English Pointer: everything about the dog, photo, description of the breed, character, price

Features and description

The main purpose of breeding the English Pointer breed was hunting. In this craft, few can compare with its representatives in terms of skill, dexterity and speed. Such a dog is by nature an excellent beater and catcher of game. Well, if you train him, these skills will only improve.

You should not expect him to live comfortably in isolation from the outside world. This is an extremely inquisitive animal that needs to spend a lot of time in nature, preferably in the forest.

The Pointer cannot be called a solitary hunter; he is inclined to trust his owner and prefers to “work” with him in pairs, together. Usually, with early training, the owner does not have problems with obedience of such a dog. She is disciplined and tends to respect the person training her.

Advice ! To make your Pointer more successful, it is recommended to go for a run with him several times a week. You can run cross-country anywhere: at a stadium, in a forest, or just along city streets.

Such a dog cannot be called universal. It is intended exclusively for hunting. Security forces do not use it to search for drugs at the border, police do not use it to catch fugitive criminals, and blind people do not use it as guides.

However, in a home environment, the animal can reveal itself as a watchman and even a bodyguard. He has a rather serious, wary appearance that repels strangers. Not every person will dare to cross the threshold of a house guarded by a pointer, as it will certainly cause him fear. Such a dog is unlikely to cause serious physical damage to an uninvited guest, but it’s easy to bark loudly.

The animal is always alert, careful and focused. However, in the absence of a potential threat, he is in a comfortable psychological state and is not looking for someone to drive away from the territory of the house. It is friendly and extremely loyal. He prefers to remain faithful to one person, but is kind to every member of the family, even to other pets.

How to choose a puppy

• The best way to test the working genes of a breed is to go out into the field with breeding bitches and dogs to personally evaluate the quality and length of their pull. Accordingly, if in your environment there is a professional hunter who sells the offspring of his charges, try to go out with him and his pets for game.
• The presence of a field diploma in a female and male English Pointer does not guarantee hunting feats in the offspring. If the achievements of the puppies’ parents are extremely important, give preference to cops who have passed not Russian, but international field tests. According to breeders, domestic pointer competitions do not reveal the hunting skills of dogs, but only confirm that they have a hunting instinct and readiness to work.
• You can test puppies for courage and mental balance by simply lifting them by the withers above the floor. If the baby squeals, struggles, and after being put on his feet, moves away or stands indecisively, this indicates a weak nature, as well as excessive timidity.
• English pointers, like all pointers, are quite affectionate, but for hunting you should not choose a sycophantic puppy that endlessly rubs against the breeder’s legs, looking into the eyes. It is much easier to train such individuals, but their effectiveness in field work is low.
• Consider the puppies' temperament type. Phlegmatic pointers have a sluggish move and are guilty of a short search. Individuals of the choleric type are more energetic and quicker, but sometimes they practice unsystematic search and mating of birds, and they are not always obedient.

Breed standard

The English Pointer dog is very graceful and at the same time hardy. She is naturally endowed with an amazing ability to concentrate on the task at hand with lightning speed. Has a muscular, slender body. There's something athletic about her.

The animal has a dry body and back, the skin fits very tightly. On the front part of the body below there is a dense dewlap. Nature created the dog this way for a reason. She endowed her with the strongest voluminous lungs for good endurance while hunting. That is why the front part of the belly of such a dog seems too voluminous.

He has very strong legs, especially his hind legs. They have lean muscles, the thigh muscles being the most powerful. The shape of the paws is oval, the toes are rounded. But the pads, according to the standard, should be hard. Interestingly, dogs can grow dewclaws on their front legs. There is no need to leave them, so veterinarians advise removing them under general anesthesia.

Pointing hunting dogs have one similar exterior feature - an elongated neck. It allows the animal to raise its head high when hunting in order to have an improved view of the area. When it looks into the distance, its neck extends forward.

At this moment it is parallel to the body. It also has a long, thin tail that hangs down. However, at the moment of concentration or excitement, it becomes level with the back.

