A Poodle and a Pointer as the ancestors of a hunting breed: what sounds like a whim was a deliberate plan for the Pudelpointer. According to the FCI standard, it descends genetically only from these two breeds and developed entirely separately from other pointing dogs. The result is a bearded all-rounder with harsh hair and steady nerves.
| FCI | Group 7 (Pointing Dogs), Section 1.1 Continental Pointing Dogs, Braque type, Standard No. 216, with working trial |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Germany |
| Size (height at the withers) | Males 60 to 68 cm, females 55 to 63 cm |
| Weight | not specified in the FCI standard |
| Life expectancy | no reliable study figure found (N/A) |
| Coat | harsh, close-fitting, medium-length rough hair with dense undercoat, 4 to 6 cm at withers; beard and forelock |
| Colours in the standard | solid brown, dead-leaf colour or black; small white markings permitted |
Two ancestors, one working dog
The Poodle was used only to establish the first strains, yet the standard says its hunting qualities remain to this day. The Pointer contributed the fine nose that works at a distance, the fast, ground-covering search and firm pointing. Later, the Pudelpointer itself helped establish another breed: a pedigree study names it among the founding breeds of the German Wirehaired Pointer (Michels and Distl 2022).
Calm, controlled and steady to gunfire
Neither shy nor aggressive, calm, controlled and balanced, with a pronounced hunting instinct, no fear of game and no gun-shyness: that is the standard’s summary. Its fault list is explicit. Nervousness, fear-biting, any weakness of temperament and especially lack of steadiness to gunfire exclude a dog. The aim is a steady-nerved dog that settles indoors after enough has happened outside.
A job in field, woodland and water
The standard lists its use as a versatile working gundog, suitable for every task in field, woodland and water. For you, this means hours of daily exercise, searching and retrieving on land and from water. Non-hunters must take these instincts seriously through dummy work, tracking and water work. For hunting use, the standard specifies a shortened tail; where docking is prohibited, it remains long and reaches the hock. In Germany, docking is generally prohibited under Section 6 of the German Animal Welfare Act. Exceptions for hunting dogs are narrowly defined.
The beard belongs
The coat’s hardness and density should provide the best possible protection from weather and injury; the belly is densely coated too. Short hair, a missing beard and bare or lashless eyelids are disqualifying faults. Brush the rough coat regularly, remove burrs and grass awns after work and check beard and ears. Loose dead hairs can be plucked to preserve the harsh texture.
Keeping hips and epilepsy in view
The standard says the country of origin places great importance on health, especially avoiding hip dysplasia and epilepsy. No reliable studies with breed-specific figures were found; McMillan and colleagues’ British longevity analysis includes the Pudelpointer only in the name list. Ask breeders for the parents’ hip results and whether seizures are known in the line.
Who should handle it
It belongs with hunters needing a versatile helper, or very active people with time for serious scent and water work. Anyone seeking an easy-care family dog for short walks or keeping a dog for the first time should begin with another breed. With the right person, though, it reveals what that unusual cross achieved.
To find out whether a working gundog suits you, try the breed quiz ; our book explores further: “Welcher Hund passt WIRKLICH zu dir?” (book in German). For the first days with a puppy, there is the free Puppy Starter Pack. Read more about one ancestor in the detailed Poodle breed profile in the magazine. For your bearded hunting companion at home, explore our dog portraits and the poster in a wooden frame.
Further reading
- Poodle: why the Doodle only promises what it already does
- Weimaraner: the beautiful hunting dog that never clocks off
- The socialisation period: why “as much as possible” is the wrong advice
Sources, accessed on 20.10.2026: FCI-Standard Nr. 216 Pudelpointer (fci.be, German and English versions dated 06.12.2004, valid original standard dated 09.11.2004); Michels PW and Distl O, Genetic Diversity and Trends of Ancestral and New Inbreeding in Deutsch Drahthaar Assessed by Pedigree Data, Animals 2022; McMillan KM et al., Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death, Scientific Reports 2024 (breed listed but not analysed).
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