History of the Blue Weimaraner in a Nutshell

In 1949, a Weimaraner was imported from Germany to the United States. This Weimaraner was named Cäsar Von Gaiberg or “Tell”. He came from excellent German lines. Tell was much darker than a typical Weimaraner and had slightly shorter ears. His coat color caused an uproar amongst many in in the Weimaraner Club of America (WCA). It gets really complicated with letters, testimonials, and investigations trying to establish the validity of his pedigree and determine his purity. Was he pure? Tell was the first historically noted Blue Weimaraner. There is a lot of confusion about whether there have been others in Europe, with intriguing leads but no established facts. We know now that what made Tell different is that genetically, “Blue” is a dilution of black whereas the coat of “Gray” Weimaraners is a dilution of brown. (Blue is a fanciful way of describing a dog coat that is a dilution of Black. It is actually a slate gray with silvery reflections. See the genetics page on the blueweimaraner site for a more thorough description of coat color genetics.) Proponents of the Blue have argued that the anomaly was due to a genetic mutation from a mother/son breeding and there are curious considerations that suggest that there may have been other Blue Weimaraners, but it’s probable that at some point the black was introduced by a cross-breeding. Probably to a Doberman.

The Progenitor of all Blue Weimaraners

Regardless of any “woulda, coulda, shouldas,” the fact is that his pedigree was investigated by the American Kennel Club (AKC) and accepted as valid. Controversy or not, Tell was an excellent Weimaraner. He was well-known for having an incredible nose and was used by the police for tracking. He sired 8 bench champions. He produced so well, that he was much used as a stud. Today, it is likely that he is in the pedigree of most Weimaraners in America and even Germany. There is no denying his place in the history of Weimaraners.

From 1949 to 1972, Blue Weimaraners while maybe not embraced (the controversy was still there) they were at least allowed. There were Blue Champions. In those 23 years, whether intended or not, a variation of the Weimaraner was firmly established in the United States. Twice, it came up for vote in the WCA to disqualify them and twice, it failed. In 1971 it was again placed on the ballot, but this time it was phrased as not allowing the color “Blue or Black”. From what I understand from first-hand accounts is that phrased in this way, where Black would have to be accepted as well as Blue, the ballot finally passed. At the same time, Longhair Weimaraners were also disqualified. (see article on what a disqualification means – coming soon)

When the color was voted a disqualification (DQ), many breeders respected the standard change and stopped breeding their Blues. Regardless of politics, the public still wanted Blue Weimaraners. The puppymill breeders saw an opportunity in the lack of competition and stepped in and started advertising “Rare Blue Weimaraners”. In the hands of unethical breeders, the quality of Blue Weimaraners has suffered. A small handful of passionate, ethical breeders breed in the hopes of a solution to the DQ.

The Blue Weimaraner Today

So here we are today 38 years after the DQ. The vehemence of the controversy has reached practically a blind, zealous, religious war status. The fierce pride, loyalty and affection that the Weimaraner community has in the traditional gray color is understandable. They still see Blue Weimaraners as the Barbarians at the gate. They argue that Tell was a mixed-breed and the blue variation of gray shouldn’t be accepted. To date, the arguments have usually centered on the question of the purity of Tell. What we need to realize is that this was nearly 70 years ago. Does it matter anymore? Tell is most likely in your Weimaraner. Blue Weimaraners today can not be considered anything but pure Weimaraners. As far as accepting the color variation, in essence it already was—with Tell. The variation already exists, but is like an abandoned orphan child of the Weimaraner community.

I’m sure that the WCA thought that in disqualifying Blues, they would slowly dwindle away, but did this happen? Have Blue Weimaraners gone away? Nope. The demand grows and they are more and more arriving on the shores of the old world (Europe) where they mostly have no official status. It’s time to stop reacting blindly with knee-jerk prejudice, reassess, and plan rationally and responsibly. That’s what this site is for: commenting on the current status and opening a dialogue for responsible change. I make no bones about it that it will be opinionated, pointed and aimed to puncture old beliefs that are not working. I welcome thoughtful commentaries.

It’s Time. Get involved.

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Upcoming posts:
What is a Disqualification?
The Color Controversy in-depth.
Why the Disqualification hurts everyone.
Blue Weimaraners Overseas.
New Breed or Variation?
The AKC conundrum.
What can you do in your country?
Spotlights on Blue Weimaraners today. Wags and Brags.
Training Articles.