Can a Weimaraner Be a Service Dog? (Important Facts!)

Weimaraners have their own specialty and purposes for what they are being used for. Among all these purposes or characteristics whether Weims can be a service dog or not comes in the first row of common questions.

Therefore, as a Weimaraner owner, you also must have thought of this topic and want to know the answers. So, to make this topic clear for you, this article is going to answer all questions about this topic.

Can A Weimaraner Be A Service Dog?

Most of the Weimaraners can’t be the best service dogs. Because they are highly energetic, have a highly aggressive temperament, and sometimes they can be really stubborn. Also, they have low trainability so it’s hard to give them the required special training needed to be service dogs.

What Is A Service Dog?

Services dogs are the individual dogs that are specially trained for doing or performing chores for a person with a disability. And those training must be directly connected with those individual’s disabilities.

Service dogs perform tasks on behalf of people with disabilities to make them independent as individuals.

These dogs are accountable for guiding a blind, assisting an individual with a mobility disability, to help and protect an individual with a seizure disorder. Also, there are service dogs for diabetes patients and people with mental disorders.

These service dogs alert people with diabetes about the highs and lows in their blood sugar. And assists people who are going through PTSD, panic and anxiety disorder, and depression.

Note that, according to ADA service dogs can’t be pet. And therapy dogs are not accepted as service dogs as per the law.

Do Weimaraners Make Good Service Dogs?

Most of the Weimaraners absolutely don’t make good service dogs. Because they don’t have the suitable temperament which is highly required to be a service dog. They have a territorial temperament and can be really aggressive around strangers.

Also, they are highly energetic that makes them restless and service dogs can’t be restless.

Another fact is, Weims have low trainability so they are hard to train with all those special trainings needed to perform tasks for individuals with disabilities. Moreover, they can be really stubborn sometimes. So they might not even obey the trainer or the persons they will serve.

However, depending on individual Weimaraner’s characteristics and an individual’s disability, some Weims can be service dogs if they accept training easily.

5 Reason Why Weimaraner Cannot Be A Service Dog?

The main 5 reasons, why Weimaraner can’t be a service dog have been explained in detail below.

High Energy

Weimaraners are known for their high energy. They are very active dogs and like to be engaged in high energetic activities. Moreover, they require a lot of exercise regularly to burn out their energies. As a result, they can act hyperactive

So such a high-energetic dog is not suitable for people with disabilities because they won’t be able to fulfill Weims needs for daily exercise or activities.

Aggressive Temperament

Weimaraners naturally have inherited aggressive temperaments. Because they are hunting dogs so they do inherit predatorial attitudes. Also, they become aggressive around strangers.

Therefore, such highly aggressive dogs can’t be service dogs as if they see any unknown person near those individuals with a disability they might attack them too.

Restless

Weimaraners are restless dogs. They are hardly seen to stay in one place, instead, they would be wanting to play around. So they might not be able to guide or assist or help disabled people as they themselves are impatient.

And service dogs should have calmness in their nature. So that they can stick to those disabled persons wherever they go. But Weims are the opposite.

Stubborn

Weims can be really stubborn sometimes. They have a trait of doing whatever they want. Therefore, they might not obey those disabled people too. And will not do the works they are assigned for or trained for.

Service digs are needed to be obedient as they are accountable for listening and performing tasks for those special people. However, Weims seem to be the opposite as their trait of hardheadedness doesn’t make them compatible for being a service dog.

Low Trainability

Weims are hard to train with all these special training. Because they are hunting dogs and bred specially for this purpose. So training them to obey others and do their works can be difficult. Even they will not accept such training easily.

Service dogs are easily adaptable to special training and commands. But Weims are not. They are more intrigued to learn hunting training. And rather than getting training, they focus on other activities.

What Qualifies A Dog To Be A Service Dog?

Certain qualities make a dog qualify for being a service dog. And all the major qualities have been described below.

