English Pointer

Video: English Pointer

History of the English Pointer breed

The ancestors of the breed appeared in England in the XVI-XVII centuries, when Old Spanish pointers and Portuguese brakks were brought to the British Isles. The import of animals was due to practical necessity: by that time the number of game in Europe had decreased and more agile and sensitive dogs were needed to catch it than the wards of English squires. To make the Spanish cops even more prey, the British crossed them with foxhounds, and then with bulldogs. Later, the blood of setters, greyhounds and Old French marriages was added to the resulting crossbreed, which added a restrained aristocracy to the appearance of the pointers.

English pointers began participating in exhibitions as an independent breed in 1877. At about the same time, the cops were brought to the United States, where they demonstrated such brilliant success in their work that they eclipsed the setters popular with Americans. In Russia, pointers appeared earlier than in the States – the breed has been mentioned in domestic printed publications since 1842. The animals were kept mainly by representatives of the noble class, who discharged breeding males and bitches straight from England.

After 1917, the fate of Russian dogs turned out to be unenviable. The cops were purposefully exterminated as pets of the hated bourgeoisie, and those individuals who were lucky enough to survive no longer had pedigrees and hunted vagrancy. In the early 20s, A. A. Chumakov undertook to "reanimate" the genus of English pointers. It was thanks to his efforts that the Moscow lines of the breed did not die out from hunger during the Great Patriotic War and almost completely preserved the livestock. By the way, the breeder himself was categorically against mating his own pets with imported pointers. In his opinion, foreign manufacturers could not bring anything outstanding to the phenotype of Soviet cops.

Soviet breeders B. A. Kalachev, A.V. Platonov, I. A. Naydenov and V. P. Rozhdestvensky made their contribution to the development of hunting qualities of Russian pointers. Each of the specialists developed their own type of ideal cop, so their pets differed from each other not only in appearance, but also in performance. For example, Kalachev preferred black and coffee-piebald individuals who demonstrated high speed of movement, while Naydenov relied on the artistry of the animal in the process of catching game.

Curious fact: in England, Judy is considered the most famous pointer. Since 1936, the dog has lived on board the British boat Gnat, with the crew of which she survived the Battle of Singapore, the sinking of the ship, Japanese captivity and a month and a half crossing through the jungle. For saving the lives of crew members and Judy's dedication, she was awarded the Maria Deakin Medal.

Breed standard English Pointer

According to external characteristics, the pointer is an ideal cop: strong, hardy, but at the same time it has not lost its natural grace and refinement of appearance. In the exterior of the breed, although in a muted form, there is a noticeable similarity with foxhounds. As for the elegance of the silhouette and ease of movement, they moved to the cops from greyhounds and setters. In the hunting environment, working with an English pointer is valued not so much for its effectiveness as for the hypnotic charm of the process itself. The breed is looking for game in a smooth quarry, in the rack aligning the back, muzzle and tail in a common horizontal line. The animal looks very impressive in a stand with its front paw raised up – it was in this position that the artists of the XIX century liked to capture the English pointers on their canvases.

Head

The dog's skull is harmonious, moderately wide, with a well-defined occipital protuberance and foot. The muzzle is blunt-angled, slightly sunken under the eyes.

Lips, teeth and jaws

English pointers have large, delicate lips. The reference type of bite of the breed is full scissors. The upper teeth are arranged vertically in a row, hanging over the lower ones.

Nose

The back of the muzzle has a small depression in the middle, which makes the cop's nose look slightly upturned. The nostrils are large, moist, soft. The lobe is colored in a dark tone, which is slightly lighter in dogs with lemon-white fur.

Eyes

Depending on the suit, the iris of the eyes can be light brown or brown. The eyelid skin of most pointers is dark, with the exception of lemon-white individuals. The expression of the eyes is intelligent, calm, without audacity and defiance.

Ears

A thin ear cloth is distinguished by a rounded tip, a high post and a tight fit to the head. The ears themselves are of medium length.

Neck

The elongated muscular neck is devoid of suspension, but has a slight bend and smoothly passes into the body.

Housing

The body of the English pointer is strong, flexible, but without excessive massiveness. A broad, strong chest gradually narrows in the area of a short convex loin. The ribs are strongly curved and retracted. The lower part of the chest descends to the elbows, the croup is located in line with the lower back.

Limbs

The legs of the English pointer are smooth, bony, with perfectly developed muscles. The forearms are strong, with pronounced tendons on the back. The shoulder blades are oblique, placed at a good angle. The front part of the wrists is flattened, the inner part protrudes slightly forward and passes into long sloping pasterns. The hind legs are muscular, with large hips, long shins and short metatarsals. The paws of the cop are oval-shaped, tightly assembled, with arched fingers and dense pads. The dog moves easily, swinging, with a strong push of the hind legs.

