There
are two articles here, both used with the permission of the LG
Westfalen im Verein Pudelpointer e.V. and translated by Jude Gerstein. The
first article is a history of the Pudelpointer as written by Adolf
Wienecke. The second is an article on the history of the Pudelpointer
Association is Germany and its mandate, as envisioned by the man known
as Hegewald. It was written by Dr. Hans Ulrich Voswinkel.
The
History of the Pudelpointer, by Adolf Wienecke
Part I
As
the name suggests, the first Pudelpointer came from the pudel and
pointer cross. Today it may seem amazing to use a “poodle,” which we
know as a companion dog in the founding of a hunting dog breed. Only a
few contemporaries know that the large, fuzzy-haired pudel, the
“Königspudel” was originally an excellent hunting dog, used
successfully up until the last century. It
was praised in particular for its search and passion for the water, its
tracking skill and tonguing, its desire to retrieve and to retrieve
lost game, its sharpness on predators, its intelligence and
adaptability. Yes, he was considered the most intelligent of
dogs.
Today
hunters are more aware of the advantages of the pointer rather than the
former hunting qualities of the pudel. The pointer was used as it is
today; as the English field dog with the keen, true nose, the fiery
temper, unsurpassed in the field with enormous perseverance, speed, a
far ranging search as the dog with the most brilliant field style. With
a security bordering on certainty, one can say that without an
“accident”, one would never have thought to purposely breed two
purebred dogs who work in so opposite a manner to each other as the
pudel and the pointer. Purely by chance, first accidental and then
intended crossings with pudel blood worked out to be very satisfactory.
Thus
it was, in a publication from 1902, that Dr. Ströse quotes a sentence
from a book published in 1817. It read: “The best hunting dogs are a
blend of the large Pudel.” This sentence was not overlooked, as was
evidenced by the both these chance and intended breedings between pudel
and pointer, continuing to occur. However, where there were only
accidental crossings, a breed did not develop further to the F1
generation.
Hegewald
writes in his treatise on the Versatile dog; “But of two such
‘accidents’ there was created the brown female ‘JUNO’ and the black
male ‘NIMROD‘. Both were pointing dogs used as versatiles by the
Ältmeister.”
It could expand, given the proper framework, based on these two dogs,”
reports one of the followers of Hegewald. “For not only in Germany, but
in England, Spain and America there were great results with the
by-products of crossing of pointer and pudel blood. The
English
have already succeeded in developing a purebred dog from a pointer x
pudel cross, the fuzzy-haired retrieving dog known as the Curly-Coated
Retriever.”
Inevitably,
Ältmeister Hegewald was possessed by the idea of creating from pointer
and pudel blood, a half-blood, pointing, versatile hunting dog breed
which combined the best qualities of both original breeds, and which
was passed on consistently. It
was not for the joy of experimenting which drove Hegewald, but the
realization that the future of the old German “chicken” dogs lay in the
outcross. They had by then, become too docile and calm and lacked
“nose.” At that time, the Germans had not come to terms in
using
full English blood.
Part
II
Thus
it was, that in 1881, after many discussions pro and con, and despite
the polarized protests of the Kynologie, that Hegewald and his
followers dared to begin.
Ältmeister
Hegewald (Freiherr von Zedlitz)
The
first purposefully bred Pudelpointer throw went to Stiftsörster Walter
zu Walsdorf bei Goldberg in Schlesiesen. It was out out of the black PP
female “MOLLY” and the distinguished white and brown pointer “TELL.”
From this breeding came “CORA vom Walsdorf” who already corresponded to
Hegewald’s ideals to a large extent with the hunting background of both
original breeds, and the outward appearance of a rough-haired, dry-leaf
brown (dürlaub) pointer, which came from the pudel.
