Origin
The German Wirehaired Pointer is a handsome dog with their wiry coat and attractive facial furnishings which includes a charming beard, bushy eyebrows and moustache which sets them apart from other pointer breeds. They are highly prized in their native Germany not only for their looks, but for their working abilities too. German Wirehaired Pointers only recently arrived on British shores, but slowly the breed is gaining popularity not only as working dogs, but as companions and family pets, thanks to their kind and loyal natures and charming looks.
The German Wirehaired Pointer first appeared on the scene during the 19th century when they were originally bred to hunt in more challenging environments, a task they excelled at and for which they soon became highly prized in their native Germany. The breed was developed using other native German breeds which included the Deutscher Stichelhaar, Deutscher Kurzhaar and the Pudelpointer, as well as a few griffon type dogs too.
There are records of the breed that date as far back as 1880 when hunters wanted to create a versatile, hardy dog capable of working in small groups or on their own. They needed a robust dog that would be able to withstand the elements and one that would be able to work on more challenging terrains which included in the higher mountainous regions of the land and over open plains.
The result of their endeavours was a dog that could do all of the above and one that boasted having a bristly coat that offered them a tremendous amount of protection against all weathers. By the late 1800's there were several types of pointers throughout Germany which led to separate clubs being established and so the GWP was established. The breed was introduced to the UK after their German Shorthair Pointer cousins and as such they are a relative newcomer to British shores. They are around an inch taller than the Shorthair Pointer, but they always appear to be a lot bigger and heavier thanks to their thicker, coarser coats.
Today, the GWP is just as highly prized for their hunting abilities in their native Germany as they were in the past although they are also very popular as companion dogs and family pets too thanks to their loyal and placid natures. They are popular with hunters in other parts of Europe which includes here in the UK. However, thanks to more being known about the breed, these handsome dogs are gaining popularity as companions and family pets too and more especially with people who live in rural locations and who lead active, outdoor lives.
