meet the...German Wirehaired Pointer
Breed Summary
Breed Group Group 11: Gun Dog Breeds
Sub-group 11-A: Pointing Dogs
Origin Country Germany
Weight Males: 50-60 pounds. Females: 45-55 pounds.
Height Males: 21-24 inches. Females: 19-22 inches.
Other Name(s) Deutsche Drahthaar, Deutscher DrahthaarIGer Vorstehhund
Breed Type Pure
click here for FULL BREED STANDARD
Origins
Like the German Shorthaired Pointer and German Longhaired Pointer (Deutscher Langhaar), many of the details surrounding the origin of the German Wirehaired Pointer (also known as Deutscher Drahthaar, or GWP’s) have been lost to time. It is believed that the ancestors of the modern GWP included the ancestors of the German Shorthaired Pointer (Deutscher-Kurzhaar Vorstehhunde), as well as the hunting Griffons, Poodles, Pudelpointers, and the German Rough-Haired Pointers (Deutscher Stichelhaars), which resulted in the durable, rugged, and weather-resistant coated hunting dog we see today.
At one time, all wirehaired hunting dogs were considered to be the same in Germany. However, after recognizing differences in type, hunting styles, and talents, the German Wirehaired Pointer’s ancestors were considered separate from the Pudelpointers, Griffons, and German Rough Haired Pointer. The GWPs became famous for their hunting abilities that included all terrains, climates, and all-season water work, something their shorthaired cousins were not capable of accomplishing comfortably. So prized were the GWPs for their versatility that the original German Wirehaired Pointer breed organization, the Verein Deutsch-Drathaar, set out to ensure its preservation, just as the other German breed organizations do with their respective breeds. To this day, the Verein Deutsch-Drathaar does not permit unproven dogs to be bred and recognized. This means that in order to be considered for breeding purposes, dogs must possess working hunting titles, sound conformation, and temperament. This stringency has resulted in some variation in conformation, temperament, and hunting instinct between the American and European lines.
To the uninitiated, the GWP can appear to be a scruffy version of the more commonly known German Shorthaired Pointer; however, this is not the case. While the German Shorthaired Pointer and the GSW are very similar in origin and overall appearance (save for the coat, of course), there were major differences from the start of the two breeds. The German Shorthaired Pointer was bred primarily as an upland game dog. They were also capable of some water retrieval work but could suffer in cold or in climate weather conditions. The GSW, on the other hand, was not developed solely as a bird dog. Instead, he was developed to be an all-around hunting dog, required to work, scent, locate, point, track, trail feathers and fur, and retrieve waterfowl in most weather and climate conditions. The German Wirehaired Pointers were originally required to be able to hunt multiple types of game, including waterfowl, upland birds, rabbit, fox, deer, and boar. This is still a requirement set forth and evaluated by the Verein Deutsch-Drathaar in order to become eligible for breeding in their native country of Germany to this day. For this reason, many experts consider the true German Drathaar, or Draht, to be distinct from the German Wirehaired Pointer used almost exclusively as a bird dog in America, despite being genetically indistinguishable.Breed Characteristics
Head: Mesaticephalic skull type, moderate in size, wedge-shaped, and in proportion to the rest of the body. It is neither heavy nor light in substance or size. The topskull is moderately broad, flat at the plane, and slightly arched only at the sides. The superciliary ridge is fairly well-pronounced. The occiput is only slightly pronounced. A faint median furrow starts at the stop and disappears toward the occiput. Although lean, the head is powerfully equipped with strong, smooth, and well-developed, yet never overly prominent muscle. The head is clean-cut and without excess skin or wrinkles.
Eyes: Moderate in size, oval to almond in shape, and green or amber to dark brown in color. The eye rims are well-fitted and well-pigmented. The eyes are never bulging. There should be sufficient bone in the surrounding orbital sockets to protect the eyes. Any signs of entropion or ectropion are incorrect for this breed.
