Wirehaired Pointing Griffon. Nikki Moustaki

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       The Griff thrives on doing his job and on his owner’s praise.

       THE GRIFF ON THE HUNT

      The Griff is indeed the consummate hunter, but it also competes successfully in agility events, obedience trials and tracking tests. Its proponents call it “the best-kept secret of the Sporting Group.” The breed’s versatility is what appeals to most of its fans. These dogs hunt successfully in all terrains and all weather, and they are competent swimmers. The breed was originally produced to hunt upland game birds, but it will also retrieve waterfowl and track and point on fur-bearing animals as well. It is known as an “all-game” dog.

      Bill Marlow, president of the American Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Association, hunts his WPGs for pheasant and quail on the eastern shore of Maryland and hunts with the same dogs in canyons in Idaho on horseback. He has hunted ducks in Alaska and geese in Virginia with his dogs. “They swim and they have webbed feet and a dual coat like a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, and yet they’ll point and retrieve upland game at the same time,” said Marlow. “You can go duck hunting early in the morning, and when the ducks stop flying you can get up out of the blind and walk out into the field and go quail hunting, and the dog will find and point quail and will hold that point and retrieve the quail for you.”

      The WPG has deep roots in the hunting dogs of Europe. As a result, the hunting instinct is very dominant in these dogs, without exception. Puppies will even begin pointing game at seven weeks old. Most people who own and breed these dogs will say, emphatically, that this dog is not a pet. This is not to say that the Griff isn’t a great companion because he is indeed a sensitive family dog, able to read moods and sprawl happily at his owners’ feet at the end of a day of rigorous hunting or running.

      The Griff’s hunting style is more “European,” being a close-ranging hunter, bred to hunt with a human on foot, not on horseback. How far WPGs range depends on the type of cover and terrain, and they generally hunt in front of their human companion, though they will fall behind if the hunter passes a tightly sitting bird. Because they range close, voice commands and hand signals are ideal for WPGs.

      Though they are known to be close-ranging hunters, some individuals have their own idea of how they should behave in the field. Bill Jensen, an AWPGA member and WPG breeder, once had a dog with an unusual hunting style. “I had one dog that was a ‘run-off,’” said Jensen. “He was absolutely self-driven. He wasn’t a team player. He was a French import and a wild, crazy dog—a very talented dog—but that one characteristic was frustrating. I never used him for breeding.”

       With a wiry coat to protect him in the field, the WPG is well suited to working in many types of terrain.

       The versatile Griff can be an excellent retriever in water and on land if properly trained.

      Breeders are adamant that the WPG does not end up in “pet-only” homes. Not only does that situation eliminate dogs from the preciously guarded breeding pool in the US, it also prevents the dogs from doing what they were created for—hunting. The dog comes alive when he’s hunting. The moment the owner puts on his hunting vest, the dog knows that they are going out into the field.

      There are a few Griffs each year that are destined for pet homes, usually those dogs that aren’t “acceptable” in terms of temperament and conformation. These dogs will be spayed or neutered and sold at a lesser price. It’s still important, however, that the dog be allowed to exercise himself by running as if on a hunt; according to WPG breeders and owners, jogging, walking or bicycling the dog around will not do. For the most part, even those dogs with minor conformational faults are still generally sold to hunting families and turn out to be remarkable hunters.

      These are not city-dwelling dogs, though they are quite adaptable. They are more suited for country living where wide open spaces afford them the ability to dash around. The breed’s interest in the outdoors will not fade just because its owners do not hunt or hunt only occasionally.

      Many hunters compete in AKC hunt tests where the WPGs excel over such dogs as the English Setter, German Shorthaired Pointer and Pointer. The WPGs are often the envy of the owners of other breeds. Marlow remembers fondly the first hunt test he went to with a WPG. “On the second day of the test I came up to the line and some of the fellows who didn’t know the dog with me said, ‘The guy’s got a Poodle! Look at that!’ The other guy turned to the first guy and said, ‘I saw this dog yesterday, and you’re going to wish you had one of those Poodles!’ Well, we started, and we didn’t get 20 feet before my dog was pointing a bird. There weren’t supposed to be any birds for another half mile, but she goes on point anyway, and I was really embarrassed. I pulled on her and said, ‘Let’s go,’ but the judge said I’d better step into the bush, and sure enough a bird took off! We were probably the fifth or sixth brace, so that meant that there were no less than ten dogs that had run right past that quail and never stopped.”

       WPG DEVELOPMENTAL TIMELINE

1851	Eduard Karel Korthals born—Amsterdam, The Netherlands
1867	Mouche whelped
1870–71	Franco-Prussian War
1873	Korthals begins serious breeding program
1874–77	Korthals acquires Mouche, Janus, Junon, Banco, Hector and Satan
1875	Banco whelped
1877–79	Korthals moves to Biebesheim am Rhein, Germany
1879	Donna acquired in Germany—longer coat
1882	Illness destroys 16 young dogs in Korthals’s kennel
1885	Vesta leased as a brood bitch. Good producer—rough coat
1887	Korthals and 16 other breeders sign and publish the breed standard
1887	Zoletta registered with AKC
1888	International Griffon Club formed
1895	Southern German Griffon Club in Bavaria formed
1895	Royal Belgium Griffon Club formed
1896	Korthals dies
1901	Club Français du Griffon d’Arrêt a Poil Dur Korthals formed in France
1911	De Nederlandse Griffonclub formed in The Netherlands
1916	The Griffon Club of America (GCA) formed and breed standard adopted
1916	Sixteen Griffons exhibited at Westminster Kennel Club
1917	New Country Life magazine article published, peaking interest in the breed
1939–45	World War II—serious breeding activity stopped due to war—GCA ceases to exist
1951	New club formed—Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Club of America (WPGCA)
1980s	WPGCA splits into two groups; those wanting to crossbreed with Cesky Fousek and those who don’t
1991	American Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Association formed by those choosing not to crossbreed (AWPGA)
1991	AKC recognizes AWPGA as official national parent club for Griffons in the US

      ^*Chart courtesy of the American Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Association

      Overall, the WPG is an energetic hunter and a charming companion, often surprising in his abilities. For the avid hunter, this breed is a blessing, an exceptional СКАЧАТЬ