The dog's back is straight, very strong, and at the moment of concentration it stretches like a string. There is a barely visible bevel in the lumbar area. But their heads are powerful and large. The skull at the base of the ears is slightly compressed. An interesting feature of the dog’s exterior is a groove on the head that divides the skull into 2 equal parts.

Her ears are very large, located symmetrically. Hanging down. The tips are slightly curled inward. The English Pointer in the photo is depicted as an intelligent and focused animal.

Partly, this impression is due to the specific exterior of his head, namely: deep-set large eyes with dark irises and a slightly upturned black nose on the muzzle.

This dog is considered tall and massive. The height of Pointer males is 56-64 cm, and females are 53-58 cm. The former weigh about 28-32 kg, and the latter – 19-24 kg. Please allow slight error in each case.

These animals have very short hair. It should fit snugly to the body. There are many color options. By the way, this is the only classification parameter for English Pointers. There are the following dog colors:

• Plain: pure white, black, red, dark chocolate, baked milk.
• Two-color: white-sand, brown-white, red-yellow, black-white.

Most individuals are born with a red or brown spot on the neck. This color is also often found on the dog’s face. One type of this breed has been standardized.

Origin story

The pedigree of Pointers has been going back about 100 years, and the breed itself is at least that much older. This is evidenced by the notes of English hunters, in which there are descriptions of similar dogs. There are still many gaps in the history of the Pointer, but it is still possible to identify some scheme for its creation. The first steps were crossing hounds with smooth-haired bird dogs. Then, to correct the heads and tails, the mestizos were bred with greyhounds. The resulting dogs were corrected with droppers (a cross between a pointer and a setter), French breeds, and a bulldog. In the 80s of the 19th century, in order to increase energy and get a thicker shirt, Irish hunters infused foxhound blood into their dogs. Then the breed was kept clean.

The pointer has earned its name, which comes from the English “to point” - to point. It was probably the first breed to take a firm stance over game. When hunting, pointers were not used for feeding; setters and spaniels did this job well.

The first breed club was created in 1891 in London. Its founder, Joseph Green, in 1904 clearly defined the position of the association - to protect the standard and work on the principle of the golden mean, taking into account the working characteristics of dogs, but at the same time taking care of the aesthetic appearance.

Video review about the English Pointer dog breed:

Character

Let us immediately note that intellectually these animals are excellently developed. They not only think quickly, but are also capable of taking initiative. Their mental abilities are especially good when hunting.

If you let a pointer sniff an animal's thing and give the command “Search”, he will very quickly find its trace and rush forward. At the moment he sees no obstacles in front of him. By temperament he is phlegmatic - calm, balanced and reliable.

As you know, phlegmatic people are not capable of violent manifestations of feelings, but the Pointer often demonstrates to the people around him his deep affection for them. For example, he loves touch and will happily touch his muzzle or paw to the person he likes.

It’s easy to understand that this dog loves you. He will follow you everywhere. He is sad when his beloved owner is not around. He grieves greatly, and at moments of deep sadness he often lets out a howl. By analogy with people, this sound resembles crying.

There are 2 fundamental things that will make this animal happy: hunting and the company of the owner. Without a long stay in nature, it becomes very sad and even becomes irritable. May fall into depression and apathy. He is as kind and affectionate as possible to his owner, as well as to his family members. Loyal to most strangers, but suspicious of silent ones.

The Pointer's attitude towards his owner's other pets can be called loyal. The dog loves to play with cats, rabbits, rats and other dogs, but not with birds, since they are the main object of his hunt.

The owner of such a pet can safely leave it with other domestic animals. Despite the hunter’s good potential, he will not harm animals while on his territory, since he perceives them as members of his pack.

However, such a pet has a negative character trait - pride (albeit moderate), as well as a tendency to dominate. It is unlikely that he will want to share the attention of his beloved owner with someone else. For example, if he sees a small dog, say a lapdog, approaching him, he will probably block its path. He can be extremely jealous.

Features of hunting with a pointer

Pointers are a breed specially bred for hunting. These animals are quick to rise, hardy, picky and easy to train. They will be indispensable when hunting hare and poultry (partridge, pheasant, woodcock, black grouse, hazel grouse, quail). These cops are rarely used to work for waterfowl, because the animals do not like water. But on earth they are able to track down any animal.