Ears: Moderately large in size, broad across the base, and rounded at the tip. They are set high on the skull, just above the level of the eye. They hang flat and close to the head and face. When held forward, they should extend approximately to the corner of the mouth. The ears are never long, overly large, or broken.
Muzzle: Long, broad, deep, full, and strongly developed. The plane of the muzzle may be straight (American), slightly curved, or Roman-nosed (European). It must never appear concave or dish-faced. The upper and lower jaws are equal in length and have good bone substance, appearing strong and well-developed, never appearing snipey or weak.
Nose: The nose is well-pigmented and liver, self-colored, or black, according to the coat. The nose is broad, and the nostrils are well-opened. In profile, the tip of the nose may project slightly forward.
Neck: Moderate length allows for proud head carriage. It is strongly muscled with a slight arch. The neck tapers smoothly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is clean-cut, without excess skin, throatiness, or dewlap.
Chest: Deep and broad but never wider than deep. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows. The forechest is well-developed.
Body: The body is that of a canine endurance and agility athlete. It is deep, solid, and of moderate substance. The body is never cloddy or heavy. The width at the forequarters is approximately equal to the width at the hindquarters.
Feet: Oval to round and compact, with well-arched toes, tough pads, and strong webbing.
Tail: Set neither especially high nor low on the croup but as a natural extension of the topline. It is thick at the base and tapering toward the tip. It is often carried level with or slightly above the level of the topline when working but also kept in accordance with the dog’s mood and energy level, never tucked or carried well above the topline or over the back. The tail may be left natural (preferred) or docked short to 2/5, or 40%, of the original length. Natural tails are of a moderately long length, with the tip of the last vertebrae extending to the hock joints when held down. The tail may be straight, sabered, or gently curved.
Movement: The German Wirehaired Pointer moves with powerful and agile motion. Their action is effortless, efficient, and energetic. The characteristics of a healthy structure are evident. When moving away, the forelegs and rear pasterns should remain parallel to one another. When viewing movement from the front, the forelegs should remain parallel, with elbows and paws moving neither in nor out. From the rear, the back pads should be visible when the rear legs are extended. As speed increases, the forelimbs and hindlimbs will converge to the centerline of gravity. From the side, the topline should remain firm and level. Good reach of movement in the front allows the forepaw to extend out in line with the nose. When extended, the width between the forefeet should be approximately equal to the width between the hindfeet when extended, indicating balance, good reach, and good drive. Dogs that exhibit any sign of breathing or locomotive difficulty shall be disqualified from the show ring.
Temperament: The German Wirehaired Pointer is an intelligent and active dog that loves to work and hunt. Their stable temperament and can-do attitude make them great candidate as training companion for many activities in and out of the field, so long as he is kept busy. They can be trained to use their nose in many disciplines, including fieldwork, search, rescue, tracking, and article search. They excel in other events as well, such as that of obedience and agility. They bond strongly with their family and are tolerant of other dogs and people. They enjoy hard work, and daily exercise is necessary for this breed to curb potential behavior issues. As adults, they can be indifferent to being aloof with strangers, which should not be penalized. They should never appear nervous, shy, or fearful. Any unprovoked aggressive or fearful behavior toward people is incorrect for this breed.
Breed Standard
BREED GROUP 11: Gun Dog Breeds
Proportions: Square to off-square with the length of the body, measured from the point of the forechest to the point of the rump, being equal to or just slightly greater than the height at the withers. The ideal body-height-to-length ratio is between 1:1 and 10:9. Females may be slightly longer. The body is well put together, with sturdy substance and somewhat fine to medium bone wrapped in hard, sinewy muscle. The German Wirehaired Pointer is built for speed, agility, and endurance. Males should appear masculine, being more substantial in size and mass, while females should appear more feminine and slightly less substantial. Neither should lack overall type. The weight of males or females is always in proportion to height.
