Contents
History of origin
Drathaar dogs are a great victory for the German breeders, who managed to create the ideal hunting assistant: a versatile gun dog that can work perfectly both before and after the shot, with excellent learning abilities and undividedly devoted to its owner.
The idea to create a universal hunting dog arose from German breeders at the end of the XNUMXth century. Prior to this, coarse-haired varieties of hunting dogs had been common in Germany for several centuries. Their ancestors are considered to be broad-haired pincher dogs, references to which are still found among ancient Roman historians. Over time, the descendants of the broad-haired pinscher dogs spread throughout Central and Southern Europe. It was from them that many hunting breeds originated: the French griffin Bule, the griffon Korthals, the poodle-pointer, the spinone.
But by the end of the XNUMXth century, most German hunters were fascinated by English pointers and setters, and the original coarse-haired dogs were preserved as working dogs only in southern Germany. Fortunately, there are enough of them left so that enthusiasts can achieve a rather ambitious goal – to breed a versatile friendly dog with a comfortable and practical rough coat.
It was such a dog that most hunters needed – the times when huge packs, which included representatives of highly specialized breeds, were kept at the courts of the German nobility, have long ended.
Economy and a rational approach dictated a different fashion – the dog should be so versatile as to work before and after the shot, and on the beast, and on the bird, and on the field, and on the upland, and on the water. Therefore, when breeding the German Drathaar, hardy breeds with the best performance indicators were used: the pointer poodle, the shtikhelhaar, the Korthals griffin, because the breeders, first of all, achieved certain hunting qualities, paying much less attention to the exterior. But he was also important, especially the coat – a universal dog should be hardy, its hard and thick coat should well protect the body from the cold, bites of insects and animals. This is how the drathaar turned out – a bearded and mustachioed strong man, whose name is translated from German as “wire-haired”.
Hunters value drathaars for the fact that they can work equally well in the field and in the forest, make a stand for all types of game, get wounded animals and trophies for the owner, are not afraid of water and do an excellent job with water game, and can also be driven dogs, barking at the beast and holding it. Such amazing versatility has led to the fact that Drathaar dogs quickly won the hearts of hunters around the world and became one of the most popular hunting breeds.
Breed description
Drathaar is an energetic strong dog with coarse hair and intelligent eyes. The dry elongated head is proportional to the body. The occiput is slightly pronounced, the transition from the forehead to the muzzle is noticeable. The mouth is long, the jaws are strong. The lips are adjacent to the jaws, forming a small fold in the corners. Jaws strong, scissor bite. The nose is medium brown with well developed nostrils. The mustache and beard of the drathaar give the outward impression of a square muzzle. Hanging ears of medium length and thickness at the base are wide, tapering and rounded downwards, set above the line of the eyes. The eyes are oval, medium in size, set slightly obliquely. The eye color is brown, dark brown is especially desirable.
The neck is dry, muscular, oval in cross section, its length is approximately equal to the length of the head. The back is strong, muscular, short, the withers protrude noticeably above the line of the back. The loin is muscular, broad and short, blending smoothly into a long, muscular and slightly sloping croup. The chest is oval, deep, descending to the elbows. The abdomen is moderately tucked up. The forelegs are strong, the shoulder blades are located obliquely and fit well to the body, the forearms are muscular, bony, the elbows are directed back. The hind limbs are strong, muscular, dry with good articulation angles, the thighs are muscular, long and wide, the lower legs are long, the metatarsus is set vertically. Paws are slightly oval, well-knit with hard pads.
The tail, which is thick at the base, is docked. Hard, not long hair fits snugly to the body of the drathaar, bushy eyebrows, protruding mustaches and a not very long thick beard grow on the dog’s head. The ears are even covered with softer hair than the rest of the body, the hair on the legs is short and very hard. Several colors are recognized among Drathaars: coffee, coffee gray with speckling, coffee on a silver background, coffee with graying, black and piebald or silver gray.
Photos
Character
Deutsch Drathaars are not dogs for exhibitions where appearance is valued, not companion dogs, but working dogs, the meaning of life of which is in cooperation with their owner-leader during the hunt.
– If you are not a hunter, then I do not advise getting a drathaar, no matter how he attracts you with his unusual appearance, – says Olesya Nedelcheva, owner of the Deutsch-Drathaar kennel “Egermaster”. – Drathaar is a very active, serious dog that will quickly get bored without work and will look for something to do on its own, which is unlikely to please the owners, so there will be no harmony in relationships.
Yes, in the US and UK, some Drathaars are bred as companion dogs, but representatives of these lines even look different from traditional Deutsche Drathaars. In other countries, and here in Our Country, 95 percent of all dogs are in the hands of hunters, which guarantees the well-being of this versatile gun breed.
Unlike other pointing dogs, drathaars have a more solid character, we can say that they are tougher than their counterparts, moreover, they have well-defined protective qualities.
“Most of the gun dogs are friendly to other animals, but the task of the drathaar is to cope with an animal, for example, a fox or a badger, on its own, without the help of a person, so it is able to show aggression towards other animals,” says Olesya Nedelcheva, owner of the Deutsch-drathaar kennel “Jägermaster”. – Drathaar cats living in towns and cities are perceived as prey, for which it is pointless to scold them – such qualities are inherent in their breed, although drathaar, as a rule, accepts animals that live in the same house with him without aggression. Good protective qualities are another “bonus” of drathaars: I, a girl, are not afraid to walk even along the darkest and most deaf streets if this dog is next to me. He will not attack a person, but he will bark so thoroughly that he will discourage any desire to contact his master. With the same rude bark, drathaars meet strangers who tried to get into the territory of the house where he lives, or approach the owner’s car when the dog is guarding it. But the drathaars adore their master, they are ready to prove their love and devotion to him every second.
