Pudelpointer
The breed weighs between 44 and 66 pounds (20 and 30 kg), stands 21 to 26 inches (53 to 66 cm) at the shoulder, and comes in liver, chestnut, and occasionally black coats. The ideal coat is harsh, wiry, and dense. They also shed very little.
In 1881, a German breeder, Baron von Zedlitz, worked on producing his ideal tracking, pointing, and retrieving gun dog, suitable for work on both land and water. From seven specific Poodles and nearly 100 different pointers, he developed the Pudelpointer. The original sire was Tell, an English Pointer belonging to Kaiser Frederick III and the original dam was a German hunting pudel named Molly who was owned by Hegewald, an author known for works on hunting dogs.
The goal was to produce a dog that was willing and easy to train, intelligent, and loved water and retrieving, like the poodle, and add to that a great desire to hunt, a strong pointing instinct, and an excellent nose, like in the English Pointer, as well as being an excellent companion in the home.
The Poodle breed had much stronger genes, and so many more Pointers were used to achieve the balanced hunting dog that was desired. A mix of 11 Pudels and 80 Pointers were used during the first 30 years to achieve the desired traits and results.
The breed was introduced to North America in 1956 by Bodo Winterhelt, who to this day, remains very involved in maintaining the breed standard. His Winterhelle Kennel was the foundation of the breed in North America. In 1977 Winterhelt founded the Pudelpointer Club of North America in Canada.
It has never become a popular or well-known breed. However, it is slowly gaining recognition with many serious upland bird and waterfowl hunters in the U.S. and Canada. In Germany, its performance standards are its most important traits and each dog must pass a test of its field and water skills to be officially registered as a Pudelpointer.
As a pet, the Pudelpointer is warm and interactive, willing to please. They mature in about 2 years both physically and mentally. They are good watchdogs and possess an intelligent approach to possible dangerous situations, preferring to evaluate before going into action and biting.
