German Wirehaired Pointer

Grooming Tips

The German Wirehair has a harsh double coat that is easy to care for in some respects but does have some special needs. For one, it must be stripped — dead hair plucked out by hand or with a stripping knife —which can be tedious. Most GWPs must be stripped twice a year, in the spring and fall. Tools you’ll need to groom this breed are a bristle brush, a stainless steel comb, and an assortment of stripping knives. Ask your dog’s breeder for advice on how to strip the coat or visit this GWP breeder’s blog for excellent tips on grooming the GWP.If his coat is properly cared for, a GWP rarely needs a bath unless he has rolled in something stinky. Let the mud dry and then brush it out. Look for a shampoo formulated for dogs with wirehaired coats.The ears should be regularly inspected and cleaned if needed with soft gauze and an ear-cleaning solution—the dog’s veterinarian can recommend a good brand to use. Thenailsshould be trimmed often, as overly long nails can cause the dog discomfort and problems walking and running.

Exercise Tips

It is a tireless breed requiring at least an hour a day of serious exercise. It enjoys long walks, swimming, and retrieving. The German Wirehaired Pointer is most suited to outdoor activities and fits best with a sporty family.The breed also exercises mind and body by participating in hunting,obedience,tracking,agility,rally, and other activities that can be enjoyed by dog and owner.

Feeding Tips

If you get a GWP puppy from a breeder, they would give you a feeding schedule and it's important to stick to the same routine, feeding the same puppy food to avoid any tummy upsets. You can change a puppy's diet, but this needs to be done very gradually always making sure they don't develop any digestive upsets and if they do, it's best to put them back on their original diet and to discuss things with the vet before attempting to change it again.It's best to feed a mature dog twice a day, once in the morning and then again in the evening, making sure it's good quality food that meets all their nutritional requirements. It's also important that dogs be given the right amount of exercise so they burn off any excess calories or they might gain too much weight which can lead to all sorts of health issues.

Health Tips

The average life expectancy of the Wirehair is between 12 and 14 years. There are a few health issues you should be aware of when it comes to the German Wirehaired Pointer. Your dog could develop hip dysplasia, a common canine disorder which produces arthritis type symptoms and can lead to lameness. Breed health concerns includecataracts, elbow dysplasia,hip dysplasia,ear infectionsandskin cancer.

Trainability

German Wirehaired Pointers are very intelligent, responsive, and eager to please, so they are generally easy to train. Earlysocializationandpuppy training classesare recommended and help to ensure that the dog grows into a well-adjusted, well-mannered companion. The breed is smart, talented, versatile, and athletic and excels in a wide range of canine sports and activities. German Wirehairs crave human companionship, and undesirable behaviors can result if they are regularly left alone for long periods of time.Puppies should be properly socialized to develop the amiable, outgoing personality that is characteristic of the breed. They’re successful in performance and companion events such as earthdog, barn hunt, obedience, and agility.

He might have the word pointer in his name, but the German Wirehair was created to be a multitasker. German hunters were tired of the single-purpose dogs available to them — dogs that only retrieved or only pointed — so they methodically developed a rugged, versatile dog that could scent out, point, and retrieve any type of game on land or from water. Working with the German Shorthair, Pudelpointer, Griffon, Polish water dog, and several other breeds, they came up with the all-purpose dog that became known as the Deutsch Drahthaar (aka the German Wirehair).The foundation stock for the breed is the Pointer (probably black), the Griffon, Stichelhaar and Pudelpointer. He was developed as a dual-purpose hunter. He is expected to point his game on land, retrieve from water or retrieve a rabbit if shot. The German Wirehaired Pointer has been a recognized breed in its native country since 1870. The breed was introduced to America about 1920. They were recognized by the AKC in 1959. The German Wirehaired Pointer’s talents are show dog, obedience, gundog, retrieving, tracking trials, field trials and hunting tests.