The German Wirehaired Pointer

The German Wirehaired Pointer comes from a country that has a long tradition of breeding dogs with purpose and careful attention to maintaining the strong instinctive drives of the dog. In this case, the hunting instincts of the breed were derived from the German Pointer and the Pudel Pointer and the bramble resistant coat was brought in from the Griffon. The general public has held the mistaken idea that the German Shorthaired Pointer and the German Wirehaired Pointer are the same breed but with a difference in the coat. This is incorrect.. the German Wirehaired Pointer is a separate breed and has different characteristics physically and instinctually. Some people know it by the German name of Drathaar. The Wirehaired Pointer is a persistent gundog that does not quit and thrives on the hunt, possessing strong “prey drive”. This drive has proven useful in the area of Search and Rescue and there are handlers using this breed as a Search dog and finding that it is quite a capable dog for this pursuit, provided he is trained from the beginning to channel his hunting drive to the human scent.

The wiry coat of the Drathaar is dense and double, requiring little in the way of care. An occasional hand stripping and wiping down is all that is needed the majority of time to keep this dog in clean condition. The head sports a beard of about two inches in length. The coat is stiff and affords protection from brambles but should not be long. The tail is docked to a length of two-fifths so as to protect in from injury while on the hunt. The ears are natural . The head is always either liver or black and the coat color is liver and white, solid liver, or black and white. The black and white coloring is a disqualification in the show ring in the A.K.C. The dog is registerable in both the United Kennel Club and the American Kennel Club in the United States. The German Wirehaired Pointer is medium sized, standing 23-25 inches at the shoulder and slightly longer than it is tall.

The breed is very popular in Europe and has the highest registration of pointing breeds of any gun dog in Germany. It is a hunt, point and retrieve gun dog of strong instincts and persistence, proving invaluable to the upland game hunter. This is a dog which is gaining in popularity in the United States. He can be a mannerly house dog if trained early but is suspicious of strangers and aloof to all except his family. His favorite occupation is to be out in the field and hunting with his Master. He is a faithful friend and thrives on human companionship but also can be very happy as an outside dog. This is a dog who does well as a kennel dog provided he is given plenty of exercise.

Responsible breeders have been careful to preserve the breed’s integrity and this dog remains a true hunting dog with little change over the years in structure or soundness. There have been some problems with hip dysplasia but the breed in general is long-lived and healthy.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Dogs