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This, however,
was not always the case, particularly as far as the hunting
dog was concerned. Prior to the 1800s, European hunters maintained
a large collection of dogs - pointers to locate the game; setters
and retrievers to retrieve it; hounds to trail quarry over long
distances. Of course, the typical hunter of the period could
afford that many dogs, for the sport was reserved for those
wealthy enough to own the land on which to hunt. A large kennel
of dogs was simply another accoutrement of the landed upper
class.
Beginning
in the 19th century, the European hunting scene changed. The
dawn of the industrial age, coupled with the prevalence of
the sporting gun, created a new breed of middle-class huntsman.
Because this hunter could not afford a large kennel of dogs,
he required a single dog who could find every kind of game,
from bird to hare to boar, point them and hold them, be steady
to the shot, and be a sure retriever from land or water. Furthermore,
this new hunter wanted a dog who would serve as a companion
and guardian of the home, as well as one whose good looks
would make his hunting buddies jealous.
From this
long list of requirements, German breeders set out to create
the perfect all-purpose hunting dog, eventually leading to
the development of the German shorthaired pointer. The breed
is only one example of this movement. In Germany alone, several
breeds were developed for similar purposes, including the
German wirehaired pointer, the German longhaired pointer and
the Weimeraner. In France the wirehaired pointing griffon
and the Brittany were bred for similar motives, as was the
Vizsla in Hungary.
Form
Follows Function
The most
ancient ancestor of the German shorthaired pointer, as well
as all other pointers in Europe, was the old Spanish pointer,
a liver-and-white dog with a natural instinct to hesitate
before springing toward game. Its offspring were crossed with
the St. Hubert hound, a breed with cold-trailing ability originally
brought west by returning crusaders. In Germany, these scent
hounds were known as schweisshunde (schweiss meaning
scent in German; hunde meaning dog),
and were of diverse types throughout the region.
Crossing
these early pointer and hound types produced interesting,
if not completely satisfactory, results. As the German shorthaired
pointer developed, breeders realized they must take steps
to improve stance, style, and above all, nose. To achieve
this, fine pointers were brought from England and introduced
into the stock to lend elegance to the manner of working,
with the aristocratic, high nose being the major aim.
By the
mid-1800s, breeding efforts of the Deutsch kurzhaar, literally
German shorthair, began in earnest and some widely
divergent breed types had appeared. By 1872 breeders were
able to produce litters sufficiently to type to enable them
to be registered in the German Kennel Club stud book.
Still
there was a wide deal of variation in the early dogs. First
efforts produced some undesirable, often awkward dogs with
heavy bodies and stumpy legs. Subsequently some breeders became
obsessed with appearances, chasing ideal head and ear shapes.
Others were directed by an early patron, Prince Albrecht zu
Solms-Brauenfels, of the Royal House of Hanover, who advocated
that form should follow function. He sternly cautioned breeders
to use only the dogs who performed best in the field and not
to worry about appearances in those early stages. Time proved
the prince's direction correct. Form did follow function,
and as the German shorthaired pointer slowly developed into
the breed we know today, it earned a reputation as an outstanding
hunter, capable of all tasks of the field.
Thornton's
Discovery
The idea
of a no-frills, all-purpose gundog appealed to Dr. Charles
R. Thornton of Missoula, Montana. An avid hunter, Thornton
held fast to his father's teachings, reminiscent of Prince
Albrecht's - a dog is worth keeping for what it can do, not
how it looks. In 1925 he happened upon a magazine article
describing a unique breed of German gundog and became wildly
excited. Here, the article claimed, was a dog that did it
all: pointing, flushing, retrieving and tracking. According
to legend, Thornton, upon finishing the article, remarked
to his wife that "if these dogs could be bought for anything
reasonably less than the earth, he was going to import himself
a few."
Several
months later, Senta v. Hohenbruck, Thornton's first German
shorthaired pointer, arrived in Missoula in whelp. On July
4th, 1925, the bitch gave birth to seven puppies, the first
litter of German shorthaired puppies known to have been born
in America.
Word of
this all-purpose gundog spread among American sportsmen, and
the breed quickly gained a foothold on this side of the Atlantic.
In 1930, Greif v.d. Fliegerhalde became the first German shorthaired
pointer registered by the American Kennel Club (AKC). In 1938
the German Shorthaired Pointer Club of America was formed,
and a breed standard was adopted in 1946.
The German
shorthaired pointer is the most popular of the all-purpose
European gundogs developed in the 19th century, at least in
the United States. It was 24th in AKC registrations in both
1998 and 1997. In comparison, the German shorthaired pointer's
close cousin, the German wirehaired pointer, ranked 75th in
AKC registrations in 1998.
Shorthair
Showcase
Part of
the German shorthaired pointer's popularity can be attributed
to its happy-go-lucky, anything-goes attitude. Attractive,
loving dogs, their tails rarely stop wagging. That enthusiasm
and affection can be taken to extremes however, and at times
it can be overly boisterous, even hyper.
