Did you know?
The concept of the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon emerged after Mendel’s experiments on inheritance were published in the late 19th century, a period of biological awakening.
Breeders sought to produce a rough-coated sporting breed of great swimming and retrieving ability.
Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
A dog wags its tail with its heart. – Martin Buxbaum
Bourg-Royal’s Maggie
“Maggie”
Once known as the Korthals Griffon, the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon (WPG) was created in Holland and is fairly rare in North America. A hunter named Korthals set out to create a dog as good as the English gun dogs but better suited to extreme cold, marshland, and thick, rough undergrowth. By the 1870s, the WPG was born. Bred to hunt birds, he is a versatile gun dog capable of working in the most rugged conditions.
The Wirehaired Pointing Griffon stands up to 23 1/2 inches (60 cm) tall. He has a harsh, stiff, protective, outer coat that has been described as similar to the bristles of a wild boar! He has a soft undercoat. The WPG’s coat is steel grey with chestnut splashes, grey-white with chestnut splashes, chestnut, or dirty white mixed with chestnut. His tail is cropped. His mustache, and eyebrows give him an appealing expression.
Photos displayed courtesy of Gilbert Tremblay/Renee Fortier, Bourg-Royal’s Kennel, Quebec
Under that shaggy, unkempt appearance is an outgoing, loyal, and affectionate dog who will make a wonderful addition to the right family. The Griffon loves children and adults alike, and though he will bark at strangers, he’s too friendly to make an effective guard dog. He generally gets along well with other dogs.
The Wirehaired Pointing Griffon has a quick, intelligent mind and is easy to train. Obedience training and socialization should begin early for all dogs so they develop good manners.
Sometimes known as the “supreme gundog”, the WPG is a hardy, active hunter with a keen nose. Griffons were developed to accompany the walking hunter and as such are slower than, and don’t range as far as, the other sporting breeds. He is also a strong swimmer and an excellent water retriever. Loving nothing more than a long ramble through the woods, the WPG is not an indoor dog. He will become very restless without exercise but will thrive with an active family in a rural environment where there is plenty of room to run.
Ch Duchasseur Moustache FD FDX
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