Zack is a longhaired Weimaraner. He was discovered by Pug Rescue in a livestock auction in New York state. He was 7 months old at the time and had been crated the majority of his young life. After the kind-hearted volunteer with Pug Rescue, rescued him from the auction and brought him home, it became apparent that he needed a lot of work. He had no muscle strength in his hips or legs....could barely stand or walk....was frightened of every thing and every one. He'd suddenly entered a very new and strange world!
"I'm FREE!" - his 1st run (above) - pure joy! Zack discovered running was a lot more fun than being crated! His foster family worked with him - slowly building up his strength and introducing him to life outside a crate. Everything was new - the grass, the trees, the sights and sounds - everything! New, exhilarating and sometimes rather scary.
He came into our lives, when he was 8 months old. He wasn't sure he liked being taken away with the strange people he'd just met.....he wasn't used to riding in the car and had a little motion sickness on the trip home. Once he arrived....he cautiously got out of the car...then spotted our other 2 Weims. You should have seen the look of excitement and joy on his face! Other dogs! Yeeeessss! This place was going to be ok!
He quickly fell in love with Tye and they were soon joined at the hip. Everything and anything that Tye did, Zack would learn to do, too. Tye is 1 1/2 yrs older than Zack - old enough to be a mentor and young enough to be his best buddy. Our 3rd Weim, Jake, is 8+ years older than both Tye and Zack. He was excited to see Zack, too, because Tye now had a playmate and would leave him alone.... Jake could participate when he felt like it - life was good!
Zack learned to create toys and games from anything - even logs that were almost too heavy for him to pickup! His favorite toy is the rope and he stills enjoys a game of tug with Tye! One of his favorite pastimes is sitting, waiting, for Mr Squirrel to forget he's there and come down from the tree.....Zack stays outside for hours at a time...patiently waiting...... His persistence and dedication, has won him 3 squirrel's so far (much to our dismay!). He loves to hunt. He'll hunt anything - frogs, squirrels, birds...if it moves, he'll try to catch it. Surprisingly, he's learned that our 3 cats are off limits. Now, 2 years later, they both tolerate each other. As long as the cats don't run, he won't chase.
Today, at 2 1/2 yrs old, He is a well adjusted socialite. He must "talk" to each of the neighborhood dog's at least once a day. While on our morning run/walk, he'll squeal in his loudest voice, when he spies another dog - "Here!! look over here!! LOOK AT ME!!!!" He's never met a dog he doesn't adore and is sure they will ALL be friends with him!
The Longhair Weimaraner has a soft, silky coat that can be straight or slightly wavy. It has wavy hair on it's ears and soft feathering, on the back of it's legs. It has a long, un-docked, plume-like tail. (Zack's tail has been docked which is not typical for a longhair)
The long coat is a double coat... a coarse topcoat that repels water, with a soft undercoat that provides insulation from the cold.
The Longhair is recognized and accepted as a variety of the Weimaraner breed by kennel clubs around the world, but not in North America. According to standards set by The Weimaraner Club of America, "A distinctly long coat" and "A distinctly blue or black coat" are disqualifications. The Longhair Weimaraner, like the Blue Weimaraner, may not compete in breed conformation events. This is why some (in North America) consider the longhair to be a mixed breed, rather than pure-bred.
Zack has come a long way from the scared, timid and shy pup we brought home. He still has some growing to do - he has boundary issues...needs a foot or two of clearance on all sides before entering a doorway or room....still startles easily with loud noises or something falling nearby. But, overall, he's confident, secure and is teaching Tye a thing or two! We are a lucky family to have been adopted by Zack!