Due to their short fur, dogs do not tolerate low temperatures well. Being in cold water can cause them to catch a cold. A short coat makes animals vulnerable to minor injuries and insect bites. Because of this, pointers feel uncomfortable in bushes and dense thickets, as twigs and branches can hurt them painfully. Although in the heat of hunting passion the pet will not pay attention to this.

This breed of dog is not afraid of the sound of a gunshot; the animals serve up trophies well. But large prey is too much for them, because their mouth is very small. In field conditions, their dormant instinct is fully realized, and they are able to tirelessly pursue prey. In a pack of dogs, pointers always try to stand out and compete with their comrades. Occasionally, conflicts may arise due to excessive arrogance, self-confidence and independence of leading individuals.

The dog looks impressive in the field. He moves gracefully and swiftly. More often he uses his upper senses and therefore runs with his head held high. The pointer instantly reacts to the smell of a bird with an extremely beautiful and bewitching stance. The peculiarities of hunting with cops include the undoubted aesthetic side, since dogs working in the field are unusually beautiful and harmonious.

Care and maintenance

Of course, it is much better to keep a Pointer in a country house than in an apartment. He is clean, so there should not be any special problems in his care. The dog needs regular, daily physical activity, sports and communication with people.

There is no need to build an enclosure for a dog. He is not aggressive towards other people, so it is not necessary to isolate him if you are expecting guests. To train with a Pointer, you will need standard equipment: a stick, a collar and a leash.

When going out with your animal into an outdoor training area, make sure it is calm. If the dog breaks out, growls or behaves too excitedly, command “Near.” Let it be near you. When the animal calms down, let it run. It is extremely important for the Pointer to spend a lot of time outdoors, as it is for any pointing hunter.

It is important to take care to protect your dog from parasites. Unfortunately, she is often attacked by ticks, fleas and worms, especially in the summer, when she spends a lot of time outdoors. If you notice that your pet:

• He often scratches his ear.
• Rubs his anus on the ground.
• Scratching his body with his feet.
• Whines.
• He doesn't eat well.

He definitely has parasites! Take the animal to the vet immediately. Dogs suffering from the above pests live shorter lives than those who have never been infected with them. In winter, the Pointer will need to have its nails trimmed, as its mobility will be limited. To do this, you can use a rough file or wire cutters.

You need to bathe your dog every year. Use only high-quality shampoo! Well, don’t forget to wash his face, remove tear fluid from his eyes, brush his teeth to remove plaque from them and, lastly, clean his ears of wax.

How to care for a pointer

For any pet, the owner's care for its health is very important. The English Pointer does not suffer from frequent illnesses, but there are still a number of care nuances that it is better for owners to know about in advance in order to avoid problems in the future.

Wool

In this case, your pet’s fur will not become a problem, because pointers have a very short coat, which means it will not roll into balls and scatter throughout the house. All you need to do is brush your dog several times a week with a soft brush or rubber glove, followed by wiping with a damp cloth.

After returning from walks in the spring, especially if you often visit the forest, it is important to thoroughly examine your pet for the presence of ticks, although it would be more reasonable to treat the fur with special compounds against them before going out.

Skin, eyes, ears, teeth

The skin of Pointers can be called a vulnerable point of the breed, because dogs quite often suffer from various skin diseases and allergies.

Therefore, in order to promptly prevent their development, it is important to examine dogs at least 2-3 times a week and if there is the slightest redness of the skin, immediately show the animal to a veterinarian

Your pet's eyes, ears and teeth require similar attention. They should always be clean, without any unpleasant discharge. To clean the ears, regular cotton swabs with an antibacterial solution applied to them are used (about once a week), and special toothbrushes and toothpastes for dogs are sold for oral care.

Did you know? A wet dog's nose is not just an accident, but a deliberate natural pattern, because thanks to this feature our pets can detect the direction of the smell.

