Wire-haired Pointing Griffon Korthals
Other names: Wirehaired Pointing Griffon, Korthals Griffon, Griffon d'arrêt à poil dur Korthals
This extravagant yet no-nonsense gun dog is a wonder to behold. Long and handsome with that rare ‘steel’-coloured coat, he is clever, kind, and people-oriented. And indeed, what human could resist those humanlike eyes – the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon seems to be the perfect human transmogrified into a peculiarly perfect doggo. With perhaps some Muppet ancestry in there too. He’s water-loving, excels at hunting, and has high exercise needs; he loves a long walk and will not shy from difficult terrain. Tire him out, and you’re guaranteed a loving and docile weird uncle of a dog when you get home.
Key facts about the Wire-haired Pointing Griffon Korthals
Origins and history
While the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon is most recently the result of 19th-century European zealots’ efforts to breed the perfect hunting dog, texts describing a very similar creature can be traced back to 500 years B.C. In the 1800s, Edward Korthals of Holland was the zealot who worked in the development of this particular brand of beast, blending griffons, spaniels, water spaniels, German and French pointers, and setters into the canine cocktail. The first ‘complete’ dogs he produced were known as Moustache I, Lina, and Querida, and are today collectively known as the “Korthals Patriarchs.”
FCI breed nomenclature
FCI Group
Group 7 - Pointing Dogs
Section
Section 1 : Continental Pointing Dogs
Physical characteristics of the Wire-haired Pointing Griffon Korthals
Adult size
Female : Between 20 and 22 in
Male : Between 22 and 24 in
Weight
Female : Between 44 and 66 lb
Male : Between 44 and 66 lb
Coat colour
Steel grey with brown patches, or brown all over; often a brown roan (brown and white mix); sometimes white and brown or white and orange.
Type of coat
Coarse, with fine, dense undercoat.
Eye colour
Dark yellow or brown.
Description
This handsome, medium-size pointer is a rustic delight. His wispy moustaches and eyebrows beneath that emo fringe make for a charming mix of dignified and deeply engaged. Considerably longer than he is tall, it can be a surprise to find such an athletic body behind that moustachioed beak; but his coat, carefully cultivated to withstand the realities of country living and working, gives way to a deep chest and vigorous legs that are ready to break into a professional gallop. As often as not, it seems the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon favours a brown head out in front of a silver or roan body. His two main modes are adventure, and love.
Good to know
A limited number of breeders produce these dogs in the UK and it may be necessary to join a waiting list.