The Weimaraner's distinctive grey coat with its metallic sheen and its light amber eyes make it instantly recognisable. Although its origins are obscure, the "grey ghost" is believed to be descended from the Bloodhound, the black St Hubert Hound, and the red/tan Schweisshund, with Pointer added for improved pointing and retrieving ability. The grey colour is believed to be a recessive colour inheritance from the Schweisshund.

Grand Duke Karl August of Weimar was responsible for the early development of the breed around 1810, although a Van Dyke painting of around 1630 shows a pale grey dog similar to a Weimaraner, as do the four dogs surrounding the statue of Diana the Huntress at Fountainbleu which dates from the mid-1700s.

Weimaraners were originally used for bigger game - deer, wild cats, wolves, bear and mountain lions - using tracking abilities inherited from their Bloodhound ancestry. Later, they were used for smaller animals and birds - where their Pointer characteristics came into play.

The disruption caused by the Second World War and its aftermath, meant there were very few Weimaraners left in Germany at that time. However, members of the Armies of Occupation found the breed to be ideal for their needs and both American and British officers brought dogs back from Germany when they returned home. The first Weimaraners were brought into Britain by Major Bob Petty and Major Eric Richardson fifty years ago, since when the breed has become increasingly popular in this country.

The Weimaraner's beautiful grey coat has almost become its downfall. So many people are attracted by its colour that they forget they have a large, strong dog - the biggest member of the Hunt Point Retrieve sub-group - who is an energetic, powerful hunter, and really needs to have his brain occupied, otherwise he can become destructive. They crave company, and need to be in physical contact with you all the time - a Weimaraner cannot walk across the room without treading on your toes as he does so!

The Longhaired Weimaraner
As well as the more usual short coated Weimaraner, there is also a longhaired variety, with a coat about 2" long and feathering like a setters. The Longhair is simply a recessive of the shorthaired variety (a shorthaired Weimaraner may carry the gene for longhair, therefore two shorthairs may produce longhair puppies, while two longhairs can only produce longhair puppies). Both varieties are shown in together and the standard is identical except that in the longhaired Weimaraner only the tip of the tail is docked. In general, however, longhaired Weimaraners appear to be slightly more heavily boned than the shorthaired variety.