The German Wirehaired Pointer or Drahthaar first appeared in Germany in the 19th century. The breed is related to a hunting dog, the Kurzhaar, or German Shorthair Pointer.
The Drahthaar is a large dog with an athletic, lean build. The dog’s limbs are long and muscular. He has a long neck, elongated muzzle, and flat ears that hang from the side of his head. The tail is of medium length, sometimes cropped, if the owner intends to hunt.
The German Wirehaired Pointer’s coat is slightly curly, not long, but much longer than that of the smooth-coated pointer. The dog is strong and can run at high speed.
Personality
The German Wirehaired Pointer generally has a kind and friendly character. The Drahthaar is attached to its master, even if the dogs live with several family members. These dogs have excellent hunting instincts because they were bred specifically for this purpose.
Their main job in the hunt is to find the trail and track it and take a stand, indicating to the master the target’s location. If it is a shot bird or a small animal, the dog pulls it out of hard-to-reach places and brings it to the master. Moreover, they pull out birds from water, reeds, or impassable forest thickets.
They can swim and are high-energy. If you plan to buy this pet and live in a city apartment, consider that it needs long daily walks. It’s better not to buy this breed for city life. Without enough exercise, the dogs can become destructive. The breed is good with children and loves to play with them.
These dogs need obedience training to ensure they follow their master’s commands, especially when off-leash.
The German Wirehaired Pointer is perfectly suitable as a household companion and friend for the whole family. Still, it is useless as a guard dog because of its kind attitude towards people. The dogs need early socialization. It is better to introduce them to cats and other pets at an early age. Although, sometimes, this does not eliminate their stalking instinct.
Training
The Drahthaar loves to learn. These dogs understand humans perfectly but have inner independence. The main thing is that the owner should be consistent, know what he is doing, be patient and keep a cool head.
The German Wirehaired Pointer can learn simple and complex commands. If you plan to hunt with the dog, pay attention to cancellation commands and introduce distractions like smells, sounds, and other people during training.
Care
The Drahthaar breed needs almost no grooming. They need to be combed out weekly. Be sure to keep the dog’s eyes clean. Check the ears for insects and dirt after walks, especially if you walk in the park or the woods. Clip nails about once every ten days.
The dog feels better with an active family and in an open space where he can move around freely. The dogs like to be active and will not adapt to a sedentary life.
Common diseases
The Drahthaar is a healthy and hardy dog, although some problems do occur:
- hip dysplasia;
- entropion;
- cataracts;
- hereditary blood disorder.
Finding a German Wirehaired Pointer
The German Wirehaired Pointer has excellent hunting instincts because they were bred specifically for this purpose. But the dogs also make great pets for active families.
To adopt a German Wirehaired Pointer, check Petfinder.com.To find an American Kennel Club-Registered breeder, visit the AKC Marketplace.
William S Andrews, a personal development coach. He likes helping people cope with their problems. In this case, William works as a content writer for writemypaperbro. He also attends conferences to learn and develop new skills.
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