Pointer

History of origin

The English Pointer belongs to a large group of hunting gun dogs. As a matter of fact, in its modern form, the breed was formed not so long ago – in the XNUMXth century, before that, smooth-haired cops, similar to pointers, were used in hunting in order to raise game, and the rest was already for greyhounds.

In general, there are quite a lot of gun dogs, but the passionate breeders of the British did not stop trying to create a truly perfect dog that would meet all the needs of hunters and have no shortcomings. And so they crossed Foxhounds, Setters, English Greyhounds, Bracques and even Bulldogs to give the new dog speed, outstanding hunting skills, good nature and strength at the same time.

The new breed quickly gained popularity at home in the UK and … in Our Country. The first pointers came to our country almost immediately after their appearance in the status of an independent breed – the nobles willingly ordered puppies from Foggy Albion for themselves, because these dogs proved to be better hunters than even the then common setters.

After the October Revolution, English pointers almost disappeared, since in the eyes of the victorious proletariat they were the personification of the hated aristocracy. And only thanks to the Soviet cynologist A. Chumakov, who began work on the restoration of the breed in the 20s of the twentieth century, the number of these dogs in our country did not completely disappear. Moreover, Chumakov was not only a great lover of the breed, but also a patriot of dogs of domestic origin, therefore, in the process of recreating, he practically did not involve European blood, working only with local material. He was convinced that imported puppies could only spoil the breed.

Today, the English Pointer is widely known and loved all over the world. Moreover, not only due to the outstanding hunting qualities, but also a friendly character, which makes these dogs excellent family friends.

Breed description

Harmoniously built, not devoid of grace, a dog typical of the appearance of the cops. The muzzle is of medium length, broad, bony, blunt at the end. The bridge of the nose is most often slightly upturned (the influence of bulldog genes), medium-sized eyes with a calm and friendly look. Ears are small, hanging.

The body is lean, graceful, but at the same time powerful muscles are clearly visible, the paws are ankle-length, on the front there are dewclaws, which are usually removed. The tail tapers from a thick base, carried no higher than the line of the back. The coat is very short, satiny to the touch.

The color is usually piebald: red-white in different shades (lemon, liver, orange) and black and white. On a white background, specks of the same color as the spots may also be visible. Tricolor and solid color pointers are much less common.

Photos

Character

It is the kindly docile disposition that makes the Pointer one of the most popular breeds of pointing dogs in the world. Of course, first of all, these are hunters, and the main joy for these dogs is the opportunity to run around the fields in search of game, but they do not have a soul in their family, they get along well with both children and other pets. By the way, unlike many other hunting breeds, pointers will never chase cats or small dogs, on the contrary, they are happy to make friends with four-legged neighbors to the house or apartment. But if there are chickens or geese on your farm, you should be careful – here the dog, whose dozens of generations of ancestors were engaged in hunting birds, will not be able to resist. Of course, it is unlikely that any of the feathered inhabitants of the courtyard will suffer for real, but the commotion will be constant.

The Pointer is a real athlete, so when taking him into the family, you need to understand that you will have to walk a lot and actively with this dog, otherwise his indefatigable energy will be spent on something else and much less useful.

Care and maintenance

The short, smooth coat of the Pointer makes this dog comfortable for an apartment – it is enough to go over the dog’s skin with a special mitten once a week so that he always looks his best. True, in severe frost it can freeze, so on winter walks, make sure that the dog moves more, and at home choose a place for your four-legged friend somewhere away from drafts.

A mandatory requirement for those who decide to connect their fate with this cute breed is the opportunity to walk with him as much as possible, and it is best to go out into nature at least several times a month. Even if you do not intend to walk through the woods with a gun, be sure to give your four-legged friend the opportunity to feel like a real hunter.

Education and training

Unlike many other hunting dogs, the Pointer shows almost no stubbornness in the process of training, which makes working with him a pleasure. The dog is happy to learn new commands and is ready to please his beloved owner, and you definitely can’t refuse him in his mind.

To begin with, the puppy needs to be taught general commands – the main thing is that he understands that it is necessary to obey the owner, and it is very important that the dog learns to approach at the first call. By the way, pointers willingly fetch objects – this is inherent in their hunting instincts.

It is also important to socialize the puppy – on the one hand, the dog must know that people and other animals do not pose a threat, but on the other hand, do not run after everyone who is ready to stroke it. However, it is necessary to start with the consolidation of friendliness.

Like many other hunting (and not only) dogs, pointers tend to pick up all kinds of leftovers on the street, from which the puppy must be weaned as early as possible, otherwise it can end very badly.

Health and disease

The Pointer is by no means a sickly breed. But, like many other dogs that lead an active lifestyle, they often have problems with the musculoskeletal system, which begin to appear with age. This is arthrosis, and joint dysplasia, and they can also have sprains of muscles and tendons.

Occasionally, older dogs may develop eye conditions such as corneal inflammation or cataracts. There are also allergic manifestations.

Otherwise, with proper nutrition and timely vaccinations, these dogs show real longevity records, living up to 15 and even 17 years.

Word to the breeder

American Hackberry Club owners and breeders Bob and Leona Kontz say:

– The Pointer turned out to be exactly the dog we dreamed of: calm, kind, affectionate with other dogs and children, very beautiful and ideal for home. The trainer we worked with said that my dog ​​was the easiest dog to train he had ever worked with. And already at the age of one year he was completely ready for hunting. Moreover, he hunted better than I could have expected.

Popular questions and answers

We asked to answer questions about the content of pointers zoo engineer, veterinarian Anastasia Kalinina: