Munsterlanders

Large Munsterlander
COUNTRY: Germany
WEIGHT: 50-70 pounds
HEIGHT: 23-25 Vz inches
COAT: Sleek, moderate length, with feathering
COLOR: Black and white, heavy ticking or roaning is preferred over the clear white patterns
OTHER NAMES: Grosser Miinsterlander
Vorstehhund
GROUP: Gun Dog
Small Miinsterlander
COUNTRY: Germany
WEIGHT: 33 pounds
HEIGHT: 19-22 inches
COAT: Sleek, moderate length, with feathering
COLOR: Liver and white, with ticking
OTHER NAMES: Kleiner Miinsterlander
Vorstehhund, Heidewachtel
GROUP: Gun Dog

Back in the days of the generic huenerhunden^ bird dogs in Germany came in all sizes and coat colors and textures. These were interbred, based on function only. In the latter part of the 19th century, the interest in individual breeds grew, and the types were separated.

When the club for the German Longhaired Pointer drew up its written standard, for some" reason, it accepted only the liver/white dogs. Litters were often of mixed colors in those days, and the black/white pups denied registration were usually given away. Farmers and hunters, many from the Miinster area, were the recipients of these well-bred gun dogs and cared little about their color or registration status. They continued breeding the black/white longhaired pointers, perhaps crossing to other dogs of the setter or spaniel type, and in 1919 formed a club for the Munsterlander.


The Miinster has found friends throughout Germany and has been brought to England as well. He is an all-purpose pointing/retrieving gun dog and is expected to perform in the utility trials in Germany. In England, he competes with the other Continental gun dogs in the HPR (Hunt Point Retriever) Field Trials.

Although bred for training and ability to withstand the pressures involved, the breed wants to please and can be soft in nature. His beautiful, fringed coat is never exaggerated. The tail may be left intact or have just a tiny bit of the end removed. They love to retrieve, and naturally like to carry things about in their mouth.

As with all of their hunting relatives, they require sufficient exercise. But if walked or run enough, a Munster can adapt easily to indoor life, even in the city. He tends to be vocal and owner-oriented. Owners say if they are gone for even a moment, a Munster enthusiastically greets their return by "talking" in his low rumble and bringing them "their treasured possessions." The Munster does well in obedience, and is good with other animals and with children.


The smaller variety is of more recent origin, from the early 1900s; they are pointing dogs— as setters are—rather than flushers. The Small Munsterlander was the result of crosses of the German Longhair to Continental spaniels. This Munster appears only in the liver/white ticked color, and his tail is left long.

He is a good hunter, with a happy tail-wagging nature. Both the Large and Small Munster-landers are known in Canada, England, and in various European countries, although not in large numbers.

IRISH SETTER

COUNTRY: Ireland

WEIGHT: 60-70 pounds

HEIGHT: 25-27 inches

COAT: Moderately longj flat and straight, with abundant feathering

COLOR: Mahogany or rich chestnut red

OTHER NAMES: Irish Red Setter

REGISTRY: FCI, AKC, UKC, TKC, CKC

GROUP: Gun Dog

Setting dogs of both the solid red and the red-white spotted coats have existed in Ireland since the 1700s, when hawking was the fad. Development of a dog for wing shooting was accomplished from existing hawking dogs and other hunting types. The fact that the Celts, who settled Ireland, also populated Brittany is interesting with the existence of red or orange spaniels from the latter area. The Irish state their Setter is pure spaniel, the only setter with no crossing to pointer. Bede Maxwell, author of The Truth About Sporting Dogs says, "Irishophiles may prefer to believe their Setter sprung full-formed from among the shamrocks, but history yields no proof of it."

Yet the Irish Setter is physically the most pointerlike (i.e., houndlike) of ah1 the setters. The Celts were famous for their scenthounds as well as their spaniels, so perhaps the crossing was among pure Celtic hounds, instead of the pointer breeds that sprang from them. Throughout the 18th—and for most of the 19th—century, the Setters bred in Ireland were still of both color types. In the late 1800s, several top winners, such as Ch. Palmerston, flaunted the solid red coat, and their popularity increased. When a club was formed for the breed in 1882, it took on the name of The Irish Red Setter Club and, from that time on, the red variety prospered while the red/white declined.

Irish Setters were brought to America in the late 1800s, mainly as gun dogs. They proved most useful, and many early ones were hunted as well as shown. Head types varied greatly, from the "dish" face, mimicking the English Pointer, to the stopless downface, like those found on the best German hounds. But the flashy red-jacketed bodies had great consistency and, as the show fraternity embraced the dashing redhead, they quickly succeeded in fixing head type.

The Red Setter became and has remained popular among both the show fancy and the pet-owning general public, due to his personality as well as his looks. Big, elegant and athletic, with his flowing red coat, and the happy, head-up, tail-wagging attitude, the Irish catches the eye of any judge. And that rollicking devil-may-care personality has captured the hearts of many owners. Like most all sporting dogs, however, he needs plenty of exercise, discipline, and a purpose to prevent his brain from finding other unwelcome activities to relieve his energy and boredom. More and more modern Irish owners and show fanciers are reemphasizing the hunting qualities that sometimes were forgotten in the race to fill the demand for puppies. There are dual champions, with more to come, and other owners are testing their dogs' abilities in non-competitive events like the new AKC hunting tests. The Irish Setter people have likewise used his trainability and verve to advantage in the competitive obedience ring. The breed is a sensitive one, and does not react well to harsh training methods.