Wirehaired Pointing Griffon. Nikki Moustaki

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       Griffs are very affectionate dogs, responding positively to loving attention and approval from their owners.

      Entropion can occur in the WPG’s eyelids, causing the eyelashes to rub against the sensitive tissues of the eye. This is a genetic problem and is very painful to the dog, requiring surgery to correct it. A dog affected by entropion which has been surgically corrected cannot compete in dog shows.

       THE IDEAL GRIFF OWNER

      The ideal owner for a WPG is an individual avid hunter or a hunting family. Many people see photos of the Griff and decide that they would love to wake up every day to that charming, woolly face. The reality is, however, that not everyone is the ideal owner for this breed, no matter how cute its fuzzy face is or how good the prospective owner’s intentions are. This dog loves—and lives—to hunt. He will not be content as a house dog, nor will any amount of jogging satisfy his energy level. He needs to burn off hunting energy, not just physical energy.

      Breeders are producing better, faster and more instinct-driven dogs. Bringing one of these dogs into a pet-only home is like lighting matches in a gasoline refinery. These dogs want and need to hunt. Most are only truly happy running 5 miles or more through cover each day, following scents and pointing game. This doesn’t mean that you have to hunt every day—or that you have to hunt at all—but you have to allow the dog to hunt, no matter if you’re going to shoot a bird or not. According to some breed enthusiasts, the WPG that isn’t allowed to hunt will get flabby and soft and will lose some of his personality. The Griff is happiest when working hard.

      These dogs also like to retrieve and find great pleasure in doing a good job for their owners. They are great at retrieving a ball (when there’s no dead bird to bring back) and will play ball tirelessly with the kids until the kids are exhausted.

      The WPG is not an apartment dog, unless that apartment is smack in the middle of some pretty great hunting grounds. It’s not a breed that will typically do well in an urban setting. It simply needs a more natural environment and plenty of space to run.

       RESCUE

      Even though this is a rare breed, there are some Griffs that find their way into WPG rescue organizations. These dogs are in need of good, permanent homes. They are often older dogs and may have some behavioral issues to contend with. This doesn’t mean that a rescued dog won’t make a great pet or hunter. On the contrary, many rescued dogs excel at every lesson, simply happy to have a kind owner and a warm home. Beware, however, that some rescued Griffs might not get along with cats or other pets that may effect a prey-driven response.

       A multi-Griff household can be lots of fun—if you have the room and the time.

      A rescued Griff might not come with registration papers, but you can petition the AKC for an ILP (Indefinite Listing Privilege) number for your spayed or neutered dog, allowing the dog to compete for obedience, agility, hunting, tracking and Junior Showmanship titles.

      The breed standard for the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon is the “blueprint” by which all WPGs are judged. Breeders aspire to have their puppies meet this standard as closely as possible. The standard considers the appearance of the dog as well as the movement and temperament. If a dog is to compete in conformation shows, he must conform to this standard. The WPG that wins any conformation show is the dog in the ring which the judge believes to be the closest to the standard. The dogs aren’t really competing against each other—they are being compared to this standard and measured against it.

       Dog in profile showing typical shaggy outline with correct type, balance and structure of an active hunter.

      The American Kennel Club (AKC) registers over one million dogs each year, sponsors over 15,000 shows and trials held by their licensed and member clubs and works diligently to support the breeders, exhibitors and judges who make the dog sport happen. The parent club for the WPG is the American Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Association, and it is the standard of the AWPGA, as adopted by the AKC, that we present here. Following the AKC standard is the French working standard for the breed, established in 1984, which details the breed’s hunting style and is a reference for fanciers around the world.

       AKC STANDARD FOR THE WIREHAIRED POINTING GRIFFON

      General Appearance: Medium sized, with a noble, square-shaped head, strong of limb, bred to cover all terrain encountered by the walking hunter. Movement showing an easy catlike gracefulness. Excels equally as a pointer in the field, or a retriever in the water. Coat is hard and coarse, never curly or woolly, with a thick undercoat of fine hair, giving an unkempt appearance. His easy trainability, devotion to family and friendly temperament endear him to all. The nickname of “supreme gundog” is well earned.

       Head study featuring typical ragamuffin appearance and proper structure, type and proportion.

      Size, Proportion, Substance: Size—22 to 24 inches for males, 20 to 22 inches for females. Correct size is important. Oversize to be severely penalized. Proportion—Slightly longer than tall, in a ratio of 10 to 9. Height from withers to ground; length from point of shoulder to point of buttocks. The Griffon must not evolve towards a square conformation. Substance medium, reflecting his work as an all-terrain hunting dog.

      Head: The head is to be in proportion to the overall dog. The skull is of medium width with equal length from nose to stop and from stop to occiput. The skull is slightly rounded on top, but from the side the muzzle and head are square. The stop and occiput are only slightly pronounced. The required abundant mustache and eyebrows contribute to the friendly expression. The eyes are large and well open, more rounded than elliptical. They have an alert, friendly and intelligent expression. Eye color ranges in all shades of yellow and brown. Haws should not show nor should there be protruding eyes. The ears should be of medium size, lying flat and close to the head, set high, at the height of the eye line. Nose—Well open nostrils are essential. Nose color is always brown. Any other color is a disqualification. Bite—Scissors. Overshot or undershot bite is a serious fault.

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