Pointing dog
A pointing breed is a type of gundog typically used in finding game. Gundogs are traditionally divided into three classes: retrievers, flushing spaniels, and pointing breeds. The name pointer most comes from the dog's instinct to freeze facing game. This demonstrates to the hunter the location of his or her quarry and allows him to move into gun range. Pointers were selectively bred for dogs who had abundant pointing and backing instinct. They typically start to acquire their hunting instincts at about 2 months of age. Many need further training to hold steadily at all appropriate times until released by the hunter
The pointing breeds originated in England and Europe in about the 1650s. They may have descended from dogs from Spain. Pointing dogs were originally used by hunters who netted the game. The dog would freeze or set (as in Setter) and allow the hunter to throw the net over the game before it flushed. Flushing dogs, on the other hand, were often used by falconers to flush game for the raptors.
Pointing breeds come in all varieties of coats, from short-haired dogs, to wire-haired dogs, to silky-coated Setters.
Some continental European pointing breeds are further classified as "versatile gun dog breeds". The distinction is made because versatile breeds were developed to find and point game as all pointing breeds, but were also bred to perform other tasks as well. The North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association defines versatility as "the dog that is bred and trained to dependably hunt and point game, to retrieve on both land and water, and to track wounded game on both land and water." This means that the dogs were bred for a different purpose. As an example, German Shorthair Pointers are often used to retrieve birds duck hunting whereas, calling upon a Pointer to do the same would be less common.
Pointers include the following breeds:
- Ariege Pointer (Braque D'Ariege)
- Bracco Italiano
- Braque D'Auvergne
- Braque Francais
- Braque Saint-Germain
- Brittany (Epagneul Breton, formerly known as the Brittany Spaniel)
- Cesky Fousek
- Pointer
- English Setter
- German Longhaired Pointer
- German Shorthaired Pointer
- German Wirehaired Pointer
- Gordon Setter
- Hungarian Vizsla
- Irish Setter
- Old Danish Pointer
- Old Spanish Pointer (Perdiguero Navarro)
- Portuguese Pointer
- Pudelpointer
- Red Setter
- Spanish Pointer (Perdiguero de Burgos)
- Spinone Italiano
- Weimaraner
- Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
- Small Munsterlander
- Large Munsterlander
References
- Fergus, Charles. Gun Dog Breeds, A Guide to Spaniels, Retrievers, and Pointing Dogs, The Lyons Press, 2002. ISBN 1-58574-618-5