Episode 4: Breed Origins Part 2 - East of the Rhine

06/11/20 • 74 min

We are deep into talking about the origins of pointing dogs; we’ve been looking back through history and discussing how dogs were developing alongside the hunting culture. In this episode, we focus on the development of hunting dogs east of the Rhine river: primarily in Germany, but also Hungary, Czech Republic, and Slovakia. Unlike what was going on across the river in France, these breeds owe their development to a qualification system of hunt tests, rather than competition through field trials.

Up until the early 1800s, this region was a collection of independent municipalities, each with their own wealthy lords and dukes. Hunting game was an exercise in excess; killing animals was done for sport without any thought of conservation or ethics. As the journey began to become a unified Germany, considerable effort was put into developing a system for an ethical and responsible approach to hunting game animals. As a result, there was a tremendous focus on using versatile dogs as conservation tools: the new dogs were to be used for tracking, recovering, and retrieving any shot game.

That focus on work “after the shot” has continued today. German breeds are particularly strong trackers and retrievers of both furred and feathered game, owing to this early focus on game recovery. In fact, Germany now places legal obligations on the hunter to ensure that their dog is properly tested and qualified to participate in the hunt. The idea of qualifying a hunting dog through a comprehensive testing system continues to this day, even making the jump to North America as NAVHDA.

Hunting in Germany looks a little different from hunting in North America, with more regulations and procedures to learn. Additionally, boar and deer are commonly targeted, usually through a method known as “Independent Forest Search”. Dogs are released into the forest to find game and drive it back toward the line of hunters. Special emphasis is placed on dogs that bark at the sight or scent of game, which alerts the hunters to the incoming animal.

Finally, we turn to the history of specific breeds from this region and share anecdotes from their development. How did the mantra “form follows function” lead to the development of the German Wirehaired Pointer? Why did the German Shorthaired Pointer practically overtake the North American versatile dog scene? How did a difference in color preference lead to the German Longhaired Pointer and the Large Munsterlander? Does the Small Munsterlander have a bit of a secret French accent? Why is it so difficult to find a Weimaraner from good hunting lines? Is the Pudelpointer the original designer dog? And finally, we step outside of Germany briefly to talk about the Vizsla: how do the Wirehaired and Hungarian Vizslas reflect the Hungarian people themselves?

Tune in to hear the stories, uncover the myths, and discover the history of the dogs that we know and love today.

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Hunting Dog Confidential is presented by Eukanuba Premium Performance Dog Food

Tune in to hear the stories, uncover the myths, and discover the history of the dogs that we know and love today.

Share | Comment, review and discuss this episode of the podcast in our Project Upland Community Facebook group.

Enjoy the show and don’t forget to rate, review, subscribe and share this podcast.

Hunting Dog Confidential is presented by Eukanuba Premium Performance Dog Food

Previous Episode

Episode 3: Breed Origins Part 1 - West of the Rhine

In this week’s episode, we explore the development of pointing dog breeds in the regions of Europe that fall west of the Rhine River, including Italy, Spain, and France. Aside from being a convenient geographic divide, the Rhine also roughly divided the hunting dog culture in how people used and promoted their dogs. Countries to the south and west generally followed the British method of “proofing” their dogs by competing in field trials that crowned a champion. In comparison, countries to the east and north generally followed a system based on meeting certain qualifications rather than a competitive system.

The first field trial was held in 1865 and, soon, field trials were being held all over western Europe. The growing popularity came at a time when people had time, money, and the ability to travel regionally to hunt and compete. The field trial approach fit well with the rise of individualism and independence.

Our discussion of specific dog breeds starts in Italy with two very old breeds: the Spinone and the Bracco Italiano. Craig shares some interesting history on the usage of the dogs as well as how they both embody the Italian love of style.

Moving northward, we discuss Eduard Korthals’s quest to create the perfect hunting dog, which ultimately resulted in the development of the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon. Unlike many other breeds, the history of the Griffon is well-documented as it followed the twists and turns of national politics and cultural identity. Thought it was created in Germany by a Dutch guy, the breed was ultimately adopted by the French and continues to see great international success today.

Finally, we move on to France, which is responsible for creating more pointing dog breeds than any other country in the world. After a quick vocabulary lesson on “Epagneul” vs. “Griffon” vs. “Braque”, we move on to cover a variety of French breeds, ranging from the popular Brittany to lesser known breeds like the Picardy Spaniel, Pont Audemer Spaniel, Braque du Bourbonnais, Braque Saint Germain, Braque d’Auvergne, and the Braque Francais. It’s a fascinating dive into French regions and the resilience of the people – and dogs – who survived life at the epicenter of two world wars.

Next Episode

Episode 5: Breed Origins Part 3 - United Kingdom and Ireland

In the final chapter of this mini-series on the origins of pointing dogs, we cross the English Channel to talk about Pointers and setters. Some might argue that by crossing the channel we are leaving behind the versatile breeds and are now looking at more specialized bird dogs. However, like everything else in the bird dog world, it’s a lot more complicated than that.

Pointers and setters likely came to England in the 1600s and 1700s, most likely originating from the area now serving as the border between France and Spain. However, it’s entirely possible that there were already longhaired hunting dogs in England that had shown some pointing behavior. The history is a little muddy, but one thing is for certain: Pointers and setters soon exploded in popularity among the wealthy and elite in England.

The agricultural revolution led to a better understanding of livestock breeding practices to enhance desired traits. Cows were bred to produce more milk, sheep were bred to produce more wool... and soon dogs were bred to point and hunt better. Dog shows and field trials became a natural extension of the livestock shows and trials. Competition took off and the dogs became supercharged versions of themselves.

Over in Ireland, setters were developing as skilled hunting companions in the moors. The original setter was likely red and white, but soon breeders were looking for that gorgeous, solid red coat of today’s Irish setter. The red and white setter nearly died out, but thankfully breed enthusiasts fought to bring it back from the brink of extinction. At the same time, little black and tan dogs were being bred and shaped into the Gordon setter that we know today.

When considered as a group, the British and Irish breeds represent hunting dogs with style. They perform all the same tasks as the rest of the pointing breeds, but they do it with an undeniable beauty and intensity. It’s not hard to see why they were desired throughout Europe and nearly caused the loss of many of the continental breeds.

Tune in to learn more about some of the trickier questions. What does “setter” really mean? Are we supposed to put “English” in front of the Pointer? And perhaps most fascinating... why has retrieving traditionally not been a priority for these dogs?

And don’t forget about our very first giveaway! We have a few free download codes for Project Upland’s first upland classic release on Audible: Woodcock Shooting by Edmund Davis. Want to check it out? Lucky winners will be chosen from those who make a meaningful contribution to the podcast this week – so leave a review and send us a note at [email protected] to be entered to win!

Share | Comment, review and discuss this episode of the podcast in our Project Upland Community Facebook group.

Enjoy the show and don’t forget to rate, review, subscribe and share this podcast.

Hunting Dog Confidential is presented by Eukanuba Premium Performance Dog Food