THE PUDELPOINTER

I recently took time "off" to undergo a surgical procedure.  Upon returning, I was surprised to notice that many of my friends and readers were still confused about "the Pudelpointer", so here goes:

First, it is pronounced:  Poodle-poynter, not puddle-poynter.

Unlike the labrador-poodle crosses of the 1980s which spawned the growth of a "designer dog" market, the Pudelpointer has been an established breed for over a hundred years.  In 1870, Germany was competing with England as the major industrial power in Europe and influential Germans "pushed" for their countrymen  to develop dogs that reflected their own type of hunting.  They needed dogs that could do it all.  One of such people was a baron who wrote under the pen name of "Hegewald".  He was very influential in encouraging the development of the Pudelpointer and eventually, the German Wirehaired Pointer. 

The "Pudel" of the late 19th century was not the companion/non-sporting Poodle of today.  Rather, it was a curly-haired, hunting (and perhaps herding) dog that was very much a "water dog"--in fact, pudel comes from the German and means to splash.  The idea was to create a dog that was both a water-loving retriever and a dog that instinctively pointed game.  This was the period in which many breeders were seeking to develop versatile gun dogs--ones that searched out game, pointed it, and retrieved it to the handler/hunter.  The sportsmen wanted a dog that could do it all. 

The "Pointer" was an English Pointer.  With Germanic efficiency, the breeders called the new (c. 1880s) breed "Pudelpointer".  After extensive crosses and line-breeding, many of those engaged in the project felt that they had created the "perfect" dog, but others--Hegewald included--continued with the work and developed the German Wirehaired Pointer...which is another success story.

Today, the Pudelpointer is experiencing a resurgence.  Aside from those who affiliate themselves directly with "the mother country", breeders in the US have organized themselves in two different ways.  Some owners are organized into a breed club such as the Pudelpointer Club of North America (http://www.pcna.org).  The breed club controls who, when, where, etc. dogs are bred.  It is closely controlled in order to maintain the highest standard of husbandry.  This is very similar to the European model, and has its benefits.   The other group is the North American Pudelpointer Alliance in which breeders subscribe to a set of rigid standards and dogs are not bred that fall below a certain threshold of condition and performance.  If you click on the following link, (http://www.pudelpointer.org) the Pudelpointer that you see on the homepage is K-Lee's grandmother.  Another very informative website is Cedarwood Kennel's website  http://www.cedarwoodgundogs.com . 
K-Lee comes from Ripsnorter Kennels--which has produced many champion German Wirehaired Pointers--including some whose "children" that made it to Westminster.  Their link is http://www.ripsnorter.net. Okra is K-Lee's mother.

The Pudelpointer is not registered in the American Kennel Club, and for that I'm grateful.  Competition in the show ring tends to exaggerate certain features that are not conducive in the field.  For example, think on the little Cocker Spaniels that look more like a mop than a hunting dog--or the Setters that are groomed with such long aprons and feathers that their coats would be a disaster in the coverts and take hours to clean.  If the show rings/judges would follow the guideline of "form follows function", such excesses would disappear--but they don't.  (Enough of my rant!)

The Pudelpointer (so far) is a dog that is sold only to hunters. While they make great family members and are great with children, to keep one solely as a companion or pet would be a great disservice to the animal.  They need to hunt--it's in their DNA.

That's why I'm working so hard on "recovery".  October is but a few weeks away. If K-Lee and I need someone else to do the shooting, that's okay too.