Pointer: temperament, size, care and health

About the Pointer

The Pointer, often called the English Pointer, is a tall, lean and powerful bird dog with a long muzzle, a slight dish in the nose line and a smooth, glossy coat. Colors are liver, lemon, black or orange, solid or combined with white, and the coat is often ticked. The breed's most famous trait is the rigid stance it takes when it locates game, with one front paw raised, the body straight and the tail level.

The Pointer was developed for open country and fast, wide-ranging hunts for birds such as quail and grouse. It remains a field-trial champion and a favorite of upland hunters who need a dog that covers a great deal of ground. A few live as pets, usually with athletic owners.

Temperament and family life

A Pointer is generally gentle, friendly and even-tempered at home, though it is single-minded in the field. It tends to be affectionate with its family, and it is typically good with children and other dogs. It is not a guard dog. Its instincts toward birds and small animals are strong, so introductions to cats and small pets need care.

The breed is bold and driven. A young Pointer with no job can be wild, noisy and destructive. Pointers need company and can be anxious or even develop kennel stress when left alone. Some individuals are shy or sensitive, so early social experiences with people, places and sounds are valuable.

Exercise and training

A Pointer needs more exercise than most pets can offer: long, strenuous runs, preferably off leash in a safe area, every day. Many field-bred dogs need much more than a pet-type dog. A walk alone will not satisfy the breed, and a bored Pointer may chew, dig and escape.

Training works best when it is positive, consistent and begun early. The breed is smart but not always eager to follow orders when scent or sight excites it. Recall can be unreliable, so a fenced yard and long lines are essential. Pointing is instinctive and shows up in puppies as young as eight weeks old. Hunt tests, field trials, agility and scent work all use the Pointer's skills.

Grooming and shedding

Grooming is minimal. A weekly rub with a hound glove or rubber brush removes dead hair and brings up the shine. The short coat sheds a moderate amount, and the fine, short hairs can weave into upholstery. Bathe only when needed.

The thin coat and lack of undercoat give little protection from cold, so a jacket is useful in winter and sunburn is possible on pale skin. Check the ears, feet and legs after field work, and keep nails short. Pointers sometimes develop calluses on elbows from lying on hard surfaces, so provide a soft bed.

Health

The Pointer is a generally healthy and long-lived athletic breed. Hip dysplasia, hypothyroidism and skin allergies are reported, along with eyelid problems such as entropion and cataracts. Deafness occurs in some lines, especially in dogs with a lot of white, and a hearing test can detect it. Neurological problems have been seen in a few families. Responsible breeders screen hips, eyes, thyroid and hearing where relevant. A veterinarian, not this page, is the right source of advice on a particular dog; this is general information.

History

The breed is generally traced to England, where the earliest recorded mentions date from the early eighteenth century, though some believe similar dogs were used earlier to locate hares for greyhounds and hawks. Old Spanish pointers imported into England are the most common account of its origin, and early Pointers were crossed with foxhounds and greyhounds to refine speed and style. The Pointer became a foundation for later pointing and setting dogs, and the American Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1878.

Is the Pointer right for you?

A Pointer suits a hunter or an athletic owner with plenty of space, a secure fence and time to run a dog daily. It is a good choice for those who admire a refined, responsive hunting dog and want a clean, easy coat.

It is not suited to apartments, to sedentary households or to people looking for a slow-moving companion. The English Setter is gentler with a long coat. The German Shorthaired Pointer is more versatile and sturdier, and the Vizsla is closer and more clingy.