Tail/Rod

The tail is of medium length, very thick at the base and narrowed near the tip. The rod does not bend upwards and is held no higher than the level of the back. Waving it from side to side in motion is unacceptable.

Wool

The short, stiff coat of the English pointer has a silky natural gloss. The hair is straight, evenly distributed throughout the body.

Color

The most common suits of the breed are lemon-white, black-white, liver-white and orange-white. Rarer colors are solid and tricolor.

Disqualifying vices

The degree of severity of exterior and behavioral defects directly affects the show career of the animal. Individuals with minor appearance flaws are allowed in the ring, but pointers who have lost their breed habits and appearance are not. Cowardly or aggressive dogs that do not respond adequately to the handler's demands, refuse to speak in front of the public, and also try to use force against other four-legged contestants and people do not take part in exhibitions.

The character of the English pointer

Developed hunting instincts did not crush the inner companion and friend of a person in the pointer, so it will not be difficult to get along with a four-legged athlete. Unlike most hunting breeds, these intelligent "Englishmen" willingly listen not only to the owner's opinion, so any family member who interacts with her from puppy age is able to correct the dog's behavior. The only caveat: in response to the willingness to cooperate with a cop, timely attention of a person is required, expressed in communication, joint games and walks.

The territorial instincts of English pointers are in a muted state, so do not try to impose the work of a watchman on the breed. Yes, a bored dog is capable of phlegmatically barking at a stranger who has opened the door, but this ends his mission as a guard. The pointer is also not engaged in baiting small pets, although occasionally it can snap at a mouse that accidentally runs by. The only one with whom the breed has not yet managed to get along is poultry, so when going on vacation with the dog to the countryside, you will have to constantly keep your finger on the pulse. The neighborhood chickens, ducks and geese lead the cops into an incredible temptation that they cannot resist.

Describing the character of the pointer, breeders often joke that the breed has only two really developed desires: to run and to hunt. It makes sense to bring home a descendant of Spanish marriages only when you are ready to run through fields and swamps with him. In other cases, it is better to prefer a less groovy pet to a restless pointer. In relationships with children, cops are moderately patient and lenient. Of course, the dog will not transform into a vigilant nanny, but he will be happy to participate in outdoor games in which the youngest family members are involved.

Hunting with a pointer

Pointers are highly specialized cops, ideally working with an upper long–range flair. This means that the dog catches and isolates the smell of potential prey, spreading through the air with a series of other field odors. Having found the object of pursuit, the dog must signal this to the owner by making a stand. The next stage of hunting is the eyeliner and raising the bird on the wing, that is, the animal must get close to the feathered game and scare it away so that the person makes the most accurate shot.

An important nuance of hunting with an English pointer is the fidelity of flair. It happens that the dog makes a mistake and makes a stand at the bird's sitting place (the location where the game was hiding earlier and from where it managed to fly away) or takes non-commercial birds for prey. In addition, the breed is characterized by a quick search, during which the dog explores the entire area of the field.

For full–fledged work with the pointer, it is necessary to work out the skill of shuttle running - when the cop rushes ahead of the hunter, crossing his path by moving along parallel lines. At the same time, the distance between each two such parallels should be at least 10 meters if the hunt is on a flat terrain.

Formally, pointers are not focused on feeding a beaten bird, but in practice some individuals are able to do this. Of course, the dog will have to be taught to go into the water and swim for prey, but if you approach the process correctly, it will not take much time to form the skill. The only difficulty is the heat–loving nature of the breed, due to which swimming in November ponds and swamps may not have the best effect on the dog's health.

For your information: it is better to train young pointers along a hollow tree, which has a habit of moving over short distances. A white partridge is suitable for the first experiments on nataska from the hog game.

In the pursuit of wild trophies, do not forget about the elitism of the breed's image, which developed back in the XIX century. The pointerists themselves call hunting with the descendants of Spanish marriages a "ballet" and focus not so much on the result as on the aesthetics of the process. In this regard, attempts to retrain the pointer into a universal hunter with the makings of a hound cause a negative attitude of specialists. It is believed that this approach devalues the breed, since the working characteristics of the cops were formed over several centuries not to be changed because of the momentary desires of the owner.

As for the duration of the hunt, it may be different at the beginning and end of the season. If the cop went out into the field or forest after a long break, she does not yet have sufficient endurance, which means that you can work with her no more than 3-4 hours a day. Moreover, if the pointer is young enough, he needs to arrange 15-minute breaks during the entire period of work. By the end of the hunting season, the dog becomes stronger and is able to work longer, so that the timing of hunting trips can be increased to 4 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the evening. It is also unacceptable to take a pet out hunting for more than three days in a row – in the season, even the most indefatigable dogs need a couple of days' time-out.

