A breeding character trait

In principle, all pointers work in the same way. Dogs work in a range where wind conditions are maximised, and the characteristics of pointers is that they stop, stand and point towards the prey. The phenomenon of the dog pointing comes from certain sensory impressions triggered by the sense of smell. This special ability to point has been developed over many generations and is stimulated through training. Without getting too technical, the dog is able to point after localising the bird. The dog's behaviour causes the bird to "press” against the ground, believing that it will not be discovered. The dog must maintain its stance until the hunter appears and is able to shoot. On command, the dog must advance and make the bird take off, so that the hunter can shoot, and hopefully fell the bird, which the dog must then retrieve. Today, when you distinguish between the two groups of pointer, the English and continental breeds, the main difference is their backgrounds. As well as being able to point, the continental breeds are generally more robust and, to some extent, more versatile than the English pointers. This is mainly due to the fact that the continental breeds also have a willingness to track the ground, making them able to handle wild game. That is why you often see continental breeds registered as Schweisshunds in Denmark. These tend to be the wirehaired or shorthaired Old Danish Chicken Dog.

Continental dog breeds

The most common continental breeds in Denmark are briefly presented here. We recommend looking at the very informative websites of each breed-specific club. There is plenty of information about the breeds here, such as lists of activities, who is expecting or has puppies available, as well as contact information, including contact persons.

Field trials for gun dogs

Both the continental breed clubs and the testing bodies highly value post-shoot work. The clubs use challenging retrieving trials and Schweisshund trials, and the most challenging among the continental breeds is said to be the 'all-purpose" field trial ('fuldbrugsprøven'). Here the dog is tested in many different disciplines. Read more on the link about this type of working trial, which includes working in fields and forests, retrieving on land and in water, fox retrieving and obedience. www.fuldbrugsproeve.dk Continental breeds do not have to work in as broad a range as the English pointer breeds, and in field trials their musculoskeletal system, such as their gallop and how they hold their head, are not weighted as highly as in the English camp. A continental dog needs to thoroughly negotiate the terrain and to maintain good contact with its handler, and it is important that the dog is effective – both before and after the shoot. How the dogs work and what is most important for them to do first naturally differs between the breeds. The size of the search range must be adapted to the terrain, and a continental dog must be able to work in fields, forests and bogs. You could say that the larger and stronger continental breeds have an advantage when it comes to retrieving. This is partly because they are very robust, enduring and can work in rough terrain. But they are also excellent at retrieving e.g, foxes, and also have sufficient sharpness when it comes to retrieving any wild game that has been shot. The continental breeds are popular with Danish hunters, and in 2019, the wire-haired Old Danish Chicken Dog was the 8th most popular breed in Denmark, the Small Münsterlænder was number 21 and the short-haired Old Danish Chicken Dog was number 22 on the list of the most popular breeds in Denmark.

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