COUNTRY: Germany
WEIGHT: 55-70 pounds
HEIGHT: 24-26 inches
COAT: Hard, coarse and thick, but not very long, slight beard and brow
COLOR: Chestnut to dead leaf, solid with a small amount of white on paws and chest allowed
REGISTRY: FCI, CKC
GROUP: Gun Dog
A combination of pointers and "poodles" in name and genetic make-up, this breed was created in the late 1800s by Baron von Zedlitz. He started with 90 "pointers" (probably of the utility dog type, i.e., Shorthair, Wirehair, and others) and seven "poodles." Some who have stud-ied the breed espouse his use of the modern Poodle; however, others feel the breed's forebears were actually Barbets, ancestors of the Poodle. Nevertheless, the Pudelpointer inherited the intelligence, attachment and obedience to owners, love of water and natural retrieving ability demonstrated by Poodles. The pointers contributed other hunting skills, including the sensitive nose and fiery attitude toward game.
While working on establishing the mental characteristics and hunting attitude, physical type was slowly fixed. Today his short, rough, waterproof jacket with its camouflage coloring and other qualities enable him to figure prominently in German utility trials. The breed cannot achieve stud book status in its native land until the dog has passed these demanding ability tests. The dog must also pass a hip radiograph exam, as well as have a conformation rating.
Field trials in Germany demand formidable performance from the dogs. In the utility search competition, 25 requirements have to be passed. Judgment is made on work in the woods, water, field and in retrieving—and all dogs must have acquired at least a "good" rating in conformation before being allowed to compete.
The retrieving portion of the test necessitates finding and bringing back a hare and a fox; another fox must be retrieved over a high jump. Field work judging is based on nose, searching, pointing, retrieving of feathered game, and manners. The dog must not only track wounded duck but retrieve from deep water.
The difference between hunting styles becomes fully apparent in the woods. While the utility dog is never actually used to hunt deer, its ability to search for wounded game such as boar, hare, fox, and/or deer and stag is utilized throughout Europe. Especially in Germany, the sporting hunter makes every effort to find each piece of game that he wounds but fails to kill. As Dr. Fritz von Dewitz-Colpin relates, "All hunting is done under the motive: The subsequent search defines the value of the huntsman."
The dog must track a wounded hare and a fox, most preferably giving tongue while on the trail, and then retrieve the animal. He must find and put to flight furred game such as rabbits. And last, he is expected to follow the bloodtrail of a wounded deer or boar (in trials, simulated by dripping just one drop of blood every yard or so over a trail of 500 meters with a deer skin left at the end). To start, the dog tracks on lead, but as he becomes closer to the game and sure of his quarry, he is unleashed to go on by himself. When he reaches the dead game, he has to indicate his success. The verbellen (verbal) dog bays loudly to announce the find. This is the most desirable way since, in actual hunting situations, he may find the wounded deer alive and, having cornered it, bay until his master reaches him. Some dogs are naturally verweisen (mute), and these dogs usually are trained to take in their mouths a short strap, called a bringsel, that hangs from their collar, and return to the handler. This symbolic retrieve of the bringsel, literally "the bringing thing," indicates that the dog can lead the handler to dead game that is too large to retrieve.
Until 1933, the dog was also expected to pass a sharpness test in which he killed a "big cat" or a fox. These species preyed on both hare and birds, so it was important to game wardens that the numbers of cats and foxes be kept low. These tests have been outlawed, but owners of the utility breeds may find hints of this sharpness still present.
A limited number of Pudelpointers are in Canada and the USA, almost exclusively in the hands of hunters. Most comparable to the German utility tests are the trials sponsored by the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA), and the Pudelpointers perform commendably in these events. NAVHDA judges the dogs against a standard and expects them to perform a variety of hunting chores.
Pudelpointers do as well hunting in the desert as they do in a snowdrift. The breed has tremendous stamina and needs a large amount of exercise. Their tail is docked like that of a Shorthair.
While working on establishing the mental characteristics and hunting attitude, physical type was slowly fixed. Today his short, rough, waterproof jacket with its camouflage coloring and other qualities enable him to figure prominently in German utility trials. The breed cannot achieve stud book status in its native land until the dog has passed these demanding ability tests. The dog must also pass a hip radiograph exam, as well as have a conformation rating.
Field trials in Germany demand formidable performance from the dogs. In the utility search competition, 25 requirements have to be passed. Judgment is made on work in the woods, water, field and in retrieving—and all dogs must have acquired at least a "good" rating in conformation before being allowed to compete.
The retrieving portion of the test necessitates finding and bringing back a hare and a fox; another fox must be retrieved over a high jump. Field work judging is based on nose, searching, pointing, retrieving of feathered game, and manners. The dog must not only track wounded duck but retrieve from deep water.
The difference between hunting styles becomes fully apparent in the woods. While the utility dog is never actually used to hunt deer, its ability to search for wounded game such as boar, hare, fox, and/or deer and stag is utilized throughout Europe. Especially in Germany, the sporting hunter makes every effort to find each piece of game that he wounds but fails to kill. As Dr. Fritz von Dewitz-Colpin relates, "All hunting is done under the motive: The subsequent search defines the value of the huntsman."
The dog must track a wounded hare and a fox, most preferably giving tongue while on the trail, and then retrieve the animal. He must find and put to flight furred game such as rabbits. And last, he is expected to follow the bloodtrail of a wounded deer or boar (in trials, simulated by dripping just one drop of blood every yard or so over a trail of 500 meters with a deer skin left at the end). To start, the dog tracks on lead, but as he becomes closer to the game and sure of his quarry, he is unleashed to go on by himself. When he reaches the dead game, he has to indicate his success. The verbellen (verbal) dog bays loudly to announce the find. This is the most desirable way since, in actual hunting situations, he may find the wounded deer alive and, having cornered it, bay until his master reaches him. Some dogs are naturally verweisen (mute), and these dogs usually are trained to take in their mouths a short strap, called a bringsel, that hangs from their collar, and return to the handler. This symbolic retrieve of the bringsel, literally "the bringing thing," indicates that the dog can lead the handler to dead game that is too large to retrieve.
Until 1933, the dog was also expected to pass a sharpness test in which he killed a "big cat" or a fox. These species preyed on both hare and birds, so it was important to game wardens that the numbers of cats and foxes be kept low. These tests have been outlawed, but owners of the utility breeds may find hints of this sharpness still present.
A limited number of Pudelpointers are in Canada and the USA, almost exclusively in the hands of hunters. Most comparable to the German utility tests are the trials sponsored by the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA), and the Pudelpointers perform commendably in these events. NAVHDA judges the dogs against a standard and expects them to perform a variety of hunting chores.
Pudelpointers do as well hunting in the desert as they do in a snowdrift. The breed has tremendous stamina and needs a large amount of exercise. Their tail is docked like that of a Shorthair.