Page 220 - Showsight April 2013

Leg furnishings should not be excessive
and should have some wiry texture. The
hair in the liver body patches may be
shorter than the rest of the outer coat. The
correct puppy coat may be shorter than
that of an adult coat but will show some
signs of the coarse texture. The coat on
this breed was originally intended to be
“wash and wear”, designed by a pragmatic
people who would not be bothered with a
high maintenance coat. However, there are
many inconsistencies in coat type and tex-
ture. It is not uncommon to see a smooth
coat. Obviously this is incorrect. A shorter,
harsh coat with wiry texture and evidence
of guard hairs is perfectly acceptable. Soft,
wooly or cottony coats are not protective
and should be penalized. They merely tend
to attract dirt, burrs and seeds and are det-
rimental in the water. Coats should not be
clippered or scissored—there should be
no need for it. Bad coats can be trimmed
and made to appear quite acceptable, but a
judge can only evaluate what is presented
to him. Excessive grooming to present a
dog artificial in appearance is truly not
desirable in this breed.
The color of the dog is liver and white
and may have roaning, ticking or patches;
or it may also be solid liver, sometimes
with a white blaze on its chest or with some
amount of white on its feet. In relation to
our standard, “liver” can vary in shade
from chocolate to dark seal brown, and can
appear to be almost black in certain light-
ing. A liver and white or solid liver dog will
always have a brown nose, as is required in
the standard. Although the standard says
that “any black in the coat is to be severely
penalized”, I have never seen a liver or liver
and white dog with any black in its coat
and I don’t believe that it is genetically pos-
sible. If the dog has a brown nose, you can
be assured that it is liver and white without
any black in its coat. A black and white dog
will have a black nose and is not accom-
modated in our standard, although it is
acceptable in some other countries. The
head and ears are also required to be liver,
but a blaze on the head is perfectly accept-
able, providing that the color around both
eyes is liver. The beard of a dog may be dis-
colored due to sun or saliva and should not
be faulted. Judges should always be aware
of the color of a dog and keep in mind that
the standard calls for a liver and white dog.
Temperament is sound and reliable. A
GWP may be aloof to strangers and ini-
tially cautious. This caution should not be
misinterpreted as shyness. Temperament
should always be sound and aggression
toward people should never be tolerated.
Breeders of German Wirehaired Point-
ers have made every effort to keep bench
and field dogs “one breed”. Considering
the total number of GWPs registered, we
have a very large number of Dual Champi-
ons and dual titled dogs. There have been
several Dual Champion Best in Show dogs
and it is not unusual for a Dual Cham-
pion to win the GWPCA National Field
Championship. Wirehairs have become
contenders in the show ring and at field
trials. Judges can help us in our endeavor
by keeping the working qualities of the
breed in mind when evaluating our dogs.
Above all, please don’t fault judge. Stan-
dards often point out faults and areas to be
penalized without bothering to emphasize
the importance of positive characteristics.
Consider the dog as a total package and
remember that our goal is to continue to
produce dogs that can do what they were
originally intended to do—hunt long,
hard and intelligently.
BIO
Judy has had German Wirehaired
Pointers since 1976, breeding and/or own-
ing multiple BIS dogs and group winners
under the “Heywire” prefix, as well as
obedience dogs to the UD level and field
dogs with both the Master Hunter and
Field Champion titles. She is approved
by AKC to judge several breeds, including
GWPs, and also has judged AKC Hunting
Tests and Field Trials. Judy is currently
Chair of the GWPCA Judges Education
Committee and the Show Events Advisory
Committee and has served the parent club
in the past as President, Secretary and
“AKC Gazette” columnist.
220 • ShowSight Magazine, April 2013