Gun Dog Breeders: Drahthaar Facts

The Drahthaar may hold the title as the No. 1 hunting dog in Europe, but for some reason the German Wirehaired Pointer, as it is also known, hasn’t quite caught on the same way in the U.S. Regardless, breeders are working hard to produce the most exceptional litter of Drahthaars possible and these medium-sized gun dogs are a truly interesting lot, according to Gun Dog magazine.

Here are some facts about the Drahthaars.

1. Bred in Germany in the earlier portion of the 20th century, the Drahthaar was created by crossing the German Shorthair Pointer with the Griffon, Stichelhaar, and Pudelpointer. When the breed arrived in the U.S., Americans found the Verein Deutsch Drahthaar (VDD) to be too stringent in their rules regarding these dogs, which created a bit of a split among the Drahthaars, according to the Dog Breed Info Center.

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2. Drahthaars serve as either hunting or companion dogs. They can act as both a pointer and hunter of rabbits, foxes, and wild boar, but helpful in all types of terrain, including the water.

3. The reason for their tough, wiry hair is to create a protective coat against bad weather. They tend to be dark to medium brown in color. Their hair is shorter below their chest and belly, as well as along the head and ears.

4. As is the case with other German pointer dogs, Drahthaars have webbed feet, which helps them in the water immensely.

5. These are incredibly smart animals who are full of energy and have the determination needed to be excellent hunting dogs.

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6. There is a group of breeders who have designed a program to produce Drahthaars that will be more adept at hunting for upland gamebirds and waterfowl. “By using only tested dogs from the German-based Verein Deutsch Drahthaar (VDD) breeding organization, our goal is to produce a ‘line’ of Deutsch Drahthaars (DDs) with stronger bird hunting qualities, less tendency to pursue predators and vermin, and a greater degree of cooperation, biddability, and stability in temperament,” said Jack Wilson, a Deutsch Drahthaar breeder in an in interview with Gun Dog magazine. “In this process, we also want to emphasize a greater uniformity in coat and conformation.”

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