Leg furnishings should not be excessive and should have some wiry texture. Th e hair in the liver body patches may be shorter than the rest of the outer coat. Th e correct puppy coat may be shorter than that of an adult coat but will show some signs of the coarse texture. Th e coat on this breed was originally intended to be “wash and wear”, designed by a pragmatic people who would not be bothered with a high maintenance coat. However, there are many inconsistencies in coat type and tex- ture. It is not uncommon to see a smooth coat. Obviously this is incorrect. A shorter, harsh coat with wiry texture and evidence of guard hairs is perfectly acceptable. Soft, wooly or cottony coats are not protective and should be penalized. Th ey merely tend to attract dirt, burrs and seeds and are det- rimental in the water. Coats should not be clippered or scissored—there should be no need for it. Bad coats can be trimmed and made to appear quite acceptable, but a judge can only evaluate what is presented to him. Excessive grooming to present a dog artificial in appearance is truly not desirable in this breed. Th e color of the dog is liver and white and may have roaning, ticking or patches; or it may also be solid liver, sometimes with a white blaze on its chest or with some amount of white on its feet. In relation to our standard, “liver” can vary in shade from chocolate to dark seal brown, and can
appear to be almost black in certain light- ing. A liver and white or solid liver dog will always have a brown nose, as is required in the standard. Although the standard says that “any black in the coat is to be severely penalized”, I have never seen a liver or liver and white dog with any black in its coat and I don’t believe that it is genetically pos- sible. If the dog has a brown nose, you can be assured that it is liver and white without any black in its coat. A black and white dog will have a black nose and is not accom- modated in our standard, although it is acceptable in some other countries. Th e head and ears are also required to be liver, but a blaze on the head is perfectly accept- able, providing that the color around both eyes is liver. Th e beard of a dog may be dis- colored due to sun or saliva and should not be faulted. Judges should always be aware of the color of a dog and keep in mind that the standard calls for a liver and white dog. Temperament is sound and reliable. A GWP may be aloof to strangers and ini- tially cautious. Th is caution should not be misinterpreted as shyness. Temperament should always be sound and aggression toward people should never be tolerated. Breeders of German Wirehaired Point- ers have made every e ff ort to keep bench and field dogs “one breed”. Considering the total number of GWPs registered, we have a very large number of Dual Champi- ons and dual titled dogs. Th ere have been
several Dual Champion Best in Show dogs and it is not unusual for a Dual Cham- pion to win the GWPCA National Field Championship. Wirehairs have become contenders in the show ring and at field trials. Judges can help us in our endeavor by keeping the working qualities of the breed in mind when evaluating our dogs. Above all, please don’t fault judge. Stan- dards often point out faults and areas to be penalized without bothering to emphasize the importance of positive characteristics. Consider the dog as a total package and remember that our goal is to continue to produce dogs that can do what they were originally intended to do—hunt long, hard and intelligently. BIO Judy has had German Wirehaired Pointers since 1976, breeding and/or own- ing multiple BIS dogs and group winners under the “Heywire” prefix, as well as obedience dogs to the UD level and field dogs with both the Master Hunter and Field Champion titles. She is approved by AKC to judge several breeds, including GWPs, and also has judged AKC Hunting Tests and Field Trials. Judy is currently Chair of the GWPCA Judges Education Committee and the Show Events Advisory Committee and has served the parent club in the past as President, Secretary and “AKC Gazette” columnist.
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