What is the hallmark of your breed?

Most might say that a corded coat is a hallmark in our own breed, the Puli, but what would its hallmark would be if the coat was shaved off.  It makes you think, and it should. A breed is much more than its coat.

Among Pointer owners, the head is typically mentioned as an important characteristic, and oh, what a head!

Parallel planes, chiseled cheeks, and a pronounced stop are just the beginning.  The tip of a Pointer’s wide-open nose is slightly higher than the muzzle at the stop because of the way the nasal bone is formed giving this breed a singularly unique profile referred to as a “dish face”  (parallel planes of the muzzle and skull are also okay, which is to say that the tip of the nose is level with the stop). To our knowledge, the Pointer has the only breed standard that allows for two different head planes, both being equally acceptable.

The skull is about as wide as the muzzle is long, and this gives the impression of length rather than width, but this is important as it allows the dog to carry large birds, such as pheasant and grouse, in his mouth.

A slight depression under the eyes, a bony arch above them, and a slight furrow between the eyes gives the dog the expression of someone trying to work out the meaning of life.

There is one other “hallmark” of the Pointer, and that is its tail. Lashing from side to side as the dog moves, the tail is often referred to as a “bee sting tail” by some Pointer breeders, though it’s never identified in the standard by that description. The tail is heavier at the root and tapers to a fine point, but it should never extend past the hocks, and it’s never carried with a curl. It should never be carried more than 20 degrees above the topline of the dog, and, in fact, a horizontal carriage is preferable. Most importantly, it should be straight.

So we ask again. What are hallmarks of your breed?

Pointer people, show off your love of your breed with our popular Sporting dogs hat that you can get here. Also available in a t-shirt.

Image: Vintage Bronze Sculpture of Two Hunting Dogs currently for sale here.