Bathing your pet

These dogs are bathed as needed, but on average about 3-4 times a year. If possible, you can arrange water treatments more often, but without using shampoo. Of course, when washing your dog, you should be sure to protect its eyes from possible contact with detergents.

Activity and exercise

English pointers are busy. They cannot and will not sit in one place for a long time, since the breed’s inclinations suggest something completely different. Therefore, the owner is required to walk his pet daily in an open area, organizing active training for it (it’s good if there is a dog training area or at least a park near your home). A great option would be a bike ride, allowing your dog to run alongside you for several kilometers. Pointers are excellent companions for those who are used to regular jogging, and some members of the breed enjoy swimming, although they were not originally bred for this purpose.

Nutrition

The Pointer is an active and cheerful dog that moves a lot. She should be fed high-quality dry food or natural food. Here is a list of recommended dishes for it:

• Boiled buckwheat with chopped chicken fillet pieces.
• Chicken eggs.
• Milk porridge, for example, rice or millet.
• Fruit puree.
• Berries.
• Offal.
• Soup, borscht, solyanka (not very fatty).

Never give this animal sharp bones or cartilage, as they can scratch the throat, causing severe pain in the mouth. A Pointer puppy should eat plenty of protein and carbohydrate foods to help strengthen its skeleton and muscles.

He also needs a balanced diet to process food components into energy, and the baby cop moves a lot and often. The following should be permanently excluded from his diet: sour berries, fatty fried foods, smoked foods, sweets, especially chocolate.

Cost of the breed and addresses of nurseries

In advertisements for the sale of Pointer puppies, the price tag starts from 10,000 rubles. But often they do not provide guarantees or documentary evidence of the dog’s health and origin; most of these puppies are not purebred, without a pedigree, and sometimes even with congenital diseases.

You can buy a Pointer puppy from professional breeders for at least 60,000 rubles, and adults with developed hunting skills will cost 2-3 times more.

There are trusted nurseries where you can buy a purebred Pointer puppy:

• "Kamhunting" - breeds only working lines of English pointers and setters.

Location: Moscow region. Website: kamhunting.ru Price of puppies: $583 (37,000 rubles)

• “Hunter For Dream” is a monopoly nursery that breeds English pointers and golden retrievers.

Location: Moscow region. Website: hunterfordream.ru Price of puppies: 416 – 583 $ (27,000-37,000 rubles)

• “Born Hunter” delivers animals on order to all regions of the Russian Federation, and descendants of the best representatives of pointers from Germany, Italy, France and Russia take part in breeding.

Location: Moscow. Website: born-hunter.ru Price of puppies: $416 (27,000 rubles)

Reproduction and lifespan

This cop dog lives for at least 12 years. In practice, it has been verified that if you systematically care for and feed the Pointer correctly, its service life will exceed 14-15 years. What kind of candidates should be for reproduction? Firstly, high-breed, secondly, hardy and strong, and thirdly, obedient and trained.

It is extremely important that the breeder obtains a litter of puppies with good pedigree. A female Pointer becomes sexually mature in the first year of life, and a male - earlier, at 3-5 months. But at this age they are not knitted. The optimal age for breeding dogs is 3-6 years.

Their puppies are born after 2.5 months, completely blind. They rise to their feet by 2 weeks of life. Most of the day they just sleep. They should be fed breast milk until 2-3 months.

Appearance and standards

The Pointer is impressive and graceful, harmoniously built and flexible with well-developed muscles and an innate ability to concentrate on work, hardy and courageous. Sexual dimorphism is very well expressed. The height at the withers of males is 63-69 cm, weight is 25-30 kg, height of females is 61-66 cm, weight is 23-28 kg.

The head is dry and proportional in size. The transition from forehead to muzzle is pronounced. The muzzle is long and strong. The bridge of the nose is rectangular and deep. The lobe is large and dark, but with a lemon-white color it can be light. The lips are thick with an almost rectangular edge and a beautiful rounding, fit tightly, slightly covering the lower jaw. The ears are hanging, slightly pointed at the ends. The eyes are set straight, dark or light brown, relatively large, round in shape. The teeth are strong and complete with a correct bite.