Education, training, nataska

Professional breeders assure that it is no more difficult to train a pointer than a drathaar. By the way, hunting cops at first are brought up and trained according to the same pattern as pets. Remember, if the dog is obedient and attentive at home, it will behave in the same way in working conditions. And vice versa – an ill-mannered pointer will never become a patient hunter capable of getting at least some trophy.

The first stages of puppy training are socialization and fostering the habit of obeying a person. The kid should unconditionally accept the authority of the owner, but not see him as a tyrant who generously "prescribes" punishments. In general, the style of communication with the pointer should be restrained. It is equally impossible both to dismiss a cop and to push it into a rigid framework, since this is not a service breed. The first commands that the future hunter must learn: "Lie down!" (can be replaced with the command "Down!"), "You can't!", "Go ahead!". Usually it takes a lot of time and effort to work them out, but since there is nowhere to hunt without controls, you will have to try.

Many owners teach English pointer puppies to aportirovke items. This is a valid and useful skill in the conditions of the upcoming hunt. However, it is important to understand that only puppies like to carry balls and tufts of feathers in their teeth. Over time, even super-professional cops have a declining interest in aportirovka and feeding game, and it is not always possible to bring it back. If the pointer willingly jumps into the swamp for a shot duck, you can consider that you are very lucky with a pet.

Before moving on to nataska, they undergo preliminary training with the cop. At this stage, the puppy must be taught to walk at the foot, work out the urge (mandatory arrival at the call of the owner), the ability to lie down on the order at a distance and follow the direction indicated by the hunter. The habit of following at the feet of the owner is worked out with the help of a leash on daily walks. Convey to the dog's consciousness the fact that it is impossible to pull the strap and break out in front of a person. If the animal is not perfect, but obediently keeps at the feet, use a treat to stimulate. Cops love it when they encourage their success, and in the future they try to earn a delicacy in an honest way.

Executing the command "Lie down!" at a distance is the most difficult exercise, since it is practiced on the street, where there are a lot of distractions. Along the way, you need to train the dog to move in a given direction. It is better to do this by combining the commands "Right!", "Left!" with pointing hand gestures – then with their help it will be easier to teach the pointer shuttle search. After the preparatory stage is passed, it is allowed to proceed to the natask, which is formed from three main skills – pulling, standing and eyeliner.

Poynter's pull is the ability to immediately isolate the smell of a bird. The faster the dog does it, the more valuable its work is. A lot has been written about the spectacular stand of pointers, so we can only add that ideally a short pull should turn into a sculptural stand, which the breed develops on an instinctive level. The culmination of hunting with a pointer is eyeliner. Having signaled the location of the game with a stand, the dog begins to get close to it in order to scare it off under a shot. However, in some cases, it is recommended to skip this stage. For example, when there is a hunt for marsh chickens and crakes. These birds do not always rise on the wing and often prefer running on the ground to flying. As a result, instead of making an eyeliner, the cop tries to follow the prey on the trail, which contradicts the hunting characteristics of the breed.

An important moment in the training and training of English pointers is punishment. Experts recommend correcting the wrong behavior of puppies very gently until the age of three months. For example, if an animal is naughty and does not ask to go to the toilet, it can be threatened with a voice or a light shake by the scruff of the neck. The breeders offer slightly, but noticeably, to fasten young individuals with a rod. However, it is necessary to carry out "execution" only in exceptional cases. For example, when a dog knows and understands a command, but refuses to carry it out out of harmfulness and stubbornness.

Maintenance and care

Thermophilic and sociable pointers will be equally uncomfortable in a street booth and in the cramped conditions of a city apartment. The optimal housing for a cop is a house with an extensive yard, where the dog will not be restricted in movement and will willingly both let into the room and let out of it. Some pointerists prefer to keep their wards in aviaries. This is not ideal, but it is acceptable provided that the aviary and the booth located in it are insulated as much as possible. Remember, the pet's habitat should not be located in a damp and dark corner, but it does not belong in direct sunlight.

It is unacceptable to keep an English pointer on a leash – the dog must move freely around the territory of a fenced backyard and house. At the same time, bypassing the master's possessions does not cancel daily walks. Twice a day, the pointer must take an hour and a half promenade outside of his own yard, regardless of the weather.

Hygiene

Working English pointer is a problem–free dog in terms of hygiene needs. The tough short coat of the cop does not get dirty and does not need frequent washing, trimming and combing, so you can brush over the pet's body once or twice a week. However, if an animal lives in an apartment, it will have to be perceived as an inevitability of the hairs that have fallen out and "stuck" to the soft upholstery, which do not want to be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner and a broom in any way.

