German Wirehaired Pointer

AKC Group: Sporting

Club: German Wirehaired Pointer Club of America, Inc.

Corresponding Secretary : Sarah Cowell-Herz
Address: 32446 Barber Rd, Agua Dulce, CA , 91390-4871
Website: www.gwpca.com
Email: redogsrus@earthlink.net
Club Type: Specialty

General Apperance:

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.

Size:

The height of males should be from 24 to 26 inches at the withers. Bitches are smaller but not under 22 inches. To insure the working quality of the breed is maintained, dogs that are either over or under the specified height must be severely penalized. The body is a little longer than it is high, as ten is to nine. The German Wirehaired Pointer is a versatile hunter built for agility and endurance in the field. Correct size and balance are essential to high performance.

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.

Temperament:

Of sound, reliable temperament, the German Wirehaired Pointer is at times aloof but not unfriendly toward strangers; a loyal and affectionate companion who is eager to please and enthusiastic to learn.

History:

Around 1850, the incidence of political revolt, together with improvements in the shotgun and the cartridge, spurred the business of hunting to such degree that everybody, regardless of class distinction, took to the hunt. The number of sportsmen, as a result, doubled, more dogs were bred, and the hunting breeds became more specialized; continental sportsmen, always seeking the best, sought an all-purpose dog that could hunt in varied terrain - and the Pointer emerged. One of these, the Deutsch-Drahthaar (German Wirehair), was native to Germany.

In its early stages, the Deutsch-Drahthaar Club catered to all varieties of wirehaired pointing dogs, separating only later into categories depending on purpose. Most of the early wirehaired Pointers represented a combination of Griffon, Stichelhaar (both mixtures of Pointer, Foxhound, Pudelpointer, and Polish water dog), Pudelpointer (a cross of Poodle and Pointer) and German Shorthair. The Germans preferred an extra-rugged hunter capable of working on any kind of game on any terrain to a specialized hunting breed. They continued to breed the distinctive traits of Pointer, Foxhound, and Poodle until they had created what is today the German Wirehair, a constitutionally tough, courageous breed who pointed and retrieved equally well on land and in water.

Coat has always been one of the most emphasized and important features of the breed, representing the breed's all-weather quality; it is to large extent water-repellent and shields the body from rough cover while maintaining the skeletal outline. Although the GWP had become a favored sporting dog in Germany many years earlier, it was not admitted into the German Kartell for dogs until 1928. The breed was imported into the US in the 1920's, and in 1953, the German Drahthaar Club of America was formed. The breed was admitted into the AKC in 1959, when the parent club was officially changed to the German Wirehaired Pointer Club of America.