The German Wirehaired Pointer is a medium sized breed from the hunt, point and retrieve section of the Gundog group. As their name suggests, they are a German breed, created by hunters who wanted a versatile hunting dog, capable of all aspects of hunting, including tracking wounded game and be a devoted companion to its owner and property.

Breed Features

They are not as tall as the Setter’s, being approx 22-26 inches height, but they are more substantial in build. Although similar to the German Shorthaired Pointer, they are a totally separate breed with different breed features. Visually the obvious difference is their coat texture.

The Wirehair’s coat, should be just that “wire hair”. It should feel hard and bristle to the touch, and when parted, should reveal a softer undercoat. The outer coat should be approx 2.5cm long, which, if you look at a ruler, is not as long as people imagine. If the outer coat is considerably longer than that, it will be very difficult to lie flat, and if the coat is not lying flat it will allow the wind to lift the outer coat, and a such it will not be weather resistant and allow both the wet and cold to affect the dog. A coat that is the correct length will automatically lie close and will act as an insulator against weather. The finishing touches to the Wirehairs distinctive coat, is their face furnishings. It is impossible to have a full beard (in excess of 3 inches) and bushy eyebrows (in excess of 1.5 inches) with a natural correct coat length. With a coat, of approx. 2.5 cm long, you will get a distinct beard but the eyebrows would be virtually non-existent. The normal coat type seen, in it’s natural state, is slightly longer than the ideal length (unless it has been shortened by mechanical means) and as such you would get distinct beard and eyebrows.

Another breed feature, which differs from the Shorthair, is that the body length should be longer than shoulder height. Before the Kennel Club breed standards were streamlined, the standard stated that the breed should be “as long as they are high, as 10 is to 9″. This statement is far easier to understand than the current, which says “slight longer compared to shoulder height”. Using the “10 is to 9″ statement, means that a dog measuring 24 inches at the shoulder, should be 26.6 inches long in the body.

Colour wise, the Wirehair can be various shades of liver & white, solid liver (can actually have white feet and white chest markings) or black & white. The white part can be either clear white or various depths of roaning and flecking. Solid black or tri-colour are not allowed in the breed. I have actually seen a tri-colour, a German bred bitch in Holland, and although I found her to be very attractive it is not an approved colour.

Temperaments

Temperaments can and still vary, with individual dogs varying from what is considered the norm. The breed is known for its ‘aloofness’ with strangers and they are extremely devoted to their immediate family. They have tendencies to be very ‘one-person’ dogs, but when raised in a home environment they do become devoted to the whole family – although they will favour the one member of the family who spends the most enjoyable time with them – such as walks and training.

Wirehairs are a very intelligent breed and are capable of being taught virtually anything – good things as well as bad habits! As they are an intelligent breed they need interaction with their family. They do not require hours of and hours of exercise, just involve them in activities to prevent them becoming bored.

Without having something to stimulate them, they can easily become destructive and in some cases noisy in their attempt to find ‘something to do’. As youngsters, Wirehairs are fun-loving and constantly on the go which, with proper supervision, can be raised with children provided the children have also been taught how to behave around the dog.

Remember Wirehair Origins

People should never lose sight of the fact that they are a German breed and in their home country the breed is required to work for their existence and, when necessary, follow hunting through to its conclusive end. Therefore it is essential to be firm throughout initial training, wether it is for working, showing or just as a pet/companion.

Never ask for something to be done more than once, if the first command is not obeyed, then insist that it is. Enrolment in a basic obedience course is considered quite essential as they grow quite quickly to be a fair sized, active dog. There is nothing worse than a teenager Wirehair, averaging 60 lbs, leaping around the house, because its owner thought it was funny when the puppy was only 8 weeks old and since then has not bothered to instil any manners or basic obedience.

They should not be aggressive

The average Wirehair should not show any form of aggression to either people or dogs. Unfortunately there are some that do not mix with other dogs and even in extreme cases have attempted to bite people.

Therefore, it is essential that you meet up with as many adult Wirehairs as possible before deciding on a puppy purchase. If you visit a kennel then you should be able see the mother, possibly the stud dog and as many ‘relatives’ as you may be able to see. It is unlikely you will see the mother with the puppies, but if you ask to see the mother in close proximity to where the puppies ae being kept, you will get a good idea as to her reaction when you are handling her puppies.

As previously said, the breed is known for its ‘aloofness’ with strangers, but please do not be taken in by any form of warning or aggression being excused as ‘just protecting her puppies’.

If you have any doubt about overall temperament or suitability of a particular bitch/puppies/line, then please walk away and keep looking. I am always on the alert when dogs/bitches are shown to people singularly and on a lead because if you have not got anything to hide then you could easily show them all running together.

Health

Fortunately, due to its lack of popularity, the Wirehairs are not prone to a lot of health problems. Suffice to say that there have been some cases of high scores in HD, some eye problems such as entropian and epilepsy. I have also heard of isolated cases of cancer/tumours leading to early death, thyroid deficiency, OCD and vWD – but the actual incidents are quite small in number. Many of these conditions are covered in our ‘health’ section.

As a Pet/Companion

There is no reason why you cannot have a Wirehair as a pet/companion, providing you realise that they are a gundog who is quite capable of working and hunting. They do not make good kennel dogs as they enjoy being a constant companion, giving the impression of a permanent shadow. They enjoy being part of your life, albeit, walking, gardening, watching the TV.

They will mix with other dogs, large or small, providing they come from basically sound temperament lines and have been bought up with other dogs and that you have been firm in their upbringing. If at any time you feel that the Wirehair may be getting out of hand and getting bossy towards other dogs, then you will need to firmly remind him that you are the boss and not him!

Likewise there are no problems with children, providing the same firm upbringing is observed and placed into practise. The main drawbacks for children, is that occasionally due to the natural Wirehair exuberance, they may accidentally knock them over, and unfortunately most children find that once the wire has had a drink of water, their cold, wet whiskers are at face level!

Working

You may want a Wirehair for rough shooting, hawking, deer stalking or competitive field work. there are more puppies bred from parents who participate in these activities that produced from show stock. These litters are usually produced during the Spring and Summer, thereby allowing the bitch to return to her duties during the following shooting season. Most people prefer to purchase puppies from established working lines. Yet the majority of responsible breeders are not allowing a definite split between working and show Wirehairs to happen. Breeders of show stock are generally aware of the breed’s working capabilities and keep the working aspect well in the fore of their own line, likewise, the breeders of the working lines must also be aware that they should be breeding to a “breed standard” and that all efforts must be made to keep their lines typical of the breed. It can be done and there are numerous full Champions to prove this point.

If you have purchased a Wirehair as your first dog to work, you will find that they will not be the most straightforward of working dogs, but above all they have an abundance of intelligence and enthusiasm, You may find it difficult to find suitable training classes, as most classes are held for Spaniels or Retrievers, but there are more H.P.R. classes and trainers being established. By contacting the breeder of your Wirehair, he/she should be able to point you in the right direction.

If you have already trained a dog for work, albeit one of the more popular breeds, you should have no serious problems with the Wirehair, providing you are consistent and fair with your training.