History and Origins
– Pointing dogs may have descended from dogs from Spain, specifically the Old Spanish Pointer.
– Pointing dogs were originally used by hunters who netted the game.
– Flushing dogs were often used by falconers to flush game for the raptors.
– Most continental European pointing breeds are classified as versatile gun dog breeds or HPR breeds.
– The North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association defines versatility in dogs.
Appearance
– Pointing dogs come in all varieties of coats, from short-haired to wire-haired to silky-coated Setters.
– Most breeds tend to have spots on their body, whether small and round or large oval-shaped.
Breeds
– Pointers and setters include breeds such as English Setter, Gordon Setter, Irish Red and White Setter, Irish Setter, and Pointer.
– Versatile hunting dogs include breeds like Ariège Pointer, Bracco Italiano, Braque d’Auvergne, Braque du Bourbonnais, and Braque Dupuy.
Westminster Kennel Club
– The Westminster Kennel Club was organized in the early 1870s.
– The club’s early English import, Sensation, is still used as the club logo.
General Bibliography
– Fergus, Charles. ‘Gun Dog Breeds: A Guide to Spaniels, Retrievers, and Pointing Dogs,’ The Lyons Press, 2002.
– Mazover A. P. (1985). ‘Hunting Dogs.’ Agropromizdat.
– ‘Genetic differentiation in pointing dog breeds inferred from microsatellites and mitochondrial DNA sequence.’
– ‘Gun Dog – The Evolution and Definition of Modern Dog Breeds.’
– ‘Hunt History’ from www.westminsterkennelclub.org.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pointing_dog