When we first saw this breed, our fleeting first impression was, “Pudelpointer, a Griffon-something, maybe a Drahthaar or Wirehaired Weimaraner (we said we didn’t give it much thought because to our knowledge, Wirehaired Weims aren’t recognized as such anywhere)…..

We were a bit off.

Meet the Slovakian Rough-Haired Pointer, sometimes called the Slovensky Pointer (or, if you speak Slovak, Slovenský hrubosrstý stavač).  The breed was developed in Czechoslovakia following World War II by breeders who thought that if they combined three well regarded, established breeds, they’d get super dog. The earliest ancestors, however, may have been pups born in litters of Cesky Fousek puppies who differed from their littermates in a very visual way: They were gray.  Speculation remains about how this happened, and overtures to have the dogs recognized by the Weimaraner Klub of Germany as Wirehaired Weimaraners were rebuffed. By the end of the 70s when it was apparent that such recognition wasn’t going to happen, breeders named their dogs the Slovakian Rough-Haired Pointer. By the 80s, over 400 dogs from three distinct lines were registered with the Slovakian Hunters Union.

Most experts believe that Weimaraners, German Wirehaired Pointers and the Cesky Fousek were used to developed the breed which has the distinctive coloring reminiscent of its Weimaraner ancestor. Sixty years of tweaking has produced an excellent all-around tracking dog. Breeders continue work to improve the breed’s speed and range, and in Slovakia, their efforts are overseen by the parent club, the Klub Chovatelov SHS (you’ll need to translate it) which organizes performance tests and oversees a breeding program.

Just so that you know, the breed is pronounced Slo-VEN-skee-H’roo-BOSS-risty-STAV-atch. We predict the name will roll off your tongue with ease after downing a few glasses of Slivovitsa. It’s made with plums. It’s health food. Or medicinal. Really.

Image found on Pinterest and happily credited upon receipt of information