German Long Haired Pointing Dog

		German Long Haired Pointing Dog
		FCI standard Nº 117

Origin		Germany
Translation		Mrs C. Seidler
Group		Group 7 Pointing Dogs
Section		Section 1.2 Continental pointing dogs, Spaniel Type
Working		With working trial
Acceptance on a definitive basis by the FCI		Saturday 18 December 1954
Publication of the official valid standard		Thursday 10 November 2011
Last update		Wednesday 17 September 2014
En français, cette race se dit		Chien d'arrêt allemand à poil long
Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar		Deutsch Langhaar
En español, esta raza se dice		Perro de muestra alemán de pelo largo
In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd		Duitse Staande Langhaar

Usage

Versatile working Gundog.

Brief historical summary

The German long-haired Pointing Dog combines the bloodlines of a bird-, hawk- and water dog as well as of Bracken (Scenthounds). He therefore has scope for great versatility. Pure breeding has been carried out since the year 1879 and main characteristics of the breed laid down. In the year 1897, Baron von Schorlemer set down the first standard for the German Long-haired and thus laid the foundation stone for today’s pure breeding.

General appearance

Strong; muscular; low set; flowing lines. Small dogs must have plenty of substance. Too massive and thereby clumsy dogs are not desired.

Important proportions

Muzzle and skull of equal length. Dog should not be overbuilt. Slightly higher at shoulder than rump.

Behaviour / temperament

Balanced, calm, controlled temperament, good natured, easily trained.

Head
Cranial region
Head		Special value must be attached to the beautiful Long-haired head. Noble appearance, elongated.
Skull		Slightly rounded.
Stop		Gently rising, not deep and sharp.

Facial region
Nose		Brown, slightly lighter spots permitted.
Lips		Not overlapping too much.
Nasal bridge		Lightly arched, not too slender.
Jaws and teeth		Jaws not too fine. Well developed and complete (42 teeth) scissor bite i.e. upper incisors closely overlapping the lower incisors.
Cheeks		Cheekbones not too strong.
Eyes		Colour brown, as dark as possible. Lids fitting close to eyeballs, without visible haw. Set neither too deep, nor protruding.
Ears		Not set on too low, turned slightly forward.

Neck

Strong and noble. No dewlap. Getting harmoniously stronger towards the chest. Not too short.

Body
Back		Straight, firm, not too long.
Loin		Specially muscular.
Croup		Long, with moderate slope.
Chest		Forechest well developed, ribcage broad and deep, reaching at least to elbows.

Tail

Carried not too steep. It should be carried horizontally, the last third being slightly turned up.

Limbs

Forequarters
Generality		In normal stance, bones of upper arm, forearm and of foot, seen from the front, should form an almost vertical line.
Shoulders		Close fitting. Seen from side, in repose, shoulder-blade and upper arm should form approximately a right angle.
Elbows		Close fitting.
Carpal		Slightly angulated.
Pastern		Not quite straight.

Hindquarters
Generality		Seen from behind, the hip bone, upper thigh, bones of lower thigh and of foot should form a vertical line.
Hock		Special value is attached to good angulation. Dewclaws are to be removed at birth.

Feet

Pads coarse and strong.

Gait and movement

Ground covering movement with good drive from hindquarters.

Skin

Close fitting to body, no wrinkles.

Coat
Hair		The greatest importance is attached to correct coat, neither excessive growth nor too short hair. On back and sides of body : Hair 3 - 5 cm, close fitting. On underside of neck, on chest and belly, coat may be longer. • Belly : Well coated. • Leathers : Hair wavy and feathered. • Tail : With good plume, coated to tip. • Back of front legs : Feathered. • Back of hind legs : Feathered, forming breeches. • Below hock : Hair significantly shorter. Too much feathering is not desired. Dense short hair between toes. • Head : Hair much shorter, but all the same, longer than on a short-haired German Pointing Dog. Topknot not desired. • On body : Hair is sleek, firm, smooth or slightly wavy, close fitting. Dense with good undercoat.
Colour		• Self coloured brown. • Brown with white or speckled markings (specially on chest and feet). • Dark roan (with large or smaller dark brown patches; brown head, possibly with white blaze, snip or star). • Pale roan (with large or smaller pale brown patches; brown head with possibly white blaze, snip or star). • Mottled (many small brown spots on white background; head brown, possibly with white blaze, snip or star). • Brown and white, either pure brown and white or with very few small spots (large brown patches with saddle or blanket. Head brown, possibly with white blaze, snip or star). • Occasionally fawn markings may occur as a very old throw-back to the Hounds.

Size and weight
Height at withers		Dogs 60-70 cm, ideal height 63-66 cm, bitches 58-66 cm, ideal height 60-63 cm.
Weight		Average 30 kg.

Faults

• Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and its ability to perform its traditional work.
• Faults listed should be in degree of seriousness.

General faults

Pale hawk-eye, slanting position of eyes.

Ears not carried against the cheeks, leathery tips.

Hollow back, roach back.

Chest barrel shaped or too narrow.

Curled or hooked tail.

Scapulo-humeral angle too open, pastern too straight.

Cowhocked, bow legged.

Splayed feet, cat or hare feet.

Longer hair on beard; bushy eyebrows; curly coat.

Disqualifying faults

Aggresive or overly shy.

Dogs with insufficient bone and muscle.

Dogs with heads diverging from breed type.

Ectropion (lids turned outwards).

Entropion (lids turned inwards).