One
of the First Generation of Pudelpointers of outstanding bearing was
“Cora von Wolfsdorf.” This picture was held up as an “example” of the
PP Breed.This
dog CORA was held up as an example for a long time. Altogether, nine
crossings of pudel x pointer were done. Of these, eight black and one
brown (brown being a recessive gene in the PP) pudel, and nine
white/brown pointers were used. In seven of these crossings, the father
was the pudel, and in the other two, a pointer was the male. Now
the PPs of the F1 Generation were not bred among themselves. This would
have led to immediate fragmentations in both the Phenotype and the
Genotype. Instead, the F1 Generations, and also the next (F2)
Generations were backcrossed to white/brown pointers. There for the
hybrid effect was increased (Hybrid Effect: an enormous increase of the
desire and performance in relation to the parents’ generation was
renewed again and again. Only gradually was the mating of PP to PP
done.
From
1924 until 1945, absolute pure breeding was done. It was only after the
confusion of WWII and the post-war period when the breed basis had sunk
to a minimum, that there was a purposeful and moderate input of pointer
blood. This avoided an inbreeding situation and created a new gene
pool. In
1983, after nearly thirty years, plans for breeding according to the
early principles were undertaken again, with a narrowly limited input
of pointer blood. The descendants of these breedings, which are firstly
subject to a breeding barrier, are always strictly submitted to a
strict selection procedure. Thus,
PPs registered in the Breed book are the purebred, and occasionally,
the limited back-crossings with pointer blood, the latter only with the
permission of the Annual General Meeting. Within the context of the
pure breed, line breeding is done in order to achieve a balanced
consistent and uniform type. Occasionally backcrosses are made which
bring only relatively short-term successes (Heterosiseffekt). However,
these back-crossings work well against in-breeding depressions. The
Pudelpointer is not a result of the German hunting dog, as was falsely
and loudly proclaimed. Instead, it is a rough-haired hunting dog breed,
which developed genetically from the original breeds of pudel and
pointer, completely isolated from the other German hunting dogs. But it
has been said the PP has considerably contributed to the establishment
off the “Deutsch Drahthaar” in one of its mother lines. These are
facts, which are beyond dispute. Although
pudel blood was only used to establish the foundation of the PP, it is
amazing that like the old Pudel inheritance, it is expressed in the
intelligence, trainability, tracking desire and tonguing, joy in
retrieving and the retrieval of lost game, its nose and passion for the
water, and its sharpness on predators, of today's Pudelpointer.
On
Hegewald’s Ideas and Mandate; 75
Years of the Pudelpointer Breed
In
1972, Dr. Hans Ulrich Voswinkel published “The History of the
Pudelpointer Association, in honour of the 75th Anniversary of the
Pudelpointer Association, the VPP e. V. It received a lot of
press, both in Pudelpointer publications, and in the hunting press. It
is of fundamental importance to the understanding of the
Pudelpointer.
Dr.
Voswinkel became a member of the VPP e. V. in 1949. He became the 2nd.
Chairman in 1953, and Chairman in 1958. Dr. Voswinkel held this
position until 1971, when he was unanimously chosen to become
the
Honourary chairman. Aside from his career as an entrepreneur, he was
first and foremost a conscientious hunter and an excellent shot. He was
also and outstanding handler and trainer, and his was the critical
kennel, “vom Fuchswinkel.” Dr. Voswinkel died in 1973, at the age of 72.
With
the blossoming popularity of hunting in the 1880s, the lack of good
German dogs became apparent. The sophisticated English pointers and
setters proved far superior, and grew in support. But they were
generally, used only as pure field specialists. It was only
in
the hands of the most talented dog handlers, that they also worked in
the forest and in water.
Bodo
vom
Isselstrand PP6688
It
was Baron von Zedlitz; know as Hegewald, who pointed the way to the
creation of the all-purpose German dog, while at the same time, the
laying the foundations for the versatile gundog, which is so popular
and well liked today. In those years, Hegewald used both the spoken and
written word, to urge and encourage his vision; the creation of the
keen, fiery, courageous and co-operative purebred faithful hunting
companion, who is reliable both before and after the shot, with an
inconspicuous and waterproof coat. He was the best person for the
creation of this new versatile dog. In his opinion, the best and
noblest dog for this would be the full-blooded pointer.
