general information

 The German wirehaired pointer also known as "Drahthaar" (which means wirehair in the German language) was developed in Germany during the latter part of the 19th century, due to new hunting laws which required that all game be recovered after the shot.  This change in hunting ethics led to the need for a dog that would not only perform before the shot, but more importantly, could perform under a variety of conditions before and after the shot.  Such a dog would have to be responsive to difficult training, and have not only strong tracking skills, but the ability to work in cold and difficult water. The creation of the breed can be traced to a cross between a German shorthaired pointer and a Pudelpointer. A Pudelpointer is a cross between the English style pointer and the German water pudel. The Griffon, and the Stichelhaar were also major contributors to the genetics of the modern wirehair. Note the similarities between the Pudelpointer pictured below, and many of the wirehairs today. 

During the early part of the 20th century, the Verein Deutsch Drahthaar Club was founded based on the premise that the above gene pool could be utilized to develop a truly versatile dog that could be used to hunt all types game including fur, both before and after the shot.  Finally, after many years of hard work and selective breeding, a truly versatile gun dog capable of work before and after the shot on all types of game, over all types of terrain, and in all types conditions was developed.  Two very good references on the German wirehaired pointer can be found in the February/March, 1993 issue of Gun Dog Magazine, and the July/August, 1993 issue of the Pointing Dog Journal.