Smooth Haired Weimaraner vs Carolina Dog - Breed Comparison

The Carolina dog comes from wild dogs that used to run with the Paleo-Indians of North America, and today they can still be found in their wild state near the Georgia-South Carolina border.

Many scientists believe that the dog was first domesticated from the wolf thousands and thousands of years ago. Today there aren’t many records on the Carolina Dog’s history and it isn’t sure how long they lived their feral lifestyle in the American South, but it seems as though it was for hundreds of years.

You could say that the modern history of the Carolina Dog started in the 1980s. Dr. Pam Brisbin found a puppy at a dump site which looked like the Australian Dingo. Dr Brisbin and other scientists concluded that the Carolina Dog was a remnant of primitive dogs. Since those times the Carolina Dog has adapted well to being a domesticated pet.

The Smooth Haired Weimaraner is a beautiful silvery-grey dog that was once bred for hunting way back in the 19th century.

He has always been described as an all-purpose gun dog bred from crossing different German and French hunting dogs with the Bloodhound.

History of this dog dates back to 1897. This is when a club was formed in Germany for the breed.

The Carolina dog is part of the Sighthounds Group and looks a bit like a Dingo, German Shepherd and Wolf mix. He has fairly long, pointed erect ears, a sharp wolf-like snout and a long tail that curves when raised.

The Carolina dog has been re-discovered however and when trained and socialized, they make splendid pets. It’s a medium sized dog standing at 45–61cm and weighing from 15–20kg. He is slender, muscular and athletic with a coat that is short and fairly smooth. Colors for the Carolina dog vary and he can be fawn colored, a gingerish color, black and tan and can have some white areas on the paws, chest, muzzle and tail.

Temperament:

The Carolina Dog has been a wild dog, belonging to a pack and while he isn’t aggressive, he is nervous and aloof around strangers. Good training and socialization provides him with the skills to get along well with his human family as well as with children and other pets in the home.

Because this dog has always been wild, they tend to maintain some of their wild, independent nature and they can be difficult to train and it requires firmness and patience with him, but he is an intelligent breed.

The lean, well muscled Smooth Haired Weimaraner is athletic to look at, brimming with energy and vitality. The coat is smooth and short and is a magnificent steel grey to silver coat which even tends to be a blue-grey color.

The short coat makes the dog low maintenance. He is also a low shedding dog. He is a medium to large sized dog standing at between 57 and 70cm in height and weighing in the region of 25 to 40kg.

The tail has always been docked, giving him that distinctive, dignified appearance. The tail then measures about 6 inches in length.

These dogs are also excellent water dogs with their webbed paws. The ears of the dog are medium length and floppy and the eyes are light amber or a blue-grey color.

Temperament:

You just have to look at the Smooth Haired Weimaraner and you can see how he just loves being with his human owner all the time, so much so that he is known for separation anxiety. Sometimes he can become so distraught separated from his owner that he can even injure himself trying to reach his owner. Being separated for too long can cause him anxiety issues.

Certainly this dog is going to need the right kind of training and socialization to calm him. They’re also full of energy too and are going to require a good amount of exercise.

The Carolina Dog is a medium-sized dog which has managed to survive well in the wild environment. It is this life in the wilds which has made the dog to be shy and aloof around strangers.

They are skilled and intelligent and when domesticated they make extraordinary pets even though he isn’t an overly affectionate dog. It is why he requires early socialization so that he doesn’t grow up shunning humans.

With training however, the Carolina Dog becomes a well-adjusted, loving and social member of the family.

Your distinctive silvery-grey Weimaraner with his velvety ears and striking eyes is such a loving dog, desiring to be with his human family as much as possible.

They are also good with children. Their loving nature and eagerness to please will ensure that you have a fully integrated 4 legged family member in your home who wants to be involved with everything you're busy with.

The Carolina Dog is a fairly healthy breed. You won’t have to be rushing off to the vet often with him if you look after him well in terms of a good diet, a food amount of exercise and plenty of love and attention. In fact breeders of the Carolina Dog have noted that they haven’t seen any cases of genetically inheritable diseases with this robust dog.

However with all dogs, no matter how healthy they are, there can be problems. Problems common to domestic dogs can include skeletal and visual problems. Many dog owners have their pets tested to identify some of the potential health defects that some dogs are prone to. This can include hip dysplasia, cataracts, cancer and PRA or Progressive Retinal Atrophy.

There are some common dog illnesses that most dog owners fear, and hip dysplasia is one. Fortunately the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals tells us that Weimaraners aren’t prone to this dysplasia the way some dogs are.

One cause for concern however is bloat, and as a deep chested dog breed, the Short Haired Weimaraner can be prone to this life threatening illness.

Known also as gastric torsion, the stomach swells up and the dog becomes lethargic and restless. Immediate veterinary intervention is required. One way to diminish your dog’s chances of getting bloat is to rather feed him two smaller meals a day as opposed to one large meal.

Also, skin allergies are fairly common with these dogs. If redness appears on the skin or the skin is dry and itchy with a rash and he is losing his hair, you may well need to get your pet to the vet. It is why we always recommend giving your pet some raw meat added to the diet and this can help to prevent skin allergies.

Grooming:

The Carolina Dog is a seasonal shedder and the shortish coat will simply require a thorough brushing twice a week to keep him in tip top condition.

This dog, with his upright ears, isn’t prone to ear infections as other breeds, but nonetheless as part of his grooming routine, its a good idea to to check his ears inside for wax build-up and dirt. Certainly his teeth should be brushed 2 or 3 times a week with special dog toothbrush and toothpaste. This keeps the gums and teeth healthy and also avoids other diseases that come about because of dental disease.

Diet:

Whether you feed your Carolina Dog once or twice a day, you want to ensure the very best quality diet to avoid skin problems and illness. You also have to ensure your dog has 24/7 access to fresh, cool drinking water to help him with digesting his food.

There are some excellent commercially manufactured dog foods on the market which have been manufactured for certain stages of your dogs life. Add in some rice, vegetables and meat from time to time and every now and again you can give him some raw meat too.

Training:

Every dog, especially the Smooth Haired Weimaraner with his anxiety issues, should be trained and socialized, and these dogs are easy to train because they’re intelligent and they want to please.

Grooming:

The short silvery coat simply requires a good brush-down twice a week to remove the few loose hairs there are. Even if you don’t need to brush him, just do it because of the type of dog the Weimaraner is.

He loves the closeness of owner and dog. It’s a good time to check him over for ticks and fleas, to feel for unusual lumps, to look inside his ears for signs of infection, to check his eyes too, that they’re bright and clear.

Diet:

If you feed your Smooth Haired Weimaraner commercially manufactured dog food, it needs to be one of the best ones with fairly high protein content. If feeding kibble, you can enhance the food by adding in some tasty home-made food. The Weimaraner’s stomach is easily upset so you want to add in easily digestible home-made food free of exotic spices and richness.

Boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and spinach, sweet potatoes and carrots is super tasty and nutritious. Your Weimaraner will love such simple, good food and you can add a little to his dry kibble twice a week.

Also important is to add in some raw meat as this ensures a healthy skin. Make sure he has a constant supply of cool, fresh water.