German Wirehaired Pointer is a muscular, medium-sized dog with a distinctive appearance. It is intelligent, determined, and energetic.
This dog is adaptable to different climates, with a wiry coat and facial furnishings of the same texture, displaying typical pointing dog temperament.
It has a calm and cautious temperament, showing indifference to external things and unfriendliness to strangers.
The German Wirehaired Pointer is a relatively young breed developed in Germany in the mid-20th century. Early wirehaired pointing dogs were created by crossing several breeds, such as the German Foxhound, German Pointing Dog, Bloodhound, English Pointer, Polish Water Dog, German Shepherd, and Griffon. It is because of this that this breed possesses multiple hunting skills both on land and in water, which hunters find very satisfactory.
By 1850, Germany was experiencing frequent conflicts, and along with improved hunting guns and bullets, it greatly promoted the flourishing development of the hunting profession. Almost everyone went hunting, and as this activity became more popular, the number of hunting dogs naturally increased. Slowly, there were professionals responsible for breeding hunting dogs.
Although the wirehaired pointing dog was extremely popular in early Germany, it wasn't until 1870 that it was first recognized locally and allowed to enter the German Kennel Club in 1928. It was then registered as an independent breed. It was introduced to the United States in 1920. In 1953, the United States also established the German Wirehaired Pointer Club. In 1959, this breed was allowed to obtain AKC pedigree certificates, and the name of the national club was officially changed to the American German Wirehaired Pointer Club.
The hunting characteristics of the German Wirehaired Pointer determine that it is not suitable for a stable urban life. It is not easily trained, requires a large amount of exercise, and is best raised by an experienced and sport-loving person. When going out, be sure to keep it on a leash to prevent it from running around and chasing small animals or people.
1. Canine Infectious Diseases
Common infectious diseases in dogs include canine distemper and canine coronavirus. The typical clinical symptoms are fever, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, difficulty breathing, bloody stool, purulent eye discharge, dry nose, cracked paws, and other symptoms.
These highly contagious and often fatal diseases are most common in dogs during the weaning period or around 1 year old. Puppies are more susceptible and have a lower cure rate, with a higher risk of leaving sequelae.
How to prevent:
When bringing a dog home, it is recommended for the owner to choose a dog through proper channels and vaccinate the dog on time. Regular disinfection should be done at home. Do not take the dog out for walks until it has completed the vaccination process. Avoid contact with unfamiliar dogs and do not allow others to touch the dog's mouth and nose casually.
2. Canine Skin Diseases
As dogs often go for walks outside, they are prone to various skin diseases. If a dog accidentally becomes infected with mites, bacteria, or fungi outside, there is a risk of long-term difficult-to-cure conditions. Therefore, every dog owner must pay attention. Clinical manifestations of canine skin diseases include greasy skin, peeling, redness, itching, papules, ulcers, pus discharge, hair loss, scab formation, etc.
How to prevent:
In daily care, it is necessary to keep the dog's living environment clean and tidy and avoid dark and humid conditions. In addition, regular disinfection of the dog's living environment is needed. Implement internal and external parasite control for dogs, use dog-specific bathing products, regularly groom the dog's fur, and supplement with vitamins and fish oil.
3. Canine Parasites
Common parasites in dogs include roundworms, heartworms, ticks, fleas, etc., which often cause skin diseases and intestinal diseases in dogs. They may also cause vomiting and diarrhea in cats, affecting the quality of life and physical development of dogs. Dogs with parasites are generally thin, weak, and listless.
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How to prevent:
During feeding, owners need to be cautious and avoid giving dogs unsterilized raw meat and unknown sources of meat. Deworming should be done every 3 months, external parasite control should be done once a month, and precautions should be taken to prevent dogs from eating or licking indiscriminately and entering grassy areas. After returning home, a careful examination should be conducted.
When raising a German Wirehaired Pointer, it is important to pay attention to its level of activity. It is best to take it for a walk 2-3 times a day, typically once in the morning and again in the evening or afternoon. If it is kept indoors for long periods of time without sufficient exercise, it can become restless and even show signs of dullness or illness.
Due to the special coat of this dog, it needs to be regularly brushed or combed with a bristle brush. It has long and dense fur on the chest, abdomen, and legs, which often drags on the ground. If not regularly groomed, it can become dirty and even form knots, which not only affects its appearance but also exposes it to bacterial infections. In addition to regular brushing, it should also be bathed periodically.
1. Cannot bathe frequently
Bathing the dog, of course, should not be too frequent. The frequency of bathing the dog depends on the dog's hygiene. In hot weather in the summer, bathe the dog more often, and in winter, reduce it by one or two times. But in general, it should not exceed 5 times. Otherwise, it will damage its fur and skin!
2. Regular brushing
Dogs shed almost every day, especially in the spring and autumn seasons, when seasonal shedding is more severe. To promote good hair growth, regular brushing is an important step. Pet owners can use pet-specific brushes to help the dog clean naturally shed fur and avoid tangling. Brushing once in the morning and once in the evening for about five minutes each time is sufficient.
3. Sunbathing
Sunbathing benefits the growth of the dog's fur. In addition to making the fur more shiny, letting the dog sunbathe can also help disinfection. While sunbathing, owners can let the dog exercise, which can help improve the dog's physical fitness and promote blood circulation for healthier hair growth.
4. Deworming
Poor fur quality is closely related to parasites. Parasites absorb a large amount of nutrients from the dog's body, depriving them of nutrition, so deworming is necessary. It is recommended to do internal and external deworming together. Deworming medication can cause significant damage to the dog's stomach and intestines, so it is advisable to feed probiotics to alleviate gastrointestinal discomfort.
5. Pay attention to diet
In order to have a shiny coat, dogs must have a good nutritional foundation and pay attention to daily diet. On the one hand, feed the dog with nutritious and healthy dog food, choose a suitable and nutritious dog food that meets the dog's needs. On the other hand, feed the dog an appropriate amount of lean meat, cooked egg yolks, and vegetable oil.
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