Pointer. Richard G. Beauchamp
morning to night or if you travel frequently and are away from home for long periods of time, the dog must still be cared for. A Pointer cannot be left home alone day in and day out. Are you willing and able to adjust your schedule, or are you prepared to pay the costs of frequent boarding and/or dogsitting for your dog while you are gone?
3. Is this particular breed, the Pointer, suitable for the individual or household?
Does your household contain children? Pointers are wonderful with well-behaved children and they make delightful playmates, but no dog should be expected to tolerate abuse just because a child doesn’t know better. At the same time, an enthusiastic Pointer puppy can knock down and injure a toddler in a playful moment.
The prospective dog owner should also strongly consider the specific peculiarities of his own lifestyle and household. Everyone involved must realize that the new dog will not understand the household routine and must be taught everything you want him to know and do. This takes time and patience, and often the most important lessons for the new dog to learn will take the longest for him to absorb.
Your Pointer puppy should have received lots of human and canine interaction at the breeder’s home. This socialization helps to mold him into a friendly, well-adjusted, people-loving companion.
WHY A PURE-BRED?
There is no difference in the love, devotion and companionship that a mixed-breed dog and a pure-bred dog can give his owner. There are, however, some aspects that can best be fulfilled by the pure-bred dog.
What will a mixed-breed puppy look like as an adult? If esthetics are important to you and you have a specific image in mind of what your dream dog looks like, you are best off not taking the chance with a mix. For instance, the haystack look of the Old English Sheepdog would not be suitable for someone who thinks the razor-sharp lines of the Doberman are what the perfect dog should have. Predicting what a mixed-breed puppy will look like at maturity is nearly impossible. Size, length of hair and temperament can change drastically between puppyhood and adulthood and may not be at all what the owner had hoped for. Then what happens to the dog?
THE DEVOTED “NANNY”
One of the Pointer’s most striking characteristics is the kind and gentle manner with which he conducts himself in the company of children. Even the most accomplished field dog has a very special place reserved for youngsters. Many owners state that the speed demon at work in the field can become quite the devoted “nanny” in dealing with the family’s children. The Pointer raised with children is as much their protector as their playmate.
In buying a well-bred Pointer puppy, the purchaser will have a very good idea of what the dog will look like at maturity as well as how he will be capable of behaving with proper guidance. If your mental picture of the ideal dog is a Cocker Spaniel or an English Setter that lives only to lavish attention and affection upon you, the more independent breeds (of which the Pointer is certainly one) are not going to live up to that ideal. Naturally there are differences within breeds just as there are differences from family to family and from human to human. At the same time, the general character of a specific breed is far more predictable than that of a dog of unknown parentage.
When choosing a puppy, one must have the adult dog in mind because the little fellow is going to be an adult much longer than he ever was a puppy. The adult dog is what must fit the owner’s lifestyle and esthetic standards. A fastidious housekeeper may well have second thoughts when trying to accommodate a very large breed that slobbers or one that sheds his coat all year ’round. All dogs shed to some degree. Pointer hair is shorter and less noticeable on clothing and furniture but far more difficult than long hair to pick up with a vaccuum cleaner or a brush.
EXTRAORDINARY BRAIN POWER
As far back as the 19th century, dog experts attested to the extraordinary brain power of the Pointer. In 1880 Edward Jesse, Esq., noted dog authority and author of Dog Anecdotes, wrote, “Thus a pointer has been known to refuse to hunt for a person who had previously missed every bird the dog had found. He left him with every mark of disgust, nor could any coaxing induce him to continue with his unsportsmanlike companion.”
The initial purchase price of a Pointer could easily be a significant investment for the owner, but a pure-bred dog costs no more to maintain than a mixed breed, unless of course it is blessed with the coat of a Maltese or Poodle, which the Pointer is not. If the cost of having exactly the kind of dog you want and are proud to own is amortized over the number of years you will enjoy him, you must admit the initial cost becomes far less consequential.
WHO SHOULD OWN A POINTER?
Just as a prospective buyer should have a checklist to lead him to a responsible breeder, so must good breeders have a list of qualifications for the buyer. These are just a few of the “musts” a prospective Pointer buyer might face if looking to purchase a puppy from a responsible breeder:
1. The buyer must have a fenced yard and a secure and protected place for the dog to stay if he is out of the house.
2. Children should be at least five years of age. Although Pointers seem to have a natural affinity for children, an adolescent Pointer can be clumsy and can unintentionally injure a toddler.
3. Pointers are usually too strong and active for elderly people.
4. Everyone in the family must want a Pointer.
5. The buyer must be financially able to provide proper veterinary and home care.
6. No Pointer is likely to be sold to a person who is interested in breeding “just pets” or operating an indiscriminate “stud factory.”
7. The buyer must be aware that Pointers require a great deal of exercise.
Pointers are playful dogs who make fun companions. Here’s a surfing pup “riding the waves” with a little help from his family.
Pointers from good show or field lines can make perfect pets for dedicated experienced owners.
THE POINTER AS A HOUSE DOG
A young Pointer must start understanding household rules from the moment he enters your home. What it will take to accomplish this is patience, love and a firm but gentle and unrelenting hand. Even the youngest Pointer puppy understands the difference between being corrected and being abused.
Pointers are entirely capable of being anyone’s best friend and household companion but, as is the case in any good relationship, both parties must be compatible. Pointers were bred to hunt. At no time in the breed’s developmental history was any attempt made to make the Pointer a lap dog or boudoir companion. A Pointer best belongs to someone who realizes that work can come in the form of almost any structured activity—performing the daily obedience routine or even playing ball.
Pointers must be given their daily duties and plenty of opportunity to exercise, or they may well use up their excess time by inventing things to do. What your Pointer decides to do on his own might be gnawing the legs of your best table, digging a tunnel to the neighbor’s yard or communicating vocally with every other canine in the hemisphere. As far as your Pointer is concerned, if you do not insist that something he is doing must be stopped, your lack of determination will be construed as carte blanche or permission to continue! Pointers learn quickly, but that does not mean they always care about what you are trying to impress upon them. Moreover, if you do not provide the requisite leadership, your Pointer will let you know in no uncertain terms that he is entirely capable of providing that leadership for himself.
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