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German Wirehaired Pointer: dog food and breed portrait

Deutsch Drahthaar: Hundefutter und Rasseportrait

The German Wirehaired Pointer is a large dog breed from Germany. He is a classic hunting dog, which can be used in many ways for hunting. The FCI leads the German Wirehaired Pointer in group 7, section 1.1 (type "Braque").

A keeping as a pure companion dog is possible. However, the German Wirehaired Pointer is a demanding dog which, when not being used for hunting, requires alternative employment opportunities.

History of the German Wirehaired Pointer

The German Wirehaired Pointer originated towards the end of the 19th century. From the beginning, the breeding goal was to obtain a powerful and versatile hunting dog. In this context, the German hunting cynologist and writer Sigismund von Zedlitz and Neukirch (also known as "Hegewald") is of particular importance. Because the breed standard for the Deutsch Drahthaar was essentially based on his ideas.

The German Wirehaired Pointer originated from crossings of already existing rough-haired dog breeds such as the Pudelpointer, the Deutsch Stichelhaar and the Griffon Korthals. Furthermore the German Shorthair is one of the breeds which were crossed at the beginning of the breeding efforts.

In 1902 a uniform breeding association for the German Wirehaired Pointer was founded. However, it took until 1924 before this association established a binding breed standard.

Since then the German Wirehaired Pointer has made a name for itself in numerous countries as a reliable hunting dog. In Germany alone, according to puppy statistics, about 3,000 German Wirehaired Pointer are born every year.

Features of the German Wirehaired Pointer

The German Wirehaired Pointer is a large dog breed with a comparatively high life expectancy of 12 to 14 years. According to the breed standard, males reach a shoulder height of 61 to 68 centimetres, while bitches reach 57 to 64 centimetres.

The weight is not fixed. As a rule, however, a German Wirehaired Pointer will weigh about 25 to 32 kilograms.

The German Wirehaired Pointer is characterised by a noble appearance. Its torso length corresponds approximately to the height of the shoulders. Its tight skin does not form any wrinkles, which additionally emphasises the strong musculature of the Deutsch Drahthaar.

The skull of the German Wirehaired Pointer is relatively flat. It has a well defined stop, a long and broad muzzle and a strong jaw with large teeth. His eyes should be as dark as possible and have a lively expression.

The German Wirehaired Pointer has a hard, dense coat. The top coat is about two to four centimetres long and the dense undercoat is water repellent.

According to the breed standard the coat of the German Wirehaired Pointer may only have the following colours:

  • Black mould with and without plates
  • Brown mould with and without plates
  • Light mould
  • Brown with or without white breast spot

German Wirehaired Pointer nature and character

The German Wirehaired Pointer is a hunting dog. This fact is also very evident in its nature. The German Wirehaired Pointer is robust, balanced and capable of learning.

In addition, he is characterized by a high strength of character. He is neither shy nor aggressive. Despite occasional stubbornness the German Wirehaired Pointer shows its affectionate side towards its owners. The contact with children is usually unproblematic.

Thanks to a certain mistrust of strangers and its pronounced alertness, the German Wirehaired Pointer is also very well suited as a watchdog.

Activities with the German Wirehaired Pointer

Activities with the German Wirehaired Pointer

The German Wirehaired Pointer is still first and foremost a utility hunting dog, which can take on numerous tasks during hunting. It is used before and after the shot and proves its versatility in the field as well as in the forest or in water.

In principle it is quite possible to keep the German Wirehaired Pointer as a pure family dog. However, the breed by nature has a very high urge to move.

Although the German Wirehaired Pointer requires very little care, it is therefore especially suitable for experienced owners who have enough time to keep their four-legged friend busy.

In order to avoid problems with its behaviour, the German Wirehaired Pointer should be moved and occupied for several hours every day. Off the hunt different dog sports offer themselves for this purpose.

Among others, the following disciplines from dog sports are suitable for the German Wirehaired Pointer:

Apart from this, the German Wirehaired Pointer is also very suitable for training as a rescue dog, where it also demonstrates its eagerness to work and its versatility.

German Wirehaired Pointer diseases

From the very beginning, the main focus in breeding German Wirehaired Pointer was on the performance of the dogs. This has led to the fact that the breed enjoys basically good health.

Nevertheless, there are some diseases typical for the breed, for which the German Wirehaired Pointer is predisposed to a certain extent. These include the hereditary blood coagulation disorder Von Willebrand's disease as well as various metabolic disorders.

In addition, German Wirehaired Pointer can occasionally suffer from epilepsy or a curled eyelid (entropion). As with many large dog breeds, there is also an increased risk of suffering from hip dysplasia and a life-threatening stomach twist.

The correct nutrition of German Wirehaired Pointer

For a long and healthy dog life it is essential that you feed your German Wirehaired Pointer according to its needs and provide it with all the necessary nutrients in the correct amount.

For this purpose we recommend that you use the gluten-free dry food from our Bellfor Premium PUR range. Alternatively, you can also reach for our cold-pressed dry food without cereals. The latter has proven to be a good choice, among other things, to prevent stomach twisting.

Furthermore, it can be useful to supplement the diet of your German Wirehaired Pointer with the following products:

Also note that hunting involves an increased risk of infestation with parasites, such as ticks or mites. In order to protect your German Wirehaired Pointer from this, you will find suitable care products for dogs with natural ingredients in our range.

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