German Wirehaired Pointer

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

German Wirehaired Pointer

German Wirehaired Pointer
Other names Deutsch Drahthaar
Deutscher Drahthaariger Vorstehhund
Drahthaar
Country of origin Germany
Traits

The German Wirehaired Pointer is a griffon type breed of dog developed in the 1800s in Germany for hunting. It became a leading gun dog in Germany in the later part of the 20th Century.

Contents

[edit] Description

[edit] Appearance

The German Wirehaired Pointer is a well muscled, medium sized dog of distinctive appearance. Balanced in size and sturdily built, the breed's most distinguishing characteristics are its weather resistant, wire-like coat and its facial furnishings. Typically Pointer in character and style, the German Wirehaired Pointer is an intelligent, energetic and determined hunter. The tail is typically docked to two-fifths of the natural length. In countries where docking is prohibited the tail should be of sufficient length to reach down to the hocks. Like all German Pointers, they have webbed feet.

[edit] Coat

The functional wiry coat is the breed's most distinctive feature. A dog must have a correct coat to be of correct type. The coat is weather resistant and, to some extent, water-repellent. The undercoat is dense enough in winter to insulate against the cold but is so thin in summer as to be almost invisible. The distinctive outer coat is straight, harsh, wiry and flat lying, and is from one to two inches in length. The outer coat is long enough to protect against the punishment of rough cover, but not so long as to hide the outline of the dog. On the lower legs the coat is shorter and between the toes it is of softer texture. On the skull the coat is naturally short and close fitting. Over the shoulders and around the tail it is very dense and heavy. The tail is nicely coated, particularly on the underside, but devoid of feather. Eyebrows are of strong, straight hair. Beard and whiskers are medium length. The hairs in the liver patches of a liver and white dog may be shorter than the white hairs. A short smooth coat, a soft woolly coat, or an excessively long coat is to be severely penalized when showing. While maintaining a harsh, wiry texture, the puppy coat may be shorter than that of an adult coat. Coats may be neatly groomed to present a dog natural in appearance. Extreme and excessive grooming to present a dog artificial in appearance should be severely penalized in competition.

[edit] Gait

The dog should be evaluated at a moderate gait. The movement is free and smooth with good reach in the forequarters and good driving power in the hindquarters. The topline should remain firm.

[edit] Temperament

The German Wirehaired Pointer is very affectionate, active and intelligent. Eager to learn and loyal to its family, it needs a handler who is consistent in approach. They like to be occupied and enjoy working for their owner. They are friendly with those they know, but are naturally aloof with strangers and should be socialized at an early age. As a puppy, the owner needs to spend time with this breed otherwise the puppy will grow up to be 'spooky.' This is one breed of dog that does not do well in a kennel environment. German Wirehaired Pointers are happiest and most well behaved when they are part of the family and can spend time with their people. Can be rather willful and they like to roam. Powerful and energetic they can become bored and hard to manage without enough exercise. The German Wirehaired Pointer is a good all-around gun dog, able to hunt any sort of game on any sort of terrain. This dog has a good nose and can track, point, and retrieve on both land and water. Steady, lively and vigorous. They do best with older, considerate children; very affectionate with its master and can become jealous. Some may try to dominate other animals but most will get along well with other dogs and household animals. They make good watchdogs.

[edit] Health

Some lines are prone to hip dysplasia, ear infections, genetic eye disease and skin cancers.

[edit] History

The German Wirehaired Pointer trace their origins back about 120 years. They originated in Germany, where breeders wanted to develop a rugged, versatile hunting dog that would work closely with either one person or a small party of persons hunting on foot in varied terrain; from the mountainous regions of the Alps, to dense forests, to more open areas with farms and small towns. The breed the Germans desired had to have a coat that would protect the dogs when working in heavy cover or in cold water, yet be easy to maintain. Careful crosses of the German Pointer with many other breeds. Sources differ on the exact lineage, though the Wirehaired Griffon, Poodle-Pointer mixes, Foxhound and Bloodhound are all mentioned as possible contributors. This is a dog that can fully respond to the needs of its hunter. The goal was to develop a wire-coated, medium sized dog that could:


Search for, locate and point upland game;
Work both feather and fur with equal skill & Retrieve water fowl
Be a close-working, easily trained gun dog
Be able to track and locate wounded game
Be fearless when hunting 'sharp' game such as fox
Be a devoted companion and pet; and
Be a watchdog for its owners family and property.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

[edit] References

 This article does not cite any references or sources. (May 2007)
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.
v • d • e
Breeds of gundog
Pointers
Versatile gundogs
Retrievers
Spaniels
Water dogs