Dog
Group:
Sporting 
Pointer Champions
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Pronunciation:
poin-ter
Breed Description:
The Pointer breed of dog should be an athletic large sized breed that is well-balanced and in proportion. The breed is known for their noble carriage from their symmetrical body that is slightly longer than they are tall to their square head with long hanging ears. The build of the dog should be muscular and there should never be excess weight on them. The top line is level and the tail is long and tapered to a point.
The coat of the Pointer should be very shiny and it should consist of an abundance of short hairs. The coat should be smooth and should have a slightly hard texture to them. The Pointer is often white with markings of either black, orange, liver and lemon but they can also be solid in any of the colors or speckled.
Temperament:
The Pointer breed of dog is an intelligent breed that is often described as hard working and energetic. This is a breed that was designed to do a job and they are always looking for a way to do it. The breed does very well in a range of roles and while they do enjoy being active, they can still be a wonderful family dog. They are excellent with children but care should be taken wiht younger children since the breed can be very jumpy and may unintentionally hurt a child. They are very affectionate dogs and while they are naturally reserved and wary of strangers, they can be socialized to accept everyone. The Pointer usually does well with other animals but again, socialization is important.
Height:
The average height for a Pointer is between 23 to 26 inches for a female and 25 to 28 inches for a male.
Weight:
The average weight for a Pointer is between 45 to 65 pounds for a female and 55 to 75 pounds for a male.
Health Problems:
The Pointer breed of dog is considered to be a veyr healthy breed, however, there are a number of health problems that have been seen including Skin cysts, Allergies, Entropion, Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Hip Dysplasia, Cataracts, Chondrodysplasia, Epilepsy, Addison's Disease, Demodectic Mange, Neurotropic Osteopathy and Cherry Eye.
Living Conditions:
The Pointer breed of dog is not recommended for apartments and really need ample room to run in. The ideal home is one with a large fenced yard or acreage.
Exercise:
The Pointer breed of dog is a very energetic breed of dog and will need about 60 minutes of exercise each day to stay healthy and happy. It is important to note that the breed will become very destructive if they are bored so exercise is very important. This breed makes an excellent jogging companion.
Life Expectancy:
12 to 14 years
Grooming:
The Pointer breed of dog is a very easy breed to groom and they require little to no maintenance to keep their coats healthy. On average, you should expect to brush your dog on a weekly basis to remove dead hairs and dirt. A wipe down with a damp cloth will keep them clean and they should only be bathed when it is absolutely necessary. Ears should be cleaned on a regular basis since they can be prone to ear infections and nails should be clipped once or twice a month.
Origin:
The Pointer breed of dog was developed in England and while we have pinpointed its origins to sometime around the early 1700's, the actual breed that went into creating it is disputed between either the Spanish Pointer, which was imported into England in 1713, or the French Pointer, which was established in England well before that time. Regardless of what the first foundation breed was, we do know that many other breeds went into the creation of the Pointer including the Bloodhound, Foxhound, Greyhound and Bull Terrier in a hopes of taking the best traits to create an ideal hunting dog. The end result was the Pointer, which shone as a versatile hunting dog that was used for hunting both fowl and other animals. The breed gained popularity in England very quickly and by 1870, it was brought to the United States where it continued to grow in popularity. Comments
The standards for all the breeds accepted to the AKC are used here for breed information, and those not part of the AKC are resourced from FCI standard information, where it is written and coded into the club rules for those breeds.
