Pointing Dogs

breeds of sporting dogs used for hunting birds. They are descendants of ancient sporting dogs of western and southern Europe, which were used for hunting birds with nets. Having found the bird, the dog was trained to lie down in front of it while the net was thrown over the dog and bird.

Pointing dogs scent out the bird, stop in front of it in a characteristic pose (the point), and then on command of the hunter rush forward and flush the bird into the line of fire. Usually the dog also finds and retrieves the shot bird. As result of training and special selection over many generations, the capacity for pointing in these breeds has been genetically reinforced. Pointing dogs are usually of medium height (large ones measure up to 68–70 cm high) and of lithe, strong build. The head is wedge-shaped and the ears pendant; the type of fur and the color vary.

Pointings dogs are very popular, the most common being the English pointing dogs (pointers and setters) and the German ones (for example, the short-haired, wire-haired, and long-haired pointers). The German breeds were developed in the late 19th century and early 20th by improving local old-type pointing dogs and the addition of the blood of a number of other breeds. Most common in the USSR is the German short-haired pointer, which was developed by the addition of English pointer blood.

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