History of the German Wirehaired Pointer

For those of you confused by the term German Wirehaired Pointer or GWP and its relationship to the Deutsch-Drahthaar it is simply this: The German Wirehair Pointer (GWP) is the result of Deutsch-Drahthaar being imported to the U.S. (Particularly after WWII) by individuals who eventually sought registration within the AKC. Once recognized by the AKC the trend was towards making the German Wirehair into a specialist hence the addition of the word “Pointer.” Over time the German Wirehaired Pointer was rarely used as a versatile hunter nor tested for those traits.

The German Wirehair has been bred without regulation or restriction since the late 1950’s, but especially without the performance testing that proves the ability of the Drahthaar. After years of unrestricted breeding and no versatile performance standards the German Wirehaired Pointer has evolved into a distinctly separate breed.

The Verein Deutsch-Drahthaar Group North America sought out and accomplished not only the importation of Deutsch-Drahthaar but the entire breeding and testing program. VDD is the world’s largest hunting dog breed organization. VDD/GNA is a full member of the VDD and at present the largest Group worldwide.

The German Wirehair has been bred without regulation or restriction since the late 1950’s, but especially without the performance testing that proves the ability of the Drahthaar.  After years of unrestricted breeding and no versatile performance standards the German Wirehaired Pointer has evolved into a distinctly separate breed.