Slovakian Rough Haired Pointer

Breed Rating

Breed Details

General

The Slovak Rough-haired Pointer dog is a gundog breed that is very recently recognized. It was developed after the World War II in Slovakia. The Slovak Rough-haired Pointer dog is also known as SRHP, Slovensky Hrubosrsty Stavac and Slovensk� Oha' Hrubosrst�. In other languages, the breed is known as Griffon d'arret Slovaque a Poil Dur, Slowakischer Rauhbart and Grifon de Muestra Eslovaco de Pelo Duro.

The SRHP is known to be a hunt, point and retrieve breed and their versatility and endurance in the field has brought the name a great honor. The dog is built sturdily but with the look of elegance and are fairly easy to train. Their highly distinctive coat are weather-proof as it gives them protection and insulation. These dogs are also easy to maintain.

The dog is very loving, affectionate, eager to please, easy to train, laid back and amusing. This is a class one working dog with an exceptional sense of smell and heaps of staying power. The SRHP dog can cover the ground at a very fast pace.

Color

The dog's coat color can be any shade ranging from a tweedy Gray-Brown to classic Silver-Gray coat of the Weimaraner.

Coat

The dog's coat is their most distinguishing feature as it has a very fine undercoat that sheds mostly in the summer. Its outer coat is harsh, straight and is approximately 4 centimeters in length. Their hair is longer on the dog's muzzle and eyebrows while smoother on the ears.

Personality

The Slovakian Rough Haired dog is naturally well-balanced and very affectionate to their owners. They are known for their excellent hunting capabilities and make a wonderful home companion. They are known to be highly intelligent and respond well to training. These dogs are easy to live with. They are highly energetic during a hunt and on the contrary, will have a laid back self when indoors. As a very calm and always eager to please dogs, they make wonderful companions. This affectionate dog make an active but gentle house pet and kid's playmate. They can get along well with other dogs in the family and tolerates other dogs too. However, this dog should never be trusted with smaller house pets as their preying instincts could kick in anytime.

Care

The SRHP's grooming requirements is fairly easy. It does not take a lot of efforts to keep them at their best shape. The dog's rough coat tends to shed dirt easily. Thus, bathing frequently is not really that necessary. Thorough brushing using a firm bristle brush is all that it takes to remove the mud that dried up on the dog's coat. As the dog is a retriever, its coat protects the dog when it goes in the water to retrieve something. Frequent bathing is never recommended. It should be done only when necessary as water and soap removes the dog's natural oils. This is what makes the dog's coat weather proof. Cleaning the ears, brushing their teeth and clipping the nails should also be a part of the dog's regular grooming maintenance. The breed is known to be generally healthy and free from any genetic diseases. Given proper nutrition and care, sufficient exercise and regular visits to the vet, these dogs can live up to 9-15 years on the average.

Training

These dogs are highly intelligent and they respond well to training. As a hunting dog, their training should be customized for hunting dogs as well. Early socialization and obedience training is also important for these dogs to go through. Training should be done to stimulate and challenge the dog's physical and mental abilities. It should also be done in a firm, consistent and calm way without being harsh or negative. Positive training would make the training more successful.

Activity

These dogs are extremely active and tireless. It is crucial for this working dog to get their daily vigorous exercise to drain their energy. This breed is not for the inexperienced owner as it requires plenty of vigorous exercise that their active family might not be able to keep up to. The dog would need a large fenced in yard to run as well. They require daily, brisk, long walks, jogs or run alongside you when you bike or skate. These dogs are wonderful jogging companions and they would enjoy swimming and retrieving. Owners should always emphasize that the dog is a pack member by heeding them beside or behind the handler and should enter and exit doors after the humans.