The German Longhaired Pointer is a dog that was developed in Germany, obviously, for use as a pointer or gundog. The original dog had slow speed, and to enhance its speed, it was crossed with English Pointers and setters in the 19th century. The first breed of the German Longhaired Pointer was introduced when it was first shown in Frankfurt, in 1878.
Since then breeders have worked at producing dogs that were competent enough to work in the field and show ring. Once it was decided that the German Longhaired Pointer would be only brown and white in color, the black and white Large Munsterlander developed from the German Longhaired Pointer was declared ancestors of the Large Munsterlander.
The German Longhaired Pointer is seldom bulky or cumbersome, thus it can move with great speed and freedom. They are basically muscular, athletic, and elegant in structure. Though it has a moderate bone structure, it has structure and never looks frail or weak. Like other breeds of German pointers, the German Longhaired Pointer has webbed feet.
The coat of the German Longhaired Pointer is about 3 to 5 cm long, with slightly longer feathering. It is usually a bit wavy, and not curly. Neither is the coat silky or soft; instead, it is more firm and shiny. Its coat is always a double coat where the undercoat is dense; but not dense enough to make the guard hairs stand out on the body.
Its coat is usually a solid dark chocolate, with white on the chest, paws and down the top of the muzzle. There are also some dogs with a dark brown roan and white, large patches of solid brown on the head, back, ears and base of tail.
The original German Longhaired Pointers were more stubborn and temperamental. However, today it has been bred for a steady and friendly temperament. Even its appearance reflects this kind and calm temperament. The German Longhaired Pointer is a gentle, friendly, kind, and intelligent breed which is very affectionate and may sometimes experience separation anxiety.
If exercised well, the German Longhaired Pointer makes a wonderful pet as they are dogs that cannot adapt well to sedentary life. They also love playing with children, and are rather sociable with other dogs.
As the German Longhaired Pointer is a dog that loves working and is trainable, it requires lots of daily exercise; more than what a pet owner usually gives! This is why it is not advised for urban lifestyle people to own a German Longhaired Pointer. It needs lots of room to swim and run, and the ideal setting for the German Longhaired Pointer would be a rural area, with an active hunter who hunts regularly with the dog.
The German Longhaired Pointer has to be groomed about once or twice a week and since they are easily trained, highly intelligent, and athletic, they make great dogs for dog sports in field trials, agility and obedience. As the German Longhaired Pointer has ears that are mildly prone to infection, clean the dog's hair on a regular basis, especially after swimming.
|
