Pointer

AKC Group: Sporting

Club: American Pointer Club, Inc.

Corresponding Secretary : Jillian Hrubetz
Address: 1486 County Road 421, Stockdale, TX , 78160-6596
Website: www.americanpointerclub.org
Email: correspondingsecretary@americanpointerclub.org
Club Type: Specialty

General Apperance:

The Pointer is bred primarily for sport afield; he should unmistakably look and act the part. The ideal specimen gives the immediate impression of compact power and agile grace; the head noble, proudly carried; the expression intelligent and alert; the muscular body bespeaking both staying power and dash. Here is an animal whose every movement shows him to be a wide-awake, hard-driving hunting dog possessing stamina, courage, and the desire to go. And in his expression are the loyalty and devotion of a true friend of man.

Size:

Balance and over-all symmetry are more important in the Pointer than size. A smooth, balanced dog is to be more desired than a dog with strongly contrasting good points and faults. Hound or terrier characteristics are most undesirable. Because a sporting dog must have both endurance and power, great variations in size are undesirable, the desirable height and weight being within the following limits:

Dogs: Height -- 25-28 inches
Weight -- 55-75 pounds
Bitches: Height -- 23-26 inches
Weight -- 44-65 pounds

Coat:

Short, dense, smooth with a sheen.

Temperament:

The Pointer's even temperament and alert good sense make him a congenial companion both in the field and in the home. He should be dignified and should never show timidity toward man or dog.

History:

The Pointer was the first dog, so far as we know, used to stand game in the sense in which we use the term today, and was developed as a distinct breed much earlier than any of the setters. It seems likely that Pointers came into general use in Spain, Portugal, throughout Eastern Europe and in the British Isles at approximately the same time, although the development of the English Pointer took place in Great Britain. The first Pointers appeared in England around 1650, some time before wing-shooting with guns became popular, and Pointers were often used to locate and point hares in conjunction with Greyhound coursing. However, by the 18th century, wing-shooting had come into vogue, and the "shorthair" has been considered by the majority of sportsmen the equal, if not the superior, of any of the gun dogs.

The Pointer's lineage is foggy, but there is no question that it includes Foxhound, Greyhound, and Bloodhound crossed with some sort of "setting spaniel," which played an important part in the creation of all modern bird dogs. Eventually the Spanish Pointer too was interbred with the English Pointer, but only briefly to intensify the pointing instinct in the breed. During the 19th century, Pointers gained in popularity and were crossed often with setters to improve disposition; they appeared often in hunting news and sporting papers. The Pointer of today is easily recognized and not a far cry from his 19th century predecessors. He is clean-limbed, lithe, and muscular without being coarse, full of energy and "hunt," built for speed and endurance, courageous, and determined. Although willing to work for someone other than his master, Pointers are wonderful family dogs and make excellent companions at any age.

Fun Facts:

• The first Pointers appeared in England about 1650.
  
  
• The Pointer was the first dog used to stand game.
  
  
• Pointers seem to acquire the hunting instinct at around 2 months of age.
  
  
• During the 19th century the English Pointer was repeatedly crossed with various setters, in part to "improve [the] disposition," resulting in a superlative field dog.
  
  
• Unlike some sporting breeds, the Pointer has always been bred for type as well as field ability, and there is no divergence between the two insofar as appearance goes.
  
  
• Pointers were originally used in conjunction with Greyhounds in the 17th century, and in fact, the Pointer's lineage unquestionably contains Greyhound in addition to Foxhound & Bloodhound.