The Pudelpointer is a versatile

hunting dog A hunting dog is a Dog, canine that hunts with or for hunters. There are several different Dog type, types of hunting dog developed for various tasks and purposes. The major categories of hunting dog include hounds, terriers, cur type dogs, and ...

breed from

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. It is a

pointing breed Pointing dogs, sometimes called bird dogs, are a type of gundog typically used in finding game. Gundogs are traditionally divided into three classes: retrievers, flushing dogs, and pointing breeds. The name ''pointer'' comes from the dog's i ...

that came from a cross between the standard

poodle The Poodle, called the in German () and the in French, is a breed of water dog. The breed is divided into four varieties based on size, the Standard Poodle, Medium Poodle, Miniature Poodle and Toy Poodle, although the Medium Poodle is no ...

(pudel) and the English Pointer.

Appearance

The breed weighs between , stands at the shoulder, and comes in liver, chestnut, and occasionally black coats. The ideal coat is harsh, wiry, and dense. The dogs shed very little.

History

In 1881, a German breeder, Baron 'Hegewald' von Zedlitz, worked on producing his ideal tracking, pointing, and retrieving

gun dog Gun dogs (gundogs) or bird dogs are types of hunting dogs developed to assist hunters in finding and retrieving game, typically various fowls that are shot down on the wing (in flight). The term hunting dog is broad and includes all breeds and s ...

, suitable for work on both land and water. From seven

s and 90 different pointers, he developed the Pudelpointer. The original sire was Tell, an English Pointer belonging to Kaiser Frederick III and the original dam was a German hunting pudel named Molly who was owned by Hegewald. The goal was to produce a dog that was willing and easy to train, intelligent, and loved water and retrieving, like the poodle, and add to that a great desire to hunt, a strong pointing instinct, and an excellent nose, like in the English Pointer, as well as being an excellent companion in the home. The Poodle breed had much stronger genes, and so many more Pointers were used to achieve the balanced hunting dog that was desired. A mix of 11 Pudels and 80 Pointers were used during the first 30 years to achieve the desired traits and results. The breed was introduced to North America in 1956 by Bodo Winterhelt, who remained involved in maintaining the breed standard until his death in 2018. His Winterhelle Kennel was the foundation of the breed in North America. In 1977 Winterhelt founded the Pudelpointer Club of North America in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. In Germany as well as North America, its performance standards are its most important trait. Before being approved for breeding, dogs and bitches must pass

Hunt Test A field trial is a competitive event for gun dogs. Field trials are conducted for pointing dogs and setters, retrievers and spaniels, with each assessing the different types various working traits. In the United States, field trials are also c ...

with minimum scores of their performance tests of its field, tracking, and water skills set by the various breed clubs. These clubs are th
Verein Pudelpointer
in Germany and the following clubs in North America
NAPPAPCNA
an
VPP-GNA
. Th
North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA)
also tests Pudelpointers and other breeds of versatile hunting dogs. The Pudelpointer never became a popularized breed in the United States in part because breeders have actively avoided recognition by the

American Kennel Club The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit breed registry, registry of purebred dog pedigree (animal), pedigrees in the United States. In addition to maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions eve ...

. Breeders believe that AKC recognition would place too much emphasis on form over function, possibly splitting the breed into a show breed and separate working class.

References

External links

Official website of the North American Pudelpointer Breeders Association Official website of the Pudelpointer Breed Club (Verein Pudelpointer)Official website for the Pudelpointer Club of North AmericaNorth American Chapter of the Verein PudelpointerNorth American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA)
{{German dogs FCI breeds Pointers Rare dog breeds Hunting dogs Dog breeds originating in Germany

Appearance

History

See also

References

External links