My husband has been training Labrador Retrievers since before we met. He is very good in working with the dogs. Before long I began helping him with field training as well as basic obedience training. We belonged to a retriever club and our dogs took part in the field trial competitions. It was at one of these competitions that I saw a German wirehaired pointer for the first time. The dog stood out for several reasons, the majority of the dogs competing that day were Labrador’s, this was an advanced field trial so there were not that many dogs present, and the German wirehaired pointer has a very unique appearance that is quite different than a Labrador.

I pointed the dog out to my husband and asked what type of breed this was. The breed has the markings and build of German shorthairs, but they are covered in long hairs and also have curly beards and ears. The long hair and beards give the German wirehaired pointers a very unique and comical appearance. This particular dog was liver colored and white. There are also black and white dogs in the breed.

I kenneled the dog that I was field testing that day and approached the owner of the German wirehaired retriever. The dog immediately stood up from its sitting position and barked. The owner quieted the dog and had her sit. He explained that he had brought her to the field trial for socialization training. He said that he had been working with the breed for several years. They are a versatile breed in that they were bred to point, flush and retrieve not only upland game birds, but also water fowl and fur bearing animals.

In Europe the dogs are judged in all these categories.
He said that they are a very loyal and protective dog. Unlike Labrador’s that will approach everyone, the German wirehaired pointer needs to warm to a person first. The owner explained that they are very comical to have around because they are so intuitive and fun loving, yet they have such a serious look about them because of the beard and their distinct eyes. Their eyes are hazel color. Unlike other dogs they look you in the eye as you talk to them or pet them.

My husband and I were so intrigued by this dog that we looked into purchasing a German wirehaired pointer of our own. We had never trained a pointing breed and thought that this would be a fun area to learn. We did not realize that the fur hunting instinct would be so strong in this breed. After several months of basic obedience training we gave the dog to a game farm to be used in upland game hunting. She was a fun dog and quite a clown, however she stalked our cats every chance she had.

She was also very strong willed and tried to be the top of the pecking order with our other dogs. We decided that the German wirehaired pointer is best trained if they are an only dog, or are with their own breed.

John Pawlett
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