The German wirehaired pointer is a medium size dog and almost looks like a Pointer in many ways. They are famous for their weather-resistant wire-like coat. They are an excellent hunter and take a lot to become tired. The hair on their face and beard protect the facial area. There are several colors of coat found in this breed, which include liver &, white, spotted and ticked. Some may be solid liver.
You will have a very friendly and affectionate pet in a wirehaired pointer that is very loyal to their family. You have to be firm in training them if you want them to listen. They like to have something to do and enjoy pleasing their owners. With strangers, they may be a bit cautious at first, but will warm up after awhile and become very friendly.
Throughout history, the German Wirehaired pointer has been noted for being an excellent hunting dog. Everyone knows them for their hunting ability and their great gun dog attributes. This is why many hunters today, own one of these dogs. They can also be a very affectionate and loving companion to have in your home. This dog loves to play and get exercise like many other hunting breeds. So, if you enjoy going outside and playing than this is one breed that is sure to fit in with your lifestyle.
This breed is also great for being a wonderful watchdog. They will let their owners know at any point in time if there are any intruders entering their property.
Appearance
This breed is named the German wirehaired pointer for a reason. Their coat is wiry, coarse, and weather resistant. The wiry coat is how the breed received its name. Their coat is about 2 inches in length and has a thick undercoat to go with it. This breed has protection on its face with its beard, forehead hair, and the whiskers are also a form of protection. The color of their coats can be liver and white, spotted, roan or ticked. You can find this breed appearing in a solid liver color. Their nose is a dark brown color. You can find the ears and head is a brown color and can sometimes be seen with white blaze markings as well.
Their ears hang down the side of their head limped and are very pendant. The tail on this breed is somewhat docked. This breed is a very muscular and a well built dog in body frame. This is for their hunting ability. One of the characteristic traits of the German Wirehaired Pointer is the pointed look.
The height for the males is between 24 inches to 26 inches high and the height for the females is between 22 inches and 24 inches high. Now the weight for both genders is between 60 pounds and 70 pounds in weight. The females may be smaller in size than the males.
Personality
The German wirehaired pointer is a very loving, energetic, and smart dog. They love to learn new tricks with an owner that has a consistent approach in his training manners. This breed is the type of breed that loves to work along side with their owner.
The German Wirehaired Pointer is good with older children and also with their family. They are more affectionate with their owner than other people. This dog is good with other household pets, but if an animal comes around they do not know, they may strike at it. They are not good with strangers as first meeting and may never warm up to them if they do not visit often. This is one reason they are great as guard dogs. Their love is to be a gun dog and can hunt any type of game on any type of land. Whether it is land or water, they will be there to hunt.
This breed needs a big yard to play in. they do not do well with apartment living as they need plenty of room to romp, run, and of course hunt.
Care
With the German wirehaired pointer, you will need to have a firm bristle brush to brush his coat. This breed should be brushed at least twice a week. Their hairs need to be stripped and this can be done by hand plucking their coats or by visiting a groomer.
You only need to bathe this dog when needed. Their coat should look as hard as it can, but also maintain a good tidy look as well. Make sure to check the ears and keep them clean. After going out and working with the dog, make sure to come inside and check their feet and keep them clean as well. This dog is your average shedder.
History
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 abundance hair in its mustache and eyebrows. According to the AKC standards for the two breeds, the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon also is 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 you may find mixes of the Wirehaired Griffon, The Poodle Pointer Mixes, The Fox Hound, and the Bloodhound in this line of breeds.
Throughout the history of this breed, it was a good responder to the needs of their hunter. This is so since they hunt in any type of weather on any type of terrain including fetching game from water. This breed is good at catching, retrieving, tracking, and pointing out any type of game. Whether the game is large or small they will have no problem bringing it back to their hunter. Thus, the reason the German Wirehaired was so popular.
This breed came to America in the 1920s and was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1959. This breed for centuries has been used for hunting and being a gundog. Today, this dog is used for that purpose and the purpose of being a loving and loyal companion. In the American Kennel Club, they are known for being shown as the working dog and under the sporting group.