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In addition
to proving that they are worthy gundogs, German Longhaired Pointers
are evaluated in several other areas before being certified for
breeding. One of the distinguishing characteristics of the
breed is obviously their look. They should be beautiful,
well-built dogs that can hunt the fields or water all day.
Each longhair being considered for breeding must participate in
one Breed Show. Breed Shows are held once a year by the
GLPCNA (usually somewhere in the Midwestern United States).
At least one international judge is flown over for each breed show to help us
adhere to the breed standard. The international judge(s), as well as
two American judges, will evaluate each dog's type, conformation,
and coat. Type can best be defined as how much does the dog
look like a German Longhaired Pointer. The judges are looking
at the head and general build of the dog in this category.
Next, conformation is evaluated. Dogs are
led around the area at varying speeds so judges can evaluate their
movement. The ideal conformation is one in which the dog
appears to move effortlessly around the area. There should
not be any loose movement and the dogs' steps should fall near a
line. Dogs with better conformation are better able to hunt
all day. The dog's coat is also evaluated at the breed show.
The ideal longhair coat is a smooth, slick coat that repels the
water. Judges also consider the length of
the feathering on the tail and legs. In the type,
conformation, and coat categories, dogs are rated as poor, good,
very good, or excellent. German Longhaired Pointers must at
least score a "good" in each of the three categories to
be considered eligible for breeding.
Another requirement for breeding a German
Longhair is to ensure that the hips are x-rayed. Hips must
be evaluated and rated very high (excellent or good) through the
Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA-www.offa.org)
or evaluated and rated very high (A or B) through Berlin Hips (in
Germany). The German Longhair Pointer Club of North America
is also considering the use of the University of Pennsylvania Hip
Improvement Program (PennHip-www.pennhip.org)
for hip evaluations. As of this time, no minimum measurements
have been set.
One last thing that needs to be evaluated before
a German Longhaired Pointer can be considered for breeding is
temperament. Since the breed is known throughout the world
as one of the calmest hunting breeds, the GLPCNA considers it very
important that temperament is accurately evaluated before
declaring a dog elegible for breeding. Temperament
evaluations take place at the annual Breed Show. Each dog
will receive a temperament rating. An outline of the rating
system is described below:
| Category
1: Dog is shy and/or afraid of people and/or
other dogs |
| *Category 2:
Dog is very calm and laid back |
| *Category 3:
Dog is very even-tempered/balanced; is friendly but not
exuberant |
| *Category 4:
Dog is very outgoing and excited; may whine or bark a
little |
|
Category 5: Dog is overly excitable and/or
hyper; excessive barking and whining |
|
Category 6: Dog is aggressive; may growl or bark
at people and/or other dogs |
German Longhaired Pointers that are classified as either Category
2, 3, or 4 are eligible for breeding. Dogs that have their
temperament classified as Category 1, 5, or 6 cannot be used for
breeding and none of their offspring can be registered. The
temperament classification system gives breeders and puppy buyers
an idea of what litters will be like. For instance, breeding
two Category 2 dogs will likely result in a very calm, laid back
litter while breeding two Category 4 dogs will probably result in
a very outgoing litter that is better suited to experienced gundog
owners. The GLPCNA recognizes that dogs in
any of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th categories can be fantastic hunting
companions and ideal breeding dogs, but the rating system allows
us to better match the type of dog to a puppy buyer. |
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