a day, from a bowl on the floor.
• Slow fast eaters with a slow-feeder bowl or a food puzzle.
• Avoid hard exercise for an hour or two after meals, and let the dog calm down before feeding. Evidence for this timing rule is limited, but it costs nothing.
• Ask the vet about preventive gastropexy, an operation that fixes the stomach to the body wall and is often done during neutering. A decision analysis that included the Weimaraner found it was the preferred option for every high-risk breed it examined.

Signs of GDV include a swollen or tight belly, retching without bringing anything up, drooling, restlessness and collapse. A dog showing them needs an emergency vet immediately.

Feeding an active Weimaraner

Energy needs rise with the amount of work, so a Weimaraner running daily may need more food than a pack guide suggests, and one that is resting after an injury will need much less. Judge the amount by body condition: ribs easy to feel under a thin layer of fat, and a clear waist. A food labeled for active or working dogs is more energy-dense, which keeps meal volume down, a useful property in a breed where large meals raise bloat risk. Feed at least two meals a day and keep fresh water available.

Signs the routine is not enough

• Destructive chewing of furniture, door frames or walls
• Barking, whining or pacing when confined
• Inability to settle indoors even after a walk
• Escape attempts over fences or through doors
• Weight gain on the same amount of food

If these appear in a dog that used to be settled, check first whether its exercise has changed. Repetitive behaviors such as constant paw licking, spinning or chasing lights and shadows are different; they are not simply boredom and need a vet examination.

Sources

1. Weimaraner Dog Breed Information. American Kennel Club.
2. Early Life Experiences and Exercise Associate with Canine Anxieties. PLOS ONE, 2015.
3. Housing- and exercise-related risk factors associated with the development of hip dysplasia as determined by radiographic evaluation in a prospective cohort of Newfoundlands, Labrador Retrievers, Leonbergers, and Irish Wolfhounds in Norway. American Journal of Veterinary Research, 2012.
4. Incidence of and breed-related risk factors for gastric dilatation-volvulus in dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2000.
5. Non-dietary risk factors for gastric dilatation-volvulus in large and giant breed dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2000.
6. Diet-related risk factors for gastric dilatation-volvulus in dogs of high-risk breeds. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association, 2004.
7. Benefits of prophylactic gastropexy for dogs at risk of gastric dilatation-volvulus. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 2003.