German Wire-haired Pointer - Dog Breed Profile

Author: Dooziedog.com

Key Facts:

Size: Medium

Height: 56 - 65 cm (22 - 25 inches)

Weight: 20.5 - 32 kg (45 - 70 inches)

Life Span: 13 years

Grooming: Reasonable

Exercise: Essential

Feeding: Medium

Temperament: Intelligent & trainable

Country of Origin: Germany

AKC Group: Sporting

Temperament:

The German Wire Haired Pointer is intelligent, active and friendly. German Pointers are very intelligent and eager to learn, making them easily trainable. They enjoy working for their handler and like to be occupied. They are generally friendly towards people and animals. The German Wire Haired Pointer is loyal and brave and can be trained to be a watch dog.

Grooming:

German Wire Haired Pointers need to be brushed regularly and the excess hair between the pads of the feet needs to be trimmed. Occasionally the coat may need to be stripped (the dead hairs plucked out).

Exercise:

German Wire Haired Pointers are most suited for active families. They tend to enjoy swimming and retrieving. Exercise is essential as they are hunting dogs and need to be kept busy. If the owner is unable to hunt with them then they should be taken for long walks and given opportunities to run and play off the lead.

History:

Dogs have been used for hunting for thousands of years. Different dog breeds were developed for different hunting tasks, such as pointing to the game or retrieving from land or water. German Hunters decided to breed for an all purpose dog which could track, point and retrieve. The German Wire-Haired Pointers evolved from crosses with the Griffon, Deutsch-Drahthaar (meaning wirehair), Pudelpointer and the Stichelhaar.

Physical Characteristics:

General Appearance: Sturdy, dignified and muscular.

Color: Solid black, liver or white. Or these colors with patches, ticking or completely roaned.

Coat: Bushy eyebrows, beard and whiskers. The outercoat is harsh, thick and medium length. The undercoat is dense.

Tail: Tapering, customarily docked and never held high.

Ears: Set high, hanging close to the cheek and of average length.

Body: The chest is wide and deep and the shoulders are sloping and muscular. The loin is muscular and the back is short, firm and level. The croup is long, wide and slightly sloping.

Additional Comments:

The German Wire-Haired Pointer differs to the German Short-Haired Pointer in both its size and coat. The Wire-Haired is slightly taller at 67cm (26 in) compared to 64cm (25 in) for the Short-Haired variety.

About the author: This article provided courtesy of http://www.dooziedog.com/dog_breeds/german_wire-haired_pointer/