Page 53 - K9 News - Issue 15 - March2021

lead dogs for black game (wild boar).Toward the Although it took another nine years before he was
end of the reign of Louis XIV (1643-1715), they able, and allowed by the German Weimaraner
could be seen only with some aristocrats from the Club, to import breeding stock, Knight was not
north of France who preferred them to all other to be deterred and finally, just before World War
breeds because they would hunt every type of II started, he managed to import several young
game….”. 6 puppies. Distemper took all but Mars aus der
Wulfsriede. However, soon afterwards, he also
The Bracke ancestry may well explain the tan managed to import Aura von Gaiberg, Adda von
markings seen infrequently even in modern day Schwarzen Kamp and Dora von Schwarzen
Weimaraners. Although it must be assumed that Kamp.
there were crosses with ‘bird’ dogs, whether
intentional or otherwise, the dilution gene (the In 1939, Howard Knight decided to stop hunting
gene which contributes to the ‘fading’ to grey) from and gave three of his dogs to Margaret and Gus
the ‘Chien Gris de Saint Louis’ remained evident Horn. These were Mars aus der Wulfsriede, Aura
along with the structural traits: the broad skull, von Gaiberg and Adda von Schwarzen Kamp.
flat cheeks, ear length with front fold and a tail These became the foundation stock for the Horns’
with a curl. One, or some, of these crosses may ‘Grafmar’ affix.
well have introduced the long-hair gene which
remains in the breed and is part of the breed. It took but a few years for the Weimaraner Club of
America to be formed in 1943. As this was during
World War II, the emphasis was on showing and
From Germany to Austria
breeding as hunting has been restricted. The
The record of how he came to see the same year saw the first class for Weimaraners
Weimaraners is vague. However, Prinz Hans being held in Madison Square gardens. Best
von Ratibor had become so interested in the Dog was Grafmar’s Kreutz CD and Best Bitch
remarkable hunting prowess of the breed that was Grafmar’s Diana. Later that year, these two
his friend, Otto von Stockmayer went ahead and became the first American Champions of the
imported one for him from Germany. Prinz Hans breed, Kreutz managing to beat Diana to that
von Ratibor became President of the Weimaraner honour by just one day.
Club of Austria in 1913.
The imported Aura von Gaiberg won the first
Austria has since become better known for Obedience title known in the United States as
producing long hairs and it was some of these C.D. (Companion Dog). This is totally different
which were imported into Britain in the 1970s. from C.D. in Britain and, although there are some
elements of Agility in the American C.D., the
emphasis is generally more on obedience.
Out of Germany into America
It was in 1929 that the first pair of Weimaraners In the post-war period, there was a speedy influx of
stepped foot on American soil. After serious exceptional German and Austrian Weimaraners.
difficulties, mainly in persuading the German To maintain quality, the American Kennel Club
Weimaraner Club that he was serious about, and would only register ‘foreign listed’ dogs after they
committed to, the breed, Howard Knight managed had won 10 points in the show ring.
to import a pair. These were the dog, Cosack von
Krebitzstein and the bitch, Lotte von Bangstede. Many of these imports left a superb legacy for
Unbeknown to him, the pair had been neutered the future. None more so than Ch Dido von
by radiation before leaving Germany. Knight was Lechsteinhof and his progeny who all excelled in
more interested in their hunting ability and he the field. It was said that to win well in the field,
used them in this way for many years. Dido had to be in the pedigree.

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K9 NEWS DIGITAL / MARCH 2021