The idea of naming a Large Münsterländer,”Herman” appeals to us for the same reason we’ve always wanted to have a heifer so we could name it, “Hugh,” or a llama we could name, “Fernando” (either you “get” this or you don’t). That said,  owners of Large Münsterländers affectionately call their versatile hunting dogs, “Münsters,” so named for the area of Germany from which the breed hails.

The popular hunting and companion dog was an offshoot of the German Longhaired Pointer created when its club refused to recognize the black color variation. The breed was recognized by The Kennel Club in 1919, and a breed standard followed in 1921.

This is a strong dog in water, and longer hair helps protect him against the briars and brambles, and when fetching waterfowl out of freezing cold water. Münsters search for and points upland gamebirds, track feathered and furry game, and retrieve any game shot with a gun. Those who shoot over the dog say it’s a consistent and stylish pointer that hunts closer to the gun than some other breeds, and fills a habitat gap where some birds might be overlooked. The Münster is a popular breed to train for testing in NAVHDA, and because it’s natural hunter, many people find they can train the dogs themselves without hiring a professional.

The Large Munsterlander was introduced to the United States in 1966, and it’s thought that over 2,000 pup have been registered in North America.  Two clubs in North America can provide information about the breed: The Large Munsterlander Club of North America was revised in 2012, bringing rise to the Large Munsterlander Association of America, and the Large Munsterlander Association of Canada.

Large Munsterlander by LA Shepard
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