Although the ancient griffon hound is believed to be extinct, his basic
characteristics are seen in the modern Wirehaired Pointing Griffon. In 1874,
a Dutchman named E.K. Korthals wanted to reestablish the griffon hound as
a sporting dog so he purchased what he thought was a dog of griffon hound
ancestry. Crossing this dog with other breeds which may have included the
German Short-haired Pointer and the French Griffon, he gave us the Wirehaired
Pointing Griffon of today. Because of its French ancestry, the Federation
Cynologique Internationale (FCI) recognizes it as a French breed. It was
introduced into the United States in the early 1900s and was the first pointing
breed with a harsh coat to be recognized by the American Kennel Club. Today
he is recognized not only by the FCI and AKC, but also the Canadian Kennel
Club.
The Wirehaired Pointing Griffon is a typical gun dog. He is a slow and careful
worker with a keen nose. He hunts any type of game, in any weather, on any
terrain. He is responsive and obedient and good with children. He is not
snappy or irritable and generally gets along well with other dogs.
The skull of the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon is long and narrow, with a
square muzzle. His ears are of medium size. They are set fairly high and
hang alongside of the head. The eyes are large and either yellow or light
brown in color. The nose is brown. The neck is long. The legs are straight
and muscular. The feet are round. The tail is docked to one-third of its
length and carried straight and gaily. The coat is double with a downy undercoat
and a hard, dry, stiff outer coat. Coat colors include steel gray with chestnut
splashes, gray white with chestnut splashes, dirty white with chestnut splashes,
or all chestnut. Black coat is not acceptable. Average height is between
nineteen-and-one-half inches to twenty-three-and-one-half inches. Average
weight is between fifty and sixty pounds.