The Weimaraner dates to the early 19th century, when he was developed at the Weimar court in what is now Germany. The noblemen there loved hunting and they wanted a dog with courage, intelligence, good scenting ability, speed, and stamina. This dog would stick close to them as they walked in search of game and would be a close companion in the evening by the fireside.

How they achieved their dream dog, first known as the Weimar Pointer, is unknown, but it's believed that the breeds used to create the Weimaraner included the Bloodhound, the English Pointer, the German Shorthaired Pointer, the blue Great Dane, and the silver-gray Huehnerhund, or chicken dog. As the decades passed, Germany's forests shrank and big game became scarce. The Weimaraner's handlers turned the breed's talents to hunt birds, rabbits and foxes.

In 1897, an exclusive club was stared in Germany to maintain the breed and ensure that responsible breeders would oversee its development. No one was allowed to buy a Weimaraner unless they joined the club. Strict guidelines were imposed upon the breeding of Weimaraners.

In 1929, Howard Knight, an American sportsman, was allowed to join the German club and bring two Weimaraner dogs to the U.S. The Germans were so protective of their "Gray Ghosts" that although Knight promised he would protect the purity of the breed, the club sent him two desexed dogs.

Knight was not deterred, however. He kept working to get some foundation dogs that he could breed in the U.S. Finally, in 1938, he acquired three females and a male puppy. The females included two littermates, Adda and Dorle v. Schwarzen Kamp, and a year-old female named Aura v. Gailberg. The male puppy was named Mars aus der Wulfsreide.

Other breeders joined Knight in his quest to breed Weimaraners in the U.S. and in 1942, the Weimaraner Club of American was formed. The American Kennel Club recognized the breed at the end of 1942. The breed made its formal show debut at the Westminster Kennel Club show in 1943.

During World War II, it became difficult for German breeders to keep their dogs, so many outstanding Weimaraners were sent to the U.S.
At the end of World War II, many American servicemen brought Weimaraners home with them, and they quickly grew in popularity, especially when President Dwight D. Eisenhower brought his Weimaraner, Heidi, to the White House. By the mid- to late 1950s, Weimaraners were the 12th most popular breed registered by the AKC. Unfortunately, as often happens, this led to a lot of irresponsible breeding. As the quality of the breed dropped and temperament problems became common, the Weimaraner's popularity fell.

By the late 1960s, the number of Weim registrations fell to nearly half of what they had been in 1957. Registrations kept decreasing throughout the 1970s and 1980s. This allowed breeders who were dedicated to the breed (not just breeding puppies to sell) an opportunity to improve the health, temperament and conformation of the Weimaraner breed. Registrations began to climb in the 1990s, and today the Weimaraner is once again of the most popular breeds in America. He ranks 30th among the 155 breeds and varieties registered by the AKC.

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