Wirehaired Pointing Griffon. Nikki Moustaki

WPG is not an apartment dog, unless that apartment is smack in the middle of some pretty great hunting grounds. It’s not a breed that will typically do well in an urban setting. It simply needs a more natural environment and plenty of space to run.

       RESCUE

      Even though this is a rare breed, there are some Griffs that find their way into WPG rescue organizations. These dogs are in need of good, permanent homes. They are often older dogs and may have some behavioral issues to contend with. This doesn’t mean that a rescued dog won’t make a great pet or hunter. On the contrary, many rescued dogs excel at every lesson, simply happy to have a kind owner and a warm home. Beware, however, that some rescued Griffs might not get along with cats or other pets that may effect a prey-driven response.

       A multi-Griff household can be lots of fun—if you have the room and the time.

      A rescued Griff might not come with registration papers, but you can petition the AKC for an ILP (Indefinite Listing Privilege) number for your spayed or neutered dog, allowing the dog to compete for obedience, agility, hunting, tracking and Junior Showmanship titles.

      The breed standard for the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon is the “blueprint” by which all WPGs are judged. Breeders aspire to have their puppies meet this standard as closely as possible. The standard considers the appearance of the dog as well as the movement and temperament. If a dog is to compete in conformation shows, he must conform to this standard. The WPG that wins any conformation show is the dog in the ring which the judge believes to be the closest to the standard. The dogs aren’t really competing against each other—they are being compared to this standard and measured against it.

       Dog in profile showing typical shaggy outline with correct type, balance and structure of an active hunter.

      The American Kennel Club (AKC) registers over one million dogs each year, sponsors over 15,000 shows and trials held by their licensed and member clubs and works diligently to support the breeders, exhibitors and judges who make the dog sport happen. The parent club for the WPG is the American Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Association, and it is the standard of the AWPGA, as adopted by the AKC, that we present here. Following the AKC standard is the French working standard for the breed, established in 1984, which details the breed’s hunting style and is a reference for fanciers around the world.

       AKC STANDARD FOR THE WIREHAIRED POINTING GRIFFON

      General Appearance: Medium sized, with a noble, square-shaped head, strong of limb, bred to cover all terrain encountered by the walking hunter. Movement showing an easy catlike gracefulness. Excels equally as a pointer in the field, or a retriever in the water. Coat is hard and coarse, never curly or woolly, with a thick undercoat of fine hair, giving an unkempt appearance. His easy trainability, devotion to family and friendly temperament endear him to all. The nickname of “supreme gundog” is well earned.

       Head study featuring typical ragamuffin appearance and proper structure, type and proportion.

      Size, Proportion, Substance: Size—22 to 24 inches for males, 20 to 22 inches for females. Correct size is important. Oversize to be severely penalized. Proportion—Slightly longer than tall, in a ratio of 10 to 9. Height from withers to ground; length from point of shoulder to point of buttocks. The Griffon must not evolve towards a square conformation. Substance medium, reflecting his work as an all-terrain hunting dog.

      Head: The head is to be in proportion to the overall dog. The skull is of medium width with equal length from nose to stop and from stop to occiput. The skull is slightly rounded on top, but from the side the muzzle and head are square. The stop and occiput are only slightly pronounced. The required abundant mustache and eyebrows contribute to the friendly expression. The eyes are large and well open, more rounded than elliptical. They have an alert, friendly and intelligent expression. Eye color ranges in all shades of yellow and brown. Haws should not show nor should there be protruding eyes. The ears should be of medium size, lying flat and close to the head, set high, at the height of the eye line. Nose—Well open nostrils are essential. Nose color is always brown. Any other color is a disqualification. Bite—Scissors. Overshot or undershot bite is a serious fault.

       BETTER THAN THE AVERAGE DOG

      Even though you may never show your dog, you should still read the breed standard. The breed standard tells you more than just physical specifications such as how tall your dog should be; it also describes how he should act, how he should move and what unique qualities make him the breed that he is. You are not investing money in a pure-bred dog so that you can own a dog that “sort of looks like” the breed you’re purchasing. You want a typical, handsome representative of the breed, one that all of your friends and family and people you meet out in public will recognize as the breed you’ve so carefully selected and researched. If the parents of your prospective puppy bear little or no resemblance to the dog described in the breed standard, you should keep searching!

      Neck, Topline, Body: Neck—Rather long, slightly arched, no dewlap. Topline—The back is strong and firm, descending in a gentle slope from the slightly higher withers to the base of the tail. Chest—The chest must descend to the level of the elbow, with a moderate spring of rib. The chest must neither be too wide nor too narrow, but of medium width to allow freedom of movement. The loin is strong and well developed, being of medium length. The croup and rump are stoutly made with adequate length to favor speed. The tail extends from the back in a continuation of the topline. It may be carried straight or raised slightly. It is docked by one-third to one-half length.

      Forequarters: Shoulders are long, with good angulation and well laid back. The forelegs are straight and vertical from the front and set well under the shoulder from the side. Pasterns are slightly sloping. Dewclaws should be removed. Feet are round, firm, with tightly closed webbed toes. Pads are thick.

      Hindquarters: The thighs are long and well muscled. Angulation in balance with the front. The legs are vertical with the hocks turning neither in nor out. The stifle and hock joints are strong and well angulated. Feet as in front.

      Coat: The coat is one of the distinguishing features of the breed. It is a double coat. The outer coat is medium length, straight and wiry, never curly or woolly. The harsh texture provides protection in rough cover. The obligatory undercoat consists of a fine, thick down, which provides insulation as well as water resistance. The undercoat is more or less abundant, depending upon the season, climate and hormone cycle of the dog. It is usually lighter in color. The head is furnished with a prominent mustache and eyebrows. These required features are extensions of the undercoat, which gives the Griffon a somewhat untidy appearance. The hair covering the ears is fairly short and soft, mixed with longer harsh hair from the coat. The overall feel is much less wiry than the body. The legs, both front and rear, are covered with denser, shorter and less coarse hair. The coat on the tail is the same as the body; any type of plume is prohibited. The breed should be exhibited in full body coat, not stripped short in pattern. Trimming and stripping are only allowed around the ears, top of head, cheeks and feet.

       FAULTS IN PROFILE

       Ewe-necked, soft topline, low tail set, generally lacking bone and substance, weak and straight behind, flat feet, long back.