The neck is set high. The back is strong, with a slight slope from the withers to the croup. The loin is slightly convex and powerful. The abdomen is moderately tucked. Legs with good bones and developed muscles. Paws are oval-shaped with tightly clenched toes.

The coat is short, thick, straight and shiny.

Suit:

• Plain;
• Tricolor;
• Piebald.

Colors:

• Orange-white;
• Lemon white;
• Hepatic;
• Or in combination with white, black, chestnut.

Price

Hunting pointers are sold privately at a much lower price than breeders from a kennel. The price of a Pointer for 2021 in Russia ranges from 10 to 35 thousand rubles. A dog is more expensive if it has a veterinary passport and pedigree.

Note! If its cost is less than 10 thousand rubles, it cannot be purebred! Dogs whose exterior parameters are standardized by the ISS (International Canine Service) are expensive, especially those classified as hunting cops.

Characteristics of the Pointer

• The head is massive and large. The skull has a depression between the ears. The bridge of the nose divides the skull into 2 equal parts.
• The muzzle to the nose becomes dull. The eyes are set wide apart, dark in color (depending on the coat), and small in size.
• The ears are triangular, drooping. Located high, ending in rounded tips.
• The neck is massive and long, smoothly turning into the withers.
• The tail is smooth and pointed.
• The back is rounded and massive.
• The hind legs are muscular and long, with pronounced joints. The paw pads are thick, the toes are pressed together.

The male reaches 65 cm in length and 63 kg in weight.

Bitches – up to 63 cm, and 28–30 kg.

Color and coat type

The English Pointer's coat is dense in texture and relatively short. The hairs on the front legs and face are shorter.

Breed color:

• Solid: red, black pointer and coffee.
• Bicolor. According to standards, specks on white fur are allowed.
• Piebald. Coffee stains on white.

Education and training

Practice shows that pointers that have not been trained to hunt birds and medium-sized animals show good hunting performance. They are hardy, smart and very cheerful. They require constant attention from the owner and regular exercise.

It is recommended to raise a young pointer. Here are some simple tips:

1. Train your dog to go where he is when someone he doesn't know comes into the house.
2. Be present while she meets other animals - pets.
3. Teach traditional commands.
4. Do not allow begging at the dinner table.
5. From childhood, get used to traveling in a car.
6. Do not allow her to jump on you, even when she is very happy. Push the animal away if it does this.
7. Don't let him sleep on your bed.
8. Don’t allow him to shit in the house, teach him to relieve himself outside.

This is a traditional set of recommendations for raising a domestic dog. If you do not have time to train an animal, we recommend taking it to a dog handler service. There they will select a specialist who will turn any pampered and dominant pointer into an obedient pointer hunter with perfectly honed working qualities.

Advantages and disadvantages

The English Pointer has the following positive qualities:

• friendly disposition, obedience, unquestioning execution of commands;
• relative ease of maintenance and care;
• ease of learning, training and coaching;
• high hunting and working qualities;
• ability to get along well with a variety of pets;
• non-conflict nature.

Among the negative characteristics are the following:

1. Does not tolerate low temperatures and drafts well, which can lead to colds and other pathologies.
2. Doesn't like to swim. This makes the dog unsuitable for hunting waterfowl.

The Pointer is an active, courageous and purposeful dog. This is not an apartment or pet animal. No matter how long the walks are, they are not able to satisfy the excitement and calm the temperament of representatives of this breed. The true purpose of pointing dogs is to work in the fields, and only there are they completely happy.

Possible diseases and methods of treating them

The Pointer is characterized by good health. He is hardy and energetic. He often spends time outdoors, goes in for sports, and regularly gets sunbathing. All this strengthens the immune system. There are no genetic diseases in representatives of this breed. But, a caring owner can improve the quality of life of their pet by making it healthier. Recommendations:

1. Give your dog vitamins in the form of vegetables, berries and fruits.
2. Treat it promptly.
3. Do not allow your dog to become hypothermic.
4. Don't overfeed him.
5. Give parasite medications annually.