Appearance

The German Wirehaired Pointer has a noble, aristocratic form with an expressive, often determined-looking face. They have a well muscled, medium-sized of distinctive appearance. Over the years, the GWPs have developed a balance of size and built, but their most prized characteristics are its weather-resistant, wire-like coat and its facial furnishings. They have the qualities and the character of a typical pointer: they are intelligent, energetic, and determined hunter. For countries that consider them to be legal, their tails are typically docked to two-fifths of the natural length. In countries that prohibit this practice, the tail should be of sufficient length to reach down to the hocks. Like all German pointers, they have webbed feet.

History

Beginning the 20th century, the German Wirehaired Pointer, like other wirehaired Pointers at that time, was developed in Germany by crossbreeding a Griffon, Stichelhaar, German Shorthaired Pointer, and a Pudelpointer. They were further refined by breeding the distinct parts of Pointer, Foxhound, and Poodle until the modern German Wirehaired Pointer came to be. Doing this process produced a tough, courageous breed that excels at pointing and retrieving both on land and in water. Although the GWP had become a prestigious sporting dog in Germany for a number of years, it wasn’t officially recognized by the German Kartell for dogs until 1928. The US got the hold of the breed when it was being imported in the 1920s. The American Kennel Club officially recognized the breed in 1959.