Obedient To Training

A dog that is obedient to training is qualified to be a service dog. Because the services or commanded service dogs serve, they learn all of these through special training. So if they are not obedient to the training they can’t even learn the basic commands.

Task Performing Ability

If a dog can successfully demonstrate that he can perform all those necessary tasks on behalf of a disabled person then he is qualified as a service dog. Chores like fetching stuff, opening a drawer, or guiding a blind, and others demonstrate his ability.

Socialization Skill

Dog with a friendly, calm, relaxed, alert, and quiet nature is absolutely qualified to be a service dog. As they can handle and guide those people calmly and gently. Also, they can get along with other people near them.

Because service dogs must have an amicable temperament so that they understand those people with disabilities and help them. Also, can seek help from others if there’s an emergency.

Public Access Training

The dog that has accepted public access training such as not responding to sounds, chaos, or food smell is qualified to be a service dog. Because service dogs are meant to stay with those disabled people all time. So, they should be unbothered to hustle and bustle of public areas.

Are Weimaraners Good Emotional Support Dogs?

Weimaraners are not the ideal dogs to be good emotional support dogs. Because they themselves go through separation anxiety and demand loads of affection and attention.

So the dog that is prone to stress, anxiety, depression can not emotionally support a person to feel relaxed whenever he is panic attacked.

Moreover, they are highly active and energetic dogs, so they require regular exercise or activities to be fully happy and make their owner happy.

Besides, they have a large and masculine body. So with such a body, they can’t seem to fit in someone’s lap, neither can comfort him.

And they have aggressive temperaments. So instead of comforting and supporting mentally, they can show aggressiveness if something doesn’t go as per their wish.

Do Weimaraners Make Good Therapy Dogs?

Weimaraners can’t make good therapy dogs. Because they have a territorial attitude around strangers.

Friendliness around strangers is a must-have quality of therapy dogs. Because therapy dogs work at hospitals, old age homes, airports. And they are required to accept strangers, go to them, kiss them, pamper them so that they can forget their anxiety, stress, or sadness.

On the contrary, let alone comforting strangers, Weims don’t even like to go near strangers. They barely accept them and become aggressive if they see someone come near them or their territory. Sometimes they can even bite unknown persons out of aggression.

So, such a dog with a vicious temperament isn’t suitable to be a good therapy dog.

Can I Train My Weimaraner As A Service Dog Myself?

If you are well familiar with your Weims temperament, personalities, and can control his energy level all by yourself, you can train your Weimaraner as a service dog by yourself.

A service dog’s services are related to a person’s disability. Whether you are a disabled person or not, you can teach your Weimaraner to do your chores on your command. But to accomplish such quite an impossible job, you have to stay persistent with your training.

And keeping patience is a must-have for you. Because Weims are not meant to be a service dog and they can be adamant sometimes, so they will not listen to your command.

Therefore, go slowly with their obedience training, socializing training, public access training, and controlling temperament training.

How Much Does It Cost To Make Your Weimaraner Dog A Service Dog?

If you want to train your Weimaraner dog to make service by a professional trainer then the cost will be $150-$250 per hour.

This charge range is for private sessions. However, the charge or cost totally depends on three factors: what tasks you want your Weims to learn to do on behalf of you, how obedient is your Weims, and how much training he needs.

Largely depending on these three factors, you may even need to spend thousands of dollars to train him by a pro trainer.

Or you can train him personally but that would be time-consuming and hectic as well.

Which Breeds Make The Best Service Dogs?

A shortlist of the breeds that make the best service dogs.

Poodle
German Shepherd
Boxer
Border Collie
Retriever( Golden and Labrador)
Great Dane
Barnes Mountain Dogs
Pomeranian
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Weimaraners are not suitable dogs to be service dogs because of their characteristics and territorial temperament. So they better be treated as hunting dogs or watchdogs. It’s better for both Weims and the person with a disability.