Pointer (breed of dogs): description, breed standard, character, photo and responses of dog breeders

The English, who created this breed, believe that pointers are standard, classic, almost ideal dogs. They are physically strong, and yet elegant, they are excellent hunters with the manners of true gentlemen. Pointer - a breed of dogs, originally bred for hunting, under modern conditions showed itself and as an excellent companion, happily accompanying the family of its owner in distant, and not so, travel.

A bit of history

There is no single version of the origin of this classic hunting breed, but theories and hypotheses are huge. Officially, the English pointer is recognized as an island British hunting dog, but all breeders and breeders emphasize that it has all the best characteristics of French, Spanish and Italian ancestors.

According to one version, the ancestors of modern pointer were in England at the beginning of the VIII century from other European countries, such as Spain and Italy. British hunters, seeing the rack, which the dog takes, showing the prey, called this breed pointer - pointing. Modern researchers believe that the breed of dog pointer, a photo of which can be seen in this article, was obtained as a result of crossing foxhounds and greyhounds, setters and Italian pointer, bulldogs and newfoundlands. At the beginning of the XIX century, after the breeders, by crossing with Italian and French dumb, added lightness and elegance, its formation was completed. As a result of such fantastic blending appeared pointer - a breed of dogs with a unique appearance and excellent hunting characteristics. Representatives of her are attentive and intelligent, fast and enduring. A wonderful scent and excellent vision allow them to notice the game, not only on the water, but also on the ground.

Pointers in Russia

In the middle of the XIX century, the first representatives of this breed appeared in our country. Russian hunters, following the English fashion trends, adopted the style of rifle hunting with a rug. The breed of dogs English pointer was quickly adopted in our country, as people became enthusiastic about it. Representatives of the Russian intelligentsia, such as L. Tolstoy and I. Turgenev, F. Shalyapin and K. Korovin, and many others, if they themselves did not keep the dogs of this breed, did not refuse to hunt with the trained foreign pointer.

After the revolution of 1917, the number of hunters holding such dogs declined markedly, but enthusiasts remained and engaged in breeding work. Only in the sixties of the 20th century the English pointer became popular again. The breed description has not changed since that time. In Europe, Russia and America, its representatives are widespread, but it should be noted that the standards, even in European cynological federations, have significant differences.

Main characteristics of the breed

As a result of centuries of efforts of British breeders, a pointer was born - a breed of dogs considered one of the best among hunting. Excellent vision and search skills, the finest flair and attention, the immediate reaction to the smell of prey - far from all its positive characteristics. Noticing the prey, the dog stands in the "rack": it stops in place, stretching into the "string" from the tip of the nose and to the tail, while indicating the location of game.

In conditions of domestic maintenance, Pointers are unpretentious, clean and tidy. Their stiff and short coat does not require special care, it is enough to comb your pet regularly with a special brush. Since dogs are not controversial, they easily get along with other pets, except for birds, which are considered only prey and, accordingly, prey on it.

Appearance

The modern representatives of this breed have a tight and proportionate body. On the long, muscular and rounded neck is a large head. The English pointer has a wide skull, a little squashed between thin, low-set ears. The muzzle in these dogs can be either straight or slightly upturned, but in no case blunted or hunchbacked. Upper jaw slightly longer than lower jaw. The eyes are quite large, expressive, lively and intelligent. The most preferred color of eyes is brown, dark shades. The nose is large enough, usually brown, but there may be reddish shades. The lips are normally developed and do not hang strongly.

Body type

The pointer breed, whose representative photo you see, has a well-developed and muscular shoulder belt, a "lean" and resilient belly, a slightly concave back. The legs of these dogs are muscular, with clearly marked tendons. The tail, thick at the base, closer to the tip becomes thinner.

Pointer - a breed of dogs, characterized by a variety of colors. The suit is yellow, coffee, black, with tan and without them. In addition, there are not only monochrome, but also two- and three-color colors. A fairly valuable feature is the presence on the body of the dog, and especially on the head, spots of regular shape symmetrically arranged relative to each other.

Character

Obedient and consistent, but at the same time independent, self-willed and very self-assured - it's an English pointer. The photo below shows how sociable and friendly with other dogs the representatives of this breed. There are no security qualities for Pointers and they will not be used as watchdogs. Of course, to warn about penetration into the house of a stranger the dog will be able to, but he will not attack an aggressively minded person. Dogs of this breed will be happy to hunt with you, communicate or make you a company on a family walk. Pointeers are active dogs, lessons with which you need to spend at least two hours a day.

Socialization

With the owner and members of his family, loyal and gentle pointers always build close relationships. Dogs are attentive and obedient, therefore even in a life with pleasure carry out commands of the owner. These dogs love children and are able to tolerate research activities on their part for quite some time. In addition, they are quite large animals, so that they will not be able to cause serious injuries to the child. To unfamiliar people and guests the English pointer is restrained, one might say, is cold. With the friends of the hosts, who are often in the house - friendly, but without familiarity. Pointers do not tolerate long loneliness and tend to be close to people, so from early childhood puppies of this breed are taught not to be afraid of separation from the host.

Pointer: breed standard

The official standard for the representatives of this breed was approved on November 11, 1975. Pointer - a dog intended for hunting and should look and behave accordingly. Close to the ideal dog should, at first sight, look strong, flexible and obedient. Both the posture and the setting of the head should be elegant and proud. The overall symmetry of the physique and shape is more important than the dimensions that the pointer is endowed with. Description of the breed recommends the following optimal for these dogs parameters:

• The growth of females from 58 to 66 cm, males - 63-71 cm.
• Weight can vary from 20 to 34 kg.
• One-color colors are recognized: fawn, red, coffee and black, and also two-color variants of color. If the dog has a two-color color, then on a white background there may be large spots or black, coffee, red and yellow-and-white flowers.

The rest of the characteristics mentioned in this document are well known to the breeders of this breed, but if you decide to purchase a Pointer puppy, then do not be lazy and carefully study the standard.

Owner feedback

To say that the English pointer is a very popular dog can not be, but there are many admirers of this breed. Most hunters, according to their own confessions, after the pointer did not start hunting dogs of other breeds, and again opted for this English rug. All the owners emphasize the intelligence, intelligence, observation of the representatives of this breed not only in conditions of hunting, but also in everyday city life. Negative feedback on pointerov is, but they are all left by people who did not correlate their own capabilities with the needs of such dogs. For the representatives of this breed are necessary: communication with the host and high motor activity. Pointer, locked alone in an apartment, walking for 10-15 minutes a day, risks not only physical, but mental health. Once again, we remind that dogs of this breed need 2-3 hours of active movement on air every day with their host. If you can not provide such activity, then it's worth thinking about acquiring a less active dog.