French Spaniel vs German Wirehaired Pointer - Breed Comparison

French Spaniel vs German Wirehaired Pointer - Breed ComparisonFrench Spaniel is originated from France but German Wirehaired Pointer is originated from Germany. Both French Spaniel and German Wirehaired Pointer are having almost same height. French Spaniel may weigh 10 kg / 22 pounds lesser than German Wirehaired Pointer. Both French Spaniel and German Wirehaired Pointer has almost same life span. Both French Spaniel and German Wirehaired Pointer has same litter size. Both French Spaniel and German Wirehaired Pointer requires Moderate maintenance.

History

french spaniel - historyDeveloped in France and then in Canada, the French Spaniel is a descendent of 14th century hunting dogs. Originally the breed was very popular with the French royalty and nobility at the Court of Versailles, in the Middle Ages. A French Spaniel named Babe was owned by Catherine I of Russia.

Spaniels were mentioned in Gaston III of Foix-Beams’ The Master of the Game, or Livre de Chasse, in 14th Century France. Most believed that Spaniels had been developed during the 11th century Crusades. By 1650 the French Spaniel was differentiated from the King Charles Spaniel and determined to be its own type of spaniel.

In 1805, they were featured in the Sporting Magazine, hunting mallards. The French Spaniel was crossed with English Setters in the !850’s to develop the French Brittany (Spaniel). But by the end of the 19th century, hunting dogs from other countries were outpacing the French Spaniel so much that it was driven to the brink of extinction. Fortunately, a priest named Father Fournier saved the breed by taking all remaining Spaniels to his kennels at St. Hillarie and developing the lines we see in the breed today. This was followed by the founding of the French Spaniel Club in 1921. The various lines of the Spaniels included the French Spaniel of today, the Brittany of today, the Blue Picardy and the Picardy.

The French Spaniel however has been rare outside of its native country and Canada, where it was imported in the 1970’s to French speaking Quebec. Quebec Canadians fell in love with the breed for hunting grouse and woodcock. In order to ensure that the breed would be continued in line with its French standards, the Club de l’Epagneul Francais du Canada began in 1978. By 1985 the Canadian Kennel Club recognized the French Spaniel. Soon after they were recognized by the United Kennel Club, the Federation Cynoloqique Internationale, the UK Kennel Club and the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association, but not the AKC (American Kennel Club). They are also registered with organizations such as the American Canine Association, the Dog Registry of America and the America’s Pet Registry. They have been included in the AKC Foundation Stock Service as the first step toward AKC recognition.

german wirehaired pointer - historyMedium to large sized, the German Wirehaired Pointer is a griffon type dog breed hailing from Germany and developed for hunting purposes in the 19th century.

Known as the Drahthaar in Germany, the dog is a mix of griffon, Deutscher Stichelhaar, German Shorthaired Pointer, Deutscher Kurzhaar as well as the Pudelpointer.

He was imported into the United States in the 1920s, and it was in 1953 that the German Drahthaar Club of America was formed.

Description

french spaniel puppy - descriptionThe French Spaniel is a very tall dog and as such is one of the spaniel breeds two tallest. They are taller than the English Springer Spaniel, have a deep chest and a muscular build. Their legs are very strong, and they have a thick tail that is never docked. It is long, slightly curved and hangs low. He is an elegant dog with dark amber eyes, long feathery ears, and a nose the color of the coat. If the coat is brown the nose is brown. If the coat is black and white the nose is black. Most French Spaniels are white with brown or dark liver or white with black.

german wirehaired pointer puppy - descriptionWell muscled, this is a medium to large sized dog standing at between 57 and 68cm in height and weighing between 27 and 32kg.

He has a weather resistant wiry coat which is of medium length and which is wiry and harsh. Coat color is liver and white as well as black flecked.The undercoat provides insulation against the cold.

He has quite a bit of facial hair in terms of eyebrows, beard and whiskers.He has webbed feet, typical of German Pointers. His tail is docked to about two-fifths of its natural length, but these days it is often left long.

Temperament:

Lively, playful, affectionate and intelligent, the German Wirehaired Pointer is easy to teach. He becomes wonderfully obedient with training and socialization and responds well to instructions to sit, come and stay.

He is an active dog and likes to be involved in the activities that his human family are involved in. He becomes bored and frustrated when he doesn’t get the exercise and attention he craves.

He isn’t suited to life in the city where the premises are small as he needs plenty of vigorous exercise every day. They do well in the country where they have plenty of place to run and where their hunting skills come into action.

Characteristics

Children friendliness

french spaniel dog - characteristicsYes, they are very good with children.

Special talents

They are great in filed trials as they can flush, point and retrieve.

Adaptability

The breed is very adaptable and can live in the city or in the country.

Learning ability

The breed is very intelligent and trainable.

german wirehaired pointer dog - characteristicsGerman Wirehaired Pointers make awesome pets as they’re lively, playful, social and loving. They particularly suit living in a home where the people are active, outdoor types.