Also eyelids which have been corrected.

NB :

• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.
• The above mentioned faults when occurring to a highly marked degree or frequently are disqualifying.
• Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding.

Bibliography

https://www.fci.be/

Detailed history

Rightly, the German Braques and the Drahthaar acquired an excellent reputation, but their success was not without prejudice to their compatriots of the seventh group: it made forget that the Germanic pointers could also take a hair long spaniel.

Thus, the Langhaar (or, according to its official name, the Deutscher Langhaariger Vorstehhund, which can be translated into a German Stop Dog in Poil Long, is just emerging from a long eclipse, yet this dog, native to the northern regions from Germany, is known since at least the sixteenth century in this country.There is still a "Spaniel" (the word does not exist in German) for which the thesis of the Spanish origin is taken in default! of Europe have indeed for a long time this type of dog, moreover one can not more adapted to their climate and to the more or less marshy grounds which they were abundantly provided the Spagneuls are, obviously, also to at ease in these countries, as are the Braques in the southern garrigues.

On the subject of Langhaar, we can also observe the abundance of Spaniel breeds in Northern Europe, whereas they are nonexistent in the South. In addition to the German Langhaar, it is worth mentioning Drentsche Patrijshond (Dutch Epagneul de Drente) in the Netherlands, the French Epagneuls (French, Picard, Bleu de Picardie, Breton) spread throughout the north-west of the country. The Staby Hound of the Netherlands and the Münsterlanders (Grand and Petit) can still be linked to the Spaniel-type stop dogs. As for the Wachtelhund of Germany, it is not a sting dog but a game hunter and a bushman, and the Wetterhoun is a Dutch water dog. Finally, there are the British Setters and Spaniels.

In all these countries, where, in particular, many migratory birds pass, these dogs were formerly used for hunting with nets; they were also indispensable complements in hunts with falcons and with greyhounds, and also the auxiliaries of hunters with bow, crossbow, arquebus and finally rifle. It should be noted that in Germany, where hunting with hounds was almost unknown, the shooting of the game could quickly take a predominant place. It is impossible not to notice the striking resemblance between French Spaniel, Dutch Spaniel of Drente and Langhaar. For all that, a scholar would be one who could determine with certainty which is truly the oldest, and still more establish that one of these races is the ancestor of others. At most we can suppose that these three dogs appear as the national varieties of a European type present everywhere.

Like the French Spaniel, the Langhaar had to bow before the arrival of English dogs on the Continent (in the nineteenth century). Then, his fate even became darker because of the ascendency taken in Germany by the Shorthaired Pointer (Kurzhaar), then, at the beginning of the twentieth century, by the Stop Dog in Poil Dur (Drahthaar). The harsher and harder characters of the latter were, it is true, better adapted to all the tasks assigned to the dogs in this country, the hunt for stink and guard, among others. Since that time, therefore, it seems that Langhaar has mainly served to create or improve the other long-haired German races, which, moreover, have benefited from infusion of foreign blood. Thus, the Wachtelhund is derived in particular from Langhaar and British Spaniels. Similarly, the two Münsterlanders are from Langhaar with, it is said, a contribution of Breton Spaniel.

And then, all of a sudden, and very recently, the Langhaar has become established in the eyes of European specialists as a race capable of competing with the best continental dogs. In the fall of 1982, a Langhaar dog (driven by a Dutchman) won the world championship shooting field championship held that year in Spain. The following year, as if to prove that this feat was not the result of happy circumstances, another subject of the same race, still led by a member of the Dutch team, was second.

It was then claimed that his racy silhouette, his unicoloured brown dress, made one think of the Irish Setter, with the morphology of a continental dog; that his qualities of hunter, as brilliant as homogeneous, were not without evoking those of the German Pointer. It would be daring, to say the least, to think that modern Langhaar comes from these two races or that it owes them something of its renewal. Between the time when Langhaar was considered "endangered" and its recent successes in international championships, it can be said that nothing has happened that would allow such an assumption. No significant changes occurred in the characteristics of Langhaar, which was selected according to the criteria of purity of breed and performance breeding, which consists of maintaining and improving the dog's hunting qualities.

Currently, demand for Langhaar is increasing significantly in Germany and the Netherlands. In France, hunters are becoming interested in Langhaar, especially since Dutch amateurs have introduced it in competitions and dog shows. There is no doubt that the former German spaniel, tenacious, docile and enduring, has not lost any of these traits, but has won an incomparably larger, faster quest without showing 'impatience. The delicacy of his nose is perfectly adapted to the vivacity of his paces. If his flexible and active search does not predispose him to the hunt of the rabbits, his services allow to say that plain and wood are also suitable for him, with the partridges (or pheasants) as game, as well as the work with the water on ducks, in good Spaniel that it is.

It should be noted that the Langhaar bred in Germany is mainly used to find big game wounded, while that which is bred in the Netherlands is lighter and better adapted to the French needs for practical hunting in plain and water . It can be successfully presented in pulled game contests, at the International Practical Hunting Certificate, and also in Spring Fields. In keeping with the balance of his physical constitution, which joins an undeniable power with a noble hold, the Langhaar shows a stable and gentle temperament, typical of the Spaniel type. It is also a very flexible dog with dressage and particularly pleasant to live at home, where his kindness and his good humor are unanimous.

Today, the Langhaar has become the most successful Spaniel. Hopefully a wider spread will allow this beautiful and good dog to confirm this flattering reputation.

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German Long Haired Pointing Dog