British breeders back in the day focused on breeding gundogs for specific types of game, terrain, and tasks (think Cocker Spaniel, a woodcock specialist) but in mainland Europe, hunters kept one one or two dogs, and those dogs had to perform a variety of tasks. This group of “all purpose” gundogs are known as HPRs, or hunt/point/retrieve breeds. The Spinone Italiano, Vizsla, and Weimaraner would be considered HPR breeds, as is the German Pointer, a versatile hunting dog that can work on grasslands, marshes, and hills.  Created by Prince Albrecht zu Solms-Braunfels, the breed was the result of crosses with German Hounds, Pointers and retrievers (thought to includes the heavy, houndy Schweisshund) that produced a superlative hunter.

Three varieties of German Pointers are known to us today: the German Shorthaired Pointer, the German Longhaired Pointer, and the German Wirehaired, the latter coming later in development.

We don’t hear much about GLPs in this country, but the breed was recognized in 1879, and its breed standard has not changed to this day. At some point, development included breedings with the Medieval Wachtelhund and other long-haired breeds,  and these were the beginnings of the German longhaired pointing breeds which now include the Deutsch-Langhaar,  Large Munsterlander and the Small Munsterlander.

German Longhaired Pointer image found on Pinterest and happily credited upon receipt of information