Head
General Appearance: Mesaticephalic skull type, moderate in size, wedge-shaped, and in proportion to the rest of the body. It is neither heavy nor light in substance or size. The topskull is moderately broad, flat at the plane, and slightly arched only at the sides. The superciliary ridge is fairly well-pronounced. The occiput is only slightly pronounced. A faint median furrow starts at the stop and disappears toward the occiput. Although lean, the head is powerfully equipped with strong, smooth, and well-developed, yet never overly prominent muscle. The head is clean-cut and without excess skin or wrinkles.
Expression: Noble, keen, watchful, sincere, lively, and intelligent.
Stop: The stop is moderately defined and clearly visible but never abrupt.
Skull: The ideal muzzle-to-skull ratio is 1:1, with the topskull being equal in length to the muzzle.
The ideal muzzle-to-skull axis may be parallel, as seen in American-bred dogs, or slightly divergent, as seen in European dogs.
Muzzle: Long, broad, deep, full, and strongly developed. The plane of the muzzle may be straight (American), slightly curved, or Roman-nosed (European). It must never appear concave or dish-faced. The upper and lower jaws are equal in length and have good bone substance, appearing strong and well-developed, never appearing snipey or weak.
Lips or Flews: The lips are clean and fit well over the teeth and jaws, just covering the lower jaw, giving the muzzle its deep and full appearance. The lips are never pendulous yet never fit the muzzle so tightly that it appears tapered.
Nose: The nose is well-pigmented and liver, self-colored, or black, according to the coat. The nose is broad, and the nostrils are well-opened. In profile, the tip of the nose may project slightly forward.
Cheeks: The cheeks are strongly muscled. They should not appear chiseled or coarse.
Dentition and Bite: Forty-two strong, clean, and white teeth. The bite may be level, scissor, or reverse-scissor. Contact must be made between the top and bottom incisors. Missing or broken teeth due to routine work are not to be penalized.
Eyes: Moderate in size, oval to almond in shape, and green or amber to dark brown in color. The eye rims are well-fitted and well-pigmented. The eyes are never bulging. There should be sufficient bone in the surrounding orbital sockets to protect the eyes. Any signs of entropion or ectropion are incorrect for this breed.
Ears: Moderately large in size, broad across the base, and rounded at the tip. They are set high on the skull, just above the level of the eye. They hang flat and close to the head and face. When held forward, they should extend approximately to the corner of the mouth. The ears are never long, overly large, or broken.
Body and Tail
General Description: The body is that of a canine endurance and agility athlete. It is deep, solid, and of moderate substance. The body is never cloddy or heavy. The width at the forequarters is approximately equal to the width at the hindquarters.
Neck: Moderate length allows for proud head carriage. It is strongly muscled with a slight arch. The neck tapers smoothly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is clean-cut, without excess skin, throatiness, or dewlap.
Chest: Deep and broad but never wider than deep. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows. The forechest is well-developed.
Topline: Straight and may be level or slightly sloped from slightly prominent withers to croup. The back is short, broad, strongly muscled, and straight, yet supple. The loin is short, taut, flat, level, or slightly arched yet supportive. The back is never swayed or roached.
Croup: Broad, long, and gently sloped. It should never be steep or tucked.
Underline: A slight tuck-up is present. The underline is taut and firm, without any indication of sagging or excess weight.
Ribs: Long, well-sprung, well-laid-back, and oval-shaped, never barrel-chested or slab-sided.
Tail: Set neither especially high nor low on the croup but as a natural extension of the topline. It is thick at the base and tapering toward the tip. It is often carried level with or slightly above the level of the topline when working but also kept in accordance with the dog’s mood and energy level, never tucked or carried well above the topline or over the back. The tail may be left natural (preferred) or docked short to 2/5, or 40%, of the original length. Natural tails are of a moderately long length, with the tip of the last vertebrae extending to the hock joints when held down. The tail may be straight, sabered, or gently curved.
Forequarters and Hindquarters
Forequarters: The forequarters are always balanced with the hindquarters and well-angulated with well-laid-back shoulder blades. The shoulder blades are fairly long and approximately equal in length to the upper arm and forearm.
Elbows: The elbows are close to the body. The point of the elbows is approximately half the dog’s height at the withers. Well-angulated dog's elbows will fall below the withers.