A true
working dog, the German shorthaired pointer's idea of heaven
is a day in the field. It is not surprising then that the
dog thrives on mental and physical stimulation. If a German
shorthaired owner does not intend to work the dog, he or she
should seriously consider the possibility of teaching it obedience,
agility or working trials. At the least, expect to spend an
hour a day exercising with your German shorthair pointer,
preferably more.
Since
it was bred to work independently, this breed does not hang
on its master's every word like some herding dogs and retrievers.
The German shorthaired pointer's respect must be earned with
consistent praise and practice. Training and socialization
is mandatory, the earlier the better. Pups should be crated
for up to two years of age to prevent bad habits from developing.
The payoff for giving the German shorthaired pointer the exercise
and training it requires is a stalwart companion - alert,
biddable and very loyal.
This energetic,
enthusiastic breed is an excellent choice for people with
an active lifestyle, but probably not a good pick for those
who want a dog that is satisfied with a brief, 15-minute walk.
The dogs are obviously happier in homes with yards than apartments.
Some shorthairs can be overly protective, while others are
not keen on strange animals of any kind. Again, early work
can help prevent these problems. The dog prefers to live with
people and can be destructive if left alone for long periods
of time. If they must be kenneled they should have a mate
with which they can play, though they really prefer just to
fit into the family.
Although
the breed may require a lot of training and attention, its
grooming needs are minimal. The dog's coarse, flat coat should
be brushed occasionally to remove dead hair. Frequent baths
are not necessary. Like any floppy-eared dog, the German shorthaired
pointer's ears require regular attention. The inside of the
ear should be cleaned frequently with a soft cloth, tissue
or perfume-free baby wipe and dried after a swim.
The German
shorthaired pointer is generally a healthy dog, with a life
expectancy of 12 to 14 years, but it is subject to some diseases.
Lymphedema can be a problem. This is a disorder where valvular
blockage of lymph flow or twisted lymphatic ducts causes an
accumulation of fluid to swell tissues with edema. Other concerns
include canine hip dysplasia; entroption, or inversion of
the eyelids; and gastric torsion, or bloat. Some major heart
ailments are seen in the breed, among them subaortic stenosis
(SAS) and mitral valve disease. Von Willebrand's disease is
a minor concern. Healthy adult males should weigh from 55
to 70 pounds, females from 45 to 60 pounds.
The
SUD - Sport Utility Dog
Clearly
those German hunters and breeders of the 19th century were
ahead of the curve. Today the multitalented German shorthaired
pointer is a perfect dog for our sport-utility, all-purpose,
one-size-fits-all crazed world. Incorporating the best qualities
of pointers, retrievers and hounds, it truly is a dog that
does it all. And while the typical German shorthaired pointer
may no longer spend its days roaming the fields and woods
at its master's side, this handsome, athletic dog does make
an affable and boisterous family companion, perfect for all
your canine needs. The Name Game
Dr. Thornton
was involved in more than just importing and breeding the
German shorthaired pointer in those early years. He was also
active in the breed's promotion and publicity, with a major
source of concern involving the name by which his beloved
dogs would be known.
As Thornton
knew full well, the name pointer was not fully accurate for
the breed. Famed English sporting dog authority Frank Warner
Hill addressed the same issue in the June 8, 1962, issue of
Dog World magazine. "You cannot call a dog a pointer
when this is only a third of the work, the other two-thirds
being hunting and retrieving both in and out of cover," Hill
wrote. Hill went on to argue that the dog should be given
a name along the same lines as those given the Viszla and
the Weimaraner.
The Germans
faced this same problem and addressed it by changing the name
from the Deutsche kurzhaarige vorstehund - literally German
shorthaired pointer - to the more succinct Deutsch kurzhaar
- German shorthair. Thornton objected to a similar
name change in America, fearing that the shorter name could
indicate any shorthaired German dog.
In 1938
the breed's parent club applied to the AKC under the name
The German Shorthaired Pointer and Retriever Club of America
Inc. The AKC rejected the name, arguing that the dog had to
be either a pointer or a retriever, it could not be both.
Although club organizers knew the truth - that the dog truly
was both a pointer and a retriever - they wisely saw little
value in arguing the point with the AKC. Thus, for better
or for worse, the club reapplied, and was consequently accepted,
as the German Shorthaired Pointer Club of America Inc. Luckily,
the dog's half-correct moniker has done little to damage its
popularity.
What's
Your Point?
Don't
confuse the German shorthaired pointer with its cousins, the
German wirehaired pointer and the German longhaired pointer.
Although the dogs share similar backgrounds and characteristics,
not to mention names, they are three distinct breeds, with
different origins.
The German
wirehaired pointer is a combination of French griffon, stichelhaar,
pudelpointer and the shorthaired pointer. The pudelpointer
was a cross between a poodle and an English pointer, while
the stichelhaar was a combination of pointer, foxhound, pudelpointer
and a Polish water dog. This breed is more popular than its
shorthaired cousin in Germany, where it enjoys the highest
registration of the hunting breeds.
The German
longhaired pointer owes its looks and temperament to several
of the long-haired continental bird dogs, as well as the Irish
and Gordon setters. The last of the three breeds to reach
full development, it was bred to run faster than its shorthaired
and wirehaired relatives. Primarily a working dog, the breed
is not widely known in the United States.
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