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You are thinking:

Why do I need to know about dog breeders, dog shows, all this complicated stuff if what I want is a pet?

Answer: Because good breeders are at the dog shows trying to get championships for dogs they want to breed. Established breeders may hire professional handlers to "finish" their dogs. A Ch. in front of a dog"s name is the seal of approval from multiple judges that the dog is worthy of having offspring. Judges must study the breed standard for each breed they judge in order to determine whether or not the individual dogs in the ring "conform" to the strict requirements of the standard. This is done both visually and with a physical inspection of each dog to (among many other things) determine if the structure of the dog is correct (appears not to have hip or joint problems) and appears to have the ability to reproduce.

The WCA code of ethics requires breeders to do OFA x-rays of hips after the dog is two years old to rule out hip dysplasia, but other tests like thyroid are optional. This reduces the instance of these issues occurring in offspring.

Any other known potential genetic abnormalities may or may not be known by the breeder about their own dog or the dog they chose to breed with.

Any dog or bitch bred before it is two with no OFA rating or with no points toward a championship should not be bred.

Why?

Because you want the opportunity to have the healthiest dog possible with the longest life potential.
With purebred dogs you really do have to go through this whole routine.

Poorly bred back yard and puppy mill Weimaraners can be a nightmare. It is not uncommon for these puppies to suffer from serious defects including: immune disorders, poor teeth, poor digestive system, aggressive temperament, hip and joint problems and diseases resulting from improper or no vaccinations.

The puppy that is available now might be the one you choose that allows the unscrupulous breeder to continue his business of making sick dogs for soft-hearted humans. You need to be as serious in your choice for a dog as you are for human companions or the business of creating defective animals for profit will continue.

So here"s the deal:
As a fancier of a particular breed it is your obligation to know where and how the dogs come to be and to get a dog that accurately represents the breed standard. My interpretation of the Weimaraner Club of America code of ethics in regard to producing puppies is that:

It is not ethical for any person to use "pet quality" dogs, or dogs that are less than show quality (they have heredity defects or disqualifying faults) for breeding purposes.

This statement means that it is therefore not ethical to breed for the purpose of producing "pet quality" pups.

Breeding must be done only “to improve the breed”…and for “qualities in relation to the AKC official standard”.

This is the only way Weimaraners will continue to exist and not become extinct. It is that simple. As long as purebred dogs are pleasing and manageable (this includes health) to man they will continue to exist. If they are not, they are gone.

The occasional gray stray, backyard or puppy mill dog will not ensure the future of the Weimaraner.

All of the work, research and waiting that you do to procure a puppy from a breeder who lives and breathes the life required to create the "good" dogs destined to be the future of the breed whether they are neutered pets or breeding show dogs allows the breed to continue in a form that is pleasing and supportable by humans. Any other method is doomed to failure and ultimately the extinction of a beautiful, exclusive, wonderful breed of dog. If you don"t want to go through this please go to the animal shelter or a rescue organization and adopt a neutered animal. It will make a wonderful addition to your family.

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