German Wirehaired Pointer
History of a Hunting Dog

The German Wirehaired Pointer is a breed of dog developed in the 1800s in Germany for hunting. The coat is wiry and the breed has a typical beard. The color can be liver, black, or either color with white. Commonly the head is a solid or nearly solid color and the body is speckled, with saddles or large patches of solid color. There is a strong resemblance to the less-common Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, which has more abundant hair in its "mustache" and eyebrows. According to the AKC standards for the two breeds, the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon also is very slightly smaller than the German Wirehaired Pointer. The German Wirehaired Pointer was developed in the beginning of the 20th century in Germany from 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 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. They can be very independent and willful with a tendency to wander if not kept active and challenged. The German Wirehaired Pointer has a coarse, wiry, weather-resistant coat. It is about 2 inches long with a thick undercoat. The dog's coat is basically water-repellent and protects him from brambles. The beard, forehead hair and whiskers protect his face. The neck is strong and slender and the chest is wide and deep. The lips are not pendent and the muzzle is long, wide and robust. The eyes are dark and transparent. It has a strong scissors bite.