According to Richard Beauchamp, Pointer historians acknowledge that at least four breeds went into the development of the modern Pointer: From the Greyhound came speed, elegance and grace, while the Bloodhound contributed its highly developed scenting ability and hardy constitution. A well developed rib cage, relentless endurance and additional scenting talent came from the Foxhound, while persistence, alertness and determination came from the Bull Terrier.
“Horses for Courses” is an old Brit saying that alludes to the fact that a racehorse performs best on a racecourse to which it is specifically suited. The term expanded to mean
using (and producing) a livestock animal suited for the terrain on which it works, and it came to be the basis upon which many of Britain’s dog breeds were developed. Referring back to Richard Beauchamp, he mentioned that to create this dog, it “required going to totally unrelated breeds for what was needed. At times a dash of one breed, a smattering of another and perhaps even a sprinkling of two or three others were necessary to complete the recipe for the ideal dog.”It might be the reason why the Pointer has been one of the most successful breeds in field trials, and why it’s so popular as a gun dog that in some parts of the United States, it’s simply known as the “Bird Dog.”
An image by illustrator Willy Bär from the 1970s.
Excellent. Thank you!
Thank you, Martha!! Thank you for taking the time to write!