English Pointer

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Breed Details

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Breed Rating

Breed Details

General

The English Pointer, often called Pointer, originated in England and was bred to locate game for hunters. They are thought to be a mixture of the Setter, Greyhound, Bulldog, Bloodhound, Newfoundland and Foxhound. Although this amount of purebreds is unlikely to create a physically well balanced dog for hunting, the creation is proof that it can be done!

The Pointer has a lean, athletic body and long, muscular legs. They have a powerful muzzle, and floppy, triangular ears. This breed is deep chested, giving them a speed advantage when on the hunt, as well as large paws and an extremely sensitive nose to sniff out their silent prey. The Pointer’s tail is long and slender which is often the marker for locating the dog in tall grass!

The Pointer is loyal, hardworking and energetic making them perfect for hunters that need a right hand man! This breed will also make a great family pet because they interact well with children and will get along with other dogs as well as smaller animals. Pointers are friendly and outgoing but will need socialization as pups to get them to this state, especially around other people and louder noises.

Color

The Pointer will come in a variety of colours such as orange, brown, tri-colour, black or lemon. These colours can be a mixture of patches, spots or be completely solid. Most commonly seen is the brown with patches of white throughout their body, but all are permitted in the show ring.

Coat

Pointers have a short, sleek coat that will only need minimal grooming. They have 1 layer of fur which makes them much more susceptible to the cold, resulting in not being able to hunt in temperatures that are too low.

Personality

The Pointer is a happy-go-lucky breed with a spirited personality around family and friends. Around people they've never met however they tend to be more weary and stand-offish but this will subside once they've been introduced. As puppies of a few months old, this breed will start to develop their inherited skills for hunting and will practice for their owners often! Pointers tend to be a bit more independent and will not mind spending some time to themselves so having a person stay with them throughout the day is not necessary.

Breeders and fanciers of this breed alike say that for a companion, potential owners should stick to buying dogs who have show blood lines rather than actual hunting blood lines because they are much less energetic and driven. These dogs have a fantastic sense of smell and will go looking for any food or interesting smell if given the chance, so when walking this breed a leash is always necessary!

Care

Pointers will need a very minimal amount of grooming to upkeep their coat. Brushing once every week or 2 and bathing every 2 months will be perfect! This breed is prone to skin allergies, hip dysplasia, and epilepsy. For the most part, Pointers are healthy dogs with very few inheritable diseases.

Training

English Pointers are a highly motivated breed that want to please their owners. They will need firm yet gentle methods to be able to grasp obedience or any type of hunting command. Repetition as well as lessons that are kept short will allow this breed much more practice as well as time for each new trick or command to sink in. Once they learn a specific trick, this stays with them forever and their owners will be able to rely on these dogs as if they were literally partners.

Activity

English Pointers will need at least 1-2 hours of exercise per day which can be done running them at an off-leash park or taking them on multiple walks. If these dogs are not given their needed amount of exercise, they will become quite hyperactive and ill-behaved. This breed will do well in a household environment that has a big backyard or even land because they literally need as much space to live and roam around in as possible.