Care and maintenance
Drathaar breeders approached the creation of the breed with true German practicality, so these dogs are very unpretentious in maintenance and do not require much effort from the owners to care for them. Due to their thick wool, they easily tolerate cold, so they feel comfortable in insulated enclosures that can be built on the site next to the house; in general, life in a private house is preferable for active drathaars. But these dogs also live in city apartments, although for comfort they need long daily walks, during which drathaars can throw out energy, get new impressions and actively interact with the owner.
– It is enough to comb the thick and hard hair of the Drathaars with a brush once or twice a week, – says Olesya Nedelcheva, the owner of the Deutsch-Drathaar kennel “Jägermaster”. – Twice a year, during the molt, six in the dogs does not completely go away, which is convenient for the owners, since it is not on the floor, but not very good for the dogs, so during the molt, the drathaars need to be combed out daily.
The claws of a dog that leads an active lifestyle grind off on their own, but you need to regularly check the pads of their paws, because running in the forest or in the field, drathaars can injure or splinter them. You also need to regularly check the ears of dogs, clean them of dust with a napkin dipped in water or pet shampoo, and monitor the health of their teeth.
“I am a supporter of the natural nutrition of Drathaars — I feed my dogs raw meat and raw vegetables,” says Olesya Nedelcheva, owner of the Deutsch-Drathaar kennel “Jägermaster”. – I think that this is a species-typical food for predators. But we, the breeders, can only give recommendations, and it is up to the owner of the dog to decide whether he will raise it on the same feeding system as in the kennel, or transfer it to cereals or dry industrial feed.
Education and training
– Dogs of the Drathkhar breed are distinguished by high intelligence, they are very sociable and focused on interaction with humans, – says Olesya Nedelcheva, the owner of the Deutsch-Drathkhar kennel “Jägermaster”. – All tricks: whether to give a paw, whether to bring slippers, drathaars learn instantly, thanks to their excellent memory.
Perfectly master all dog sports – they are very quick-witted, as well as purposeful. But the main passion of the Drathaars is hunting.
Before going hunting, any dog needs training – training, as the course of special hunting disciplines is called.
– In my opinion, the owner of the dog himself can cope with the nataska of a drathaar if he starts to deal with the puppy from the first days of his appearance in the house, do everything according to the rules, show perseverance, ingenuity and spare no time to train his dog, – says Olesya Nedelcheva , owner of the Deutsch-Drathaar nursery “Jägermaster”. – There are recognized training methods developed by German and specialists, following which you can perfectly train a young dog not to be afraid of a shot, accustom it to the smell of gunpowder, the correct execution of the stand, retrieval and other techniques that will be needed on the hunt. If the owner is not confident in his abilities, then the drathaar can be given to a professional trainer or sign up for training courses with the dog.
Like all hunting dogs, Deutsch Drathaars are tested for working qualities, as well as dogs undergo field trials or tests that show how the animal has developed innate qualities: for example, flair, desire to catch up with game, whether its psyche is stable, and also well whether she learned the acquired skills during training and training.
“I advise all owners of drathaars to test the working qualities of their dog, and the greater the coverage of disciplines, the better the owner will understand which type of hunting the dog has the best inclination, what qualities need to be corrected,” says Olesya Nedelcheva, owner of the Deutsch-drathaar kennel “Jägermaster”. – And if the owner is going to participate in the breeding of drathaars, then in addition to checking working qualities, he needs to pass tests with his dog in at least two types of hunting, for example, field and waterfowl, and in general, the more workers diplomas from drtahaar – the more he and his future offspring will be valued.
In our country, there are two strategies for the upbringing and training of Drathaars: according to German methods, dogs are trained as universal hunting dogs capable of working on birds and animals in different landscapes; according to methods, they are traditionally taught to work with field game. Therefore, before you get a puppy, you need to understand from which “working system” you want to see the dog and deal with it, in accordance with these methods.
Health and disease
Drathaar is a healthy breed, fortunately, no painful diseases that shorten the life of animals are characteristic of it. But still there are genetic diseases that those who are going to get a puppy should be aware of.
– The future owner of the darthaar should receive from the breeder not only the pedigree, exterior assessment and working diplomas of the puppy’s parents, but also a health test, – says Olesya Nedelcheva, owner of the Deutsch-Drathaar kennel “Jägermaster”. – Puppies should be tested for osteochondritis exfolians of the shoulder joint, for hip dysplasia. But in general, the Drathaar is a healthy dog, not allergic, not prone to disorders of the digestive system. But, since these animals spend a lot of time in forests and fields, grab wild animals with their teeth, the owners must take a very responsible approach to the vaccination of Drathaars – it must be timely, the vaccines must be as effective as possible, and one should not forget about anti-tick treatment and anthelmintic prophylaxis .
Popular questions and answers
About the contents of the drathaars, we talked with zoo engineer, veterinarian Anastasia Kalinina.