Wirehaired Pointing Griffon. Nikki Moustaki

WPG is a bird dog only. The Germans use the dog to hunt fur-bearing animals and to do blood-tracking as well, often with the handlers on horseback, which the French do not do. The two countries are still split on this issue.

       A strong and skilled worker, the Griff is not all business—the breed’s charm and personality are evident in this lounging pack.

      The first WPG registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1887 was Zoletta, a bitch who came to the United States and was recorded under the breed “Russian Setter (Griffon).” At that time, breeds with copious facial hair were supposed to have originated in the Siberian area, and so were registered incorrectly. In 1916, an official breed standard was established in the United States, and the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show boasted 16 competing WPGs. By 1929, the WPG was registered in the American Field Dog Stud Book and competed in hunting and pointing events. Unfortunately, the two world wars put a damper on the propagation of the WPG, and serious breeding ceased.

      The WPG found its way back to the United States again after World War II, when a group of servicemen brought back the dogs they had seen and admired in France, Germany and Holland. The breed thrived, gaining loyal devotees in the many years following.

       THE WPG FELLOWSHIP

      The first WPG club was started by E. K. Korthals and his friends on July 29, 1888, and it was called the International Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Club. Specialty clubs in individual countries followed: the Royal Belgium Griffon Club began in 1895; the Club Français du Griffon d’Arrêt a Poil Dur Korthals commenced in 1901 in France; De Nederlandse Griffonclub initiated in 1911 in Holland; and the Griffon Club of America began in 1916, the year in which the official breed standard was instituted.

      The Griffon Club of America fell apart under the pressure of World War II. But after the war, when the newly imported Griffs appeared in the States, Lt. Colonel Thomas Rogers and other breed devotees formed the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Club of America (WPGA) in 1951. The breed flourished for over 30 years, but a rift eventually overtook the breed again.

      In the late 1970s and early ’80s, a faction of the WPG fancy was discontented with the quality of Griffs in the US and expressed the desire for better hunting dogs. The faction believed that there was too much random breeding that wasn’t well managed or well considered. The club started a committee to identify good breeding and began to hunt-test the litters of specific dogs. Those particular pups did not show well. The committee became frustrated at what they perceived to be the lack of “good” Griffs in North America. Someone outside the club suggested outcrossing the breed to German Wirehaired Pointers. Another advisor, a member of the breeding committee, suggested that the Griff would be best crossed with another hunting gundog, the Cesky Fousek (pronounced CHESkee FOWseck), a Czech breed which is similar in appearance to the WPG but whose hunting manner and disposition are more comparable to those of the German Wirehaired Pointer. This breed nearly died off during World War II even though the Czech government had been trying to resurrect it. Arrangements were made and the first Fouseks were brought over to the States. The outcrossed dogs were successful in competition, much to the delight of the group that supported this decision.

       Even when relaxing, the WPG is keen, alert and ready to go.

       The 2004 American Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Association specialty show was judged by Marian Mason Hodesson and won by Ch. Flatbrook Kyjo’s What a Sport, JH. A total of 42 WPGs competed.

      However, another faction of the club refused to taint the bloodlines that Korthals had so carefully created. This steadfast group did not approve of the crossbreeding and held that these new dogs (often called Foufons by this group) were not true WPGs, though the WPG/Fousek group held that they were.

      The split was definite. The pure-bred faction went off on its own to create the American Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Association (AWPGA). In 1991 the AWPGA was recognized by the AKC as the official parent club for the breed. The Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Club of America is currently not recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC), United Kennel Club (UKC), Canadian Kennel Club (CKC), Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI), North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA), American Field or the European Griffon and Fousek organizations. These organizations do not register or test the WPG/Fousek cross. Because of this, the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Club of America created its own registry, wrote its own standard and began holding its own field trial competitions.

      Comparatively speaking, the WPG/Fousek cross is a more “square” dog, whereas the Griffon is more “rectangular,” longer than it is tall. Some of the dogs are also bigger. The mechanics of the dog has also changed. Its coat is a little tougher, as is its mentality, which is more like that of a German Wirehaired Pointer. These are not “bad” dogs—they are suited for the hunt and do well in field trials, but they are not pure-bred WPGs. The two groups are still philosophically divided, and heated discussions still occur. Nevertheless, members of both groups remain friendly, though neither will accept the other’s perspective on the matter.

      Today there’s a healthy stock of WPGs in the United States. The WPG community is still very small, and most of the breeders know what the others are doing. When a litter is whelped, it’s not unusual for most of the community to know about it. Because the community is small, each breeder needs the others to keep the bloodlines strong and healthy. Dogs are still imported from Europe, primarily from France, and semen is also imported and used by breeders who want to improve their stock. Somewhere in the range of 400 to 500 Griff puppies are produced in the United States each year.

       Best of Breed at Westminster in 2000, Ch. Jerome von Herrenhausen was shown by Cheryl Cates under judge Dr. Bernard E. McGivern, Jr.

      Perhaps the most important goal of the 21st century for the American Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Association is to prevent another split, this time between those who show their dogs in conformation events and those who hunt. The AWPGA would like conformation dogs to also achieve top field results. As it stands, it’s often the case that the WPGs appearing at the weekend dog shows will be hunting in the field the following weekend, no matter what trophy or ribbon they bring home. The WPG, above everything, is a sporting/hunting breed which was bred for field work. The AWPGA’s emphasis is to continue breeding dogs that meet the breed standard and that can still hunt with the best of ’em.

       The Griff thrives on doing his job and on his owner’s praise.

       THE GRIFF ON THE HUNT

      The Griff is indeed the consummate hunter, but it also competes successfully in agility events, obedience trials and tracking tests. Its proponents call it “the best-kept secret of the Sporting Group.” The breed’s versatility is what appeals to most of its fans. These dogs hunt successfully in all terrains and all weather, and they are competent swimmers. The breed was originally produced to hunt upland game birds, but it will also retrieve waterfowl and track and point on fur-bearing animals as well. It is known as an “all-game” dog.

      Bill Marlow, president of the American Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Association, hunts his WPGs for pheasant and quail on the eastern shore of Maryland and hunts with the same dogs in canyons in Idaho on horseback. He has hunted ducks in Alaska and geese in Virginia with his dogs. “They swim and they have webbed feet and a dual coat like a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, and yet they’ll point and retrieve upland game at the same time,” said Marlow. “You can go duck hunting early in the morning, and when the ducks stop flying you can get up out of the blind and walk out into the field and go quail hunting, and the