Increased attention is paid to the condition of the working pointer after hunting. Upon returning from the field, you need to examine the paws and body of the dog, treating the scratches with water, and then with an antiseptic. It is also mandatory to inspect the eyes and remove debris from them. Along the way, you need to feel the pet's fur and remove ticks from it, if any, although it is more correct to treat cops with ectoparasites in a timely manner.

Advice: it is better not to try to unscrew the tick, but to lubricate it with oil or gasoline. After a few minutes, the blood-sucking insect will disappear by itself, and you will have the opportunity to treat the bite site with iodine.

If a dog does not hunt for a long time, it grows long claws, and the pads of the paws flatten. In this regard, before nataska and going out into the field, the claws must be shortened, and the overgrown fur between the fingers must be cut off, which will make the pet's movements more free and eliminate the possibility of injury to the paws. Once a week, as well as after hunting, the pointer's ears are checked, removing dirt and sulfur from them with a clean rag soaked in a hygienic lotion from the veterinary library.

Feeding

As a true hunter, the English pointer is supposed to be fed lean stringy meat, a variety of meat waste, as well as offal. Sea fish cut into fillets, low-fat cottage cheese and chicken egg are introduced into the diet several times a week to satisfy the body's need for protein. The source of fats for pointers can be butter and vegetable oil, as well as beef fat. However, the latter product is suitable exclusively for healthy and active individuals.

The most popular dish among experienced pointers is meat porridge. It is cooked with rice and buckwheat, adding pieces of carrot or pumpkin. It is useful for growing pets to introduce calcium supplements into the diet, selected by a veterinarian. The frequency of feeding pointers is the same as for other hunting breeds. Up to two months of age, puppies are fed up to 6 times a day, from two to four months – 5 times, from four to five months – 4 times, from five months to six months – 3 times, from six months – twice a day.

Some breeders do not feed the cops before hunting, sincerely believing that on an empty stomach the pointer's flair sharpens and he concentrates better on the process of tracking prey. In fact, the dog's nutrition at the height of the hunting season should be enhanced, otherwise the animal will have nowhere to draw energy. However, in order to avoid intestinal inversion, it is necessary to treat the hunting pointer no later than 2 hours before leaving for the field, and it is better if it is not a dense meal, but a small snack. The cop is fed more thoroughly after hunting – this is an old tradition that educates the dog to understand the importance of the workflow.

Health and diseases of English pointers

English pointers are characterized by veterinarians as a strong, healthy breed, but with a predisposition to arthritis and hip dysplasia. With age, animals can be overtaken by eye diseases – retinal atrophy, corneal dysplasia, cataracts. Sometimes pointers are diagnosed with pannus – a chronic inflammation on the cornea of the eye and limb, manifested mainly in individuals older than 4 years.

How to choose a puppy

• The best way to check the working genes of the breed is to go with breeding bitches and males in the field to personally assess the quality and length of their stretch. Accordingly, if there is a professional hunter in your environment who sells offspring from his wards, try to get out with him and his pets for game.
• The presence of a field diploma in a bitch and a male English pointer does not guarantee hunting exploits in offspring. If the achievements of the parents of puppies are extremely important, give preference to cops who have passed not Russian, but international field tests. According to breeders, domestic pointer competitions do not reveal the hunting skills of dogs, but only confirm that they have the instinct of a getter and readiness to work.
• You can check the puppies for courage and balance of the psyche by simply lifting them by the withers above the floor. If the baby squeals, breaks out, and after being put on his feet, goes to the side or stands undecided, this indicates a weakness of nature, as well as excessive timidity.
• English pointers, like all cops, are quite affectionate, but you should not choose a sneak puppy for hunting, which endlessly rubs against the breeder's legs, looking into the eyes. It is much easier to train such individuals, but the effectiveness of their field work is low.
• Consider the type of temperament of puppies. Phlegmatic pointers have a sluggish course and sin with a short search. Individuals of a choleric disposition are more energetic and nimble, but sometimes they practice haphazard search and mating of birds, besides they are not always obedient.

The price of an English pointer

The average price of an English pointer puppy from breeders is $200 – $250. Babies from working parents, but with not the purest pedigrees or without them at all, as well as offspring from unplanned mating go by $100 – $140. If there is no desire to bother with natasha and a trained pet is needed, you can purchase an adult trained pointer, for which you will have to pay about $300. A separate caste consists of adult cops with RKF pedigrees, who have hunting diplomas and participated in exhibitions. The cost of such pointers can reach $600 or more.