Physical Characteristics

Breed Group:

Sporting/Gun dog

Weight:

Males weigh in the 25-34 kg (55-75 lbs) range and females weigh in the 20-30 kg (44-55 lbs) range.

Height:

Male Pointers usually stand 60-70 cm (25-28 inches) and females stand 58-66 cm (23-26 inches).

Color(s):

Pointers tend to have standard colors of liver, lemon, orange, or black and might be solid in color or speckled.

Coat:

Their coat is smooth, short, and usually coarse.

Overview

Character:

Pointers are happy dogs who like to live indoors with their family. They are calm and well mannered and rarely show signs of aggression. Also, they are natural hunters and were used to find and point out hunted birds. They can be loving and affectionate pets and tend to be loyal.

Country of Origin:

England

History:

Originally bred to work with hunters, they are especially skilled at finding birds under heavy cover. They have also been used as falconer’s dogs and in the 17th century were used to locate rabbits or hares by hunters.

Their ancestry is unclear although it appears they were first identified in the 16th or 17th century. Four breeds have been identified as ancestors of the Pointer (greyhounds, foxhounds, bloodhounds, and bull terriers). The cross breeding of these dogs was specifically chosen in order to create a dog with the unique talents of a pointer.

Name:

As they are used to find and point out hunted birds, they were named Pointers.

Temperament:

These are calm, even-tempered dogs that might show a bit of anxiety around strange dogs. Nonetheless, they make excellent pets and usually socialize well with other dogs. They are gentle with children and make good family pets.

Care

Training:

Pointers are an intelligent, obedient breed making them easily trained through standard training methods.

Activity:

Being a hunting dog, regular exercise is very important. They tend to be very active and outgoing and are a galloping breed. As such, they make excellent running dogs. Ideally, they should have a medium to large sized yard to explore and play and thus maintain fitness. They can become destructive or frustrated when they are not exercised regularly.

Ownership:

As they are friendly, obedient, and affectionate dogs, they make an excellent pet even for first time dog owners. Grooming is not challenging as they have a short coat so need only to be brushed once a week.

Breeders

List of dog breeds