Forelegs: Frontal View: Straight, of good muscle, of medium to moderately fine bone, and parallel to one another.
Side View: The forelimbs appear straight with strong pasterns.
Pasterns: Never weak or broken.
Hindquarters: The upper and lower thighs are fairly long, equal in length, strong, sturdy, of medium to moderately fine bone, and well-muscled.
Rear View: When viewed from the rear, the rear pasterns are parallel to one another.
Side View: Good angulation will allow the rear toes to align with the point of the rump or within one to two paw-lengths behind the point of the rump, with the rear pasterns remaining perpendicular to the ground and parallel to one another.
Stifle Joint: Well-angulated with a good bend to well-let-down rear pasterns.
Angulations: The angulation of the hindquarters is always in balance with the angulation of the forequarters.
Feet: Oval to round and compact, with well-arched toes, tough pads, and strong webbing.
Coat
Skin: Well-fitted, yet supple. The skin should never obstruct the outline of the dog.
Coat Type: Double-coated with soft, dense, water-resistant undercoat. The outercoat is harsh, flat, dense, and weather resistant throughout the body. The length of the coat on the body may vary from one to two inches but should never be so long as to obstruct the outline of the dog. The coat on the lower limbs may be shorter and somewhat softer. The coat on the head and ears are usually naturally shorter, with the exception of well-defined, stiff, harsh medium-length “brows,” mustache, and beard. However, longer, wiry hair may grow on the bridge of the muzzle, topskull, ears, and face as well, which is not to be penalized. The coat on the shoulders and chest may be somewhat denser and slightly longer, forming a harsh ruff. The hairs creating the liver patches may appear shorter and smoother than the ticked or white hairs, which is not incorrect.
Coat Color or Pattern: Solid colors black or liver (brown), or with a small amount of white, ticked, or roan markings or patches on the chest, toes, or chin. Black or liver with white, or corresponding patches or markings of black or liver ticking or roan throughout the coat. Predominantly white with black or liver (brown) markings and patches. Black or liver (brown) roan or ticked, with or without corresponding markings or patches of solid color. All black or livers may be accompanied by well-defined traditional tan points, resulting in black or liver and tans, tri-colors, roan tri-colors, or ticked tri-colors. In all instances, preference should be given to dogs with primarily solid-marked heads, although white, ticked, or roan blazes are equally permissible.
Movement
The German Wirehaired Pointer moves with powerful and agile motion. Their action is effortless, efficient, and energetic. The characteristics of a healthy structure are evident. When moving away, the forelegs and rear pasterns should remain parallel to one another. When viewing movement from the front, the forelegs should remain parallel, with elbows and paws moving neither in nor out. From the rear, the back pads should be visible when the rear legs are extended. As speed increases, the forelimbs and hindlimbs will converge to the centerline of gravity. From the side, the topline should remain firm and level. Good reach of movement in the front allows the forepaw to extend out in line with the nose. When extended, the width between the forefeet should be approximately equal to the width between the hindfeet when extended, indicating balance, good reach, and good drive. Dogs that exhibit any sign of breathing or locomotive difficulty shall be disqualified from the show ring.
Temperament
The German Wirehaired Pointer is an intelligent and active dog that loves to work and hunt. Their stable temperament and can-do attitude make them great candidate as training companion for many activities in and out of the field, so long as he is kept busy. They can be trained to use their nose in many disciplines, including fieldwork, search, rescue, tracking, and article search. They excel in other events as well, such as that of obedience and agility. They bond strongly with their family and are tolerant of other dogs and people. They enjoy hard work, and daily exercise is necessary for this breed to curb potential behavior issues. As adults, they can be indifferent to being aloof with strangers, which should not be penalized. They should never appear nervous, shy, or fearful. Any unprovoked aggressive or fearful behavior toward people is incorrect for this breed.
Faults
All dogs should be in proper healthy condition, free from disease or defect. Any departure from this description is considered a fault. Unless altered, all male dogs should have two fully descended testicles.