They make superb jogging- or cycling companions and will thrive on sharing these activities with a family member. He is a dog who has a need to be loved and included in all that his family gets up to. He wants lots of pats and stroking to show him that you care.

Give him the love and care he craves and you’re guaranteed to have the most wonderful loving pet.

Health Problems

french spaniel puppies - health problemsThe French Spaniel is a healthy breed that adapts well to all types of conditions, especially wet ones. There are some potentially serious health issues that the breed may be susceptible to:

Acral Mutilation and Analgesia

This is a very serious inherited disorder. It is one of many Hereditary Sensory Autonomic Neuropathies (HSN) disorders. This is an agonizing infliction that causes the dogs to have no pain in certain extremities and therefore the ability to self-mutilate their feet, pads, claws and digits. They lick and bite their feet often amputating footpads, claws, and digits without feeling any pain. This leads to infection and most dogs end up being euthanized. The disorder shows up by 3-4 months of age.

Ear Infections

Make sure the dog’s ears are cleaned regularly to remove wax and prevent infections.

Epilepsy

This disease causes seizures but can be treated with medication.

Hip dysplasia

Can cause lameness and arthritis.

german wirehaired pointer puppies - health problemsGerman Wirehairs are generally healthy, and when you look after them well they can reach 12, 13 or 14 years of age. Also, if both German Wirehaired Pointer parents have certificates proving they were tested and cleared of hip dysplasia, hereditary eye diseases and blood-clotting disease, then your pet will have less risk of developing these conditions.

Your pet isn’t likely to get sick, but like all breeds of dogs, they're prone to certain diseases and conditions. Hip Dysplasia is something that can be noticed when your pet is still a puppy.

Hip Dysplasia:

This is a heritable condition where the thigh bone doesn't fit properly into the hip joint. Your dog can battle with pain so that he no longer wants to play, he battles to get up after lying down and he may even begin to show signs of lameness. Arthritis can develop too.

Cataracts:

You’ll notice cloudiness on the eye lens that can grow over time. Not all cataracts impair vision, although there are some instances where vision loss is experienced. Cataracts can sometimes be surgically removed with good results.

Caring The Pet

Feed the puppy

french spaniel dogs - caringA high quality dry food made for puppies and if possible for Spaniels. Feed two to three times a day about one fourth of a cup each time

Feed the adult

A high quality adult dry food made for Spaniels if possible. Feed twice a day about one half to three fourths of a cup at each meal.

Points for Good Health

Excellent vision, stamina and speed.

Games and Exercises

These dog love to run and play. They are smart and learn easily. They like to chase balls, swim, play hide and seek, Find It, and go hiking. They can excel at learning tricks, agility, rally and obedience trials.

german wirehaired pointer dogs - caringYour German Wirehaired Pointer isn’t a heavy shedder so brushing his coat twice a week will be ideal for him to rid the coat of loose hairs.

Diet:

Your German Wirehaired Pointer is an active dog and this has to be taken into account when looking at diet. He will require a diet with quality protein. You’ve also got to look at things such as whether your dog is neutered or spayed as they require less calories. On the other hand there are dogs that will require more calories because of their activity levels.

Make sure your German Wirehaired Pointer eats a top quality dog food. Add in some homemade food such as cooked brown rice, chicken and vegetables from time to time as well as some raw meat. You have to constantly remember that your dog’s health depends on the nutrition you provide.

Basic Information

Group:
Sporting dog
Sporting dog
Origin:
France
Germany
Height Male:
56 - 63 cm
22 - 25 inches
60 - 68 cm
23 - 27 inches
Height Female:
54 - 60 cm
21 - 24 inches
57 - 68 cm
22 - 27 inches
Weight Male:
10 - 22 kg
22 - 49 pounds
27 - 32 kg
59 - 71 pounds
Weight Female:
8 - 20 kg
17 - 45 pounds
25 - 32 kg
55 - 71 pounds
Life Span:
10 - 12 Years
10 - 13 Years
Litter Size:
4 - 10
6 - 10
Size:
Medium dog
Large dog
Other Names:
Epagneul Français French Setter Canadian Setter
Deutsch Drahthaar, Drahthaar
Colors Available:
White with brown markings
black flecked , Liver and white
Coat:
Straight, or slightly wavy and of medium length.
Straight, wiry, harsh
Shedding:
Moderate
Moderate
Temperament:
Affectionate, Courageous, Friendly, Gentle, Intelligent, Loyal, Playful, Social
Affectionate, Alert, Cheerful, Courageous, Curious, Energetic, Friendly, Gentle, Independent, Intelligent, Lively, Loving, Loyal, Outgoing, Playful, Protective, Responsive, Social, Territorial
Grooming:
Moderate maintenance
Moderate maintenance
Trainability:
Easy
Easy
Hypoallergenic:
No
No
Kids Friendly:
Yes
Yes
New Owners Friendly:
Yes
Yes

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