Choosing a hunting dog can be a tough decision. Before you get down to looking at particular gun dog breeders or individual dogs, first of all you have to choose which breed. English pointers have been acclaimed among the finest sporting dogs for centuries.
Here are some facts about the history of the breed, according to the
American Kennel Club, the
American Pointer Club,
Petwave.com, and
Vetstreet.com.
1. The first pointers appeared in England in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Most accounts claim these were heavier dogs from Spain, probably brought home by British Army officers. They were crossed with Bracco Italiano, an old Italian breed, to develop the modern English pointer. Probably foxhounds, bull terriers, bloodhounds and greyhounds contributed to their bloodline as well.
ALERT: Should Obama Have More Control Over Guns? Vote Now
2. As a breed, the English pointer has changed little since the 1700s. Compare images of English pointers then and now and you'll see few differences.
3. Pointers were the first dogs used to stand game. In the 17th century, they were used in conjunction with greyhounds to hunt hares; the pointers located the game, and greyhounds chased them down.
4. Pointers were brought to the United States before the Civil War.
5. Pointers competed in the very first dog show, held in Newcastle-on-Tyne, England, in 1859, and the first field trial, in Bedford in 1865.
6. Among the first eight breeds registered in America in 1878, English pointers were recognized by the AKC at its founding in 1884. The current breed standard was approved in 1975.
VOTE NOW: Do You Support a Ban on All Fully Automatic Rifles?
7. The Westminster Kennel Club, which holds the annual dog show at Madison Square Garden in New York, has as its logo a drawing of an English pointer named Sensation, a lemon-and-white dog club officials imported from England in 1876 to help build the breed in the U.S.
8. Southern sportsmen first employed English pointers for hunting quail. Pointers have been so popular for hunting in the South that the breed's name is synonymous with "bird dog."
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.