Hegewald
writes, in 1881, on the Versatile dog: "We
need the Pointer’s excellent nose and fiery temperament, paired with
its enormous drive and speed. We need, however, to lose its singleness
of purpose [I.E. field work specialist]. There is only one way to
achieve this, through the admixture of Pudel blood. Nevertheless, our
well thought out, determined program would create and produce a
wire-coated pointer, which possesses a more practical coat, colour and
rounded tail. Its single-minded disposition will be changed with the
judiciously introduced blood; the versatility and co-operation passed
on through the Pudel, along with their acknowledged intelligence and
trainability. Then one can appreciate those three already apparent,
incomparable characteristics of the English Full blood, plus the great
appeal, great intelligence, the versatility, the desire to retrieve,
loyalty, watchfulness, devotion, inclination to water and courage of
the Pudel. All this, plus the brilliant Pointer nose, perseverance and
speed paired with all the virtues of the most intelligent and brightest
dogs in the world!
Basko vom Huenstein
Those
are Hegewald’s words, in accordance with his philosophy and ideals.
That is the Pudelpointer, as he called this rough-coated, versatile
dog, from the outset. It was his plan, his path and his goal. He
successfully supported it his entire life with interest and enthusiasm.
Thus it was, for 75 years, that the Pudelpointer was the foundation of
the German Versatile Hunting Dog, and the unforgotten and deserving
father of both, was Ältmeister Hegewald. Now
then one could ask, was this idea of crossing two so opposite breeds
just to “create one constant breed,” as Hegewald very strongly
described it, very unrealistic and risky?
For
centuries, the ancestor of the Pudel was a “rough-haired German sheep
herding dog, who worked closely with herders and farmers. These dogs
were hard and sharp, very easy to train and weather resistant, as well
as being constantly with his Master. But for herding and driving large
herds, this old-style herding dog proved to be too cumbersome.
Therefore, since the early Middle Ages, people from all the countries
of Middle Europe, preferred crosses between these dogs and the “Bracke”
as the shorthaired, running dog was called. The product of theses
crossings was called the “Pudel” because of its joyful love of water.
The Pudel remained in “hard service” for the shepherds, and so was bred
with practical selection with an eye to its use, intelligence and
heart. At the same time, it was also suitable for the hunt, as a scent
hound and tracker in the bush, thorn and water.
This
intelligent, rough-haired, large pudel, later also called the
Königspudel (King’s Pudel) proved itself through hard work up until the
beginning of the 1800s. It was of the same breeding as the fancy,
highly groomed Poodle of today, though today’s type would not be useful
for the breeding of the versatile hunting dog.
Klosterjäger
Lars Festa
Langenholzhausen Bella vom Underwald PP5774 DGStB12.888
The
Pointers originated in Spain, where it had been bred since the 12th
Century as the pointing dog of the high-ranking nobility. It originated
from the Celtic “Leguster” hound, which also through selective
breeding, showed a strong pointing tendency. This “Perro de Punta”
(pointing dog) was purebred for 400 years, where it distinguished
itself with its excellent nose, pointing and speed. British Officers
serving in Spain in the 1800s, got to know these wonderful dogs, prized
for their retrieving and water work. These men took the dogs back with
them to England, where they were called “Pointer.” The dogs were then
systematically bred for 150 years, until they achieved the highly bred
dog of today.
The
common ancestor of both breeds, the Pudel and the Pointer, is the age
old “Bracke.” He is the common denominator who brought both disparate
breeds together, and gave us the “crossbred” Pudelpointer, its ability
to work with its nose on the ground. This important ability, combined
with the unsurpassable high-winding nose and desire to search, when
added to the retrieving ability, intelligence, and precocious nature of
the Pudel, was an unusually lucky connection, leading to the creation
of the Pudelpointer as a versatile gundog. It was to be expected,
proven by today’s knowledge of genetics, that the dominant rough-haired
and solid coloured Pudel, in contrast to the short hair and whiteness
of the Pointer, would after only a few generations lead to a pure
brown, rough coat.
This
all happened in 1881, and soon the first Pudelpointer, resulting from
the mating of a Pointer with a Pudel, was bred. The first Breeder was
“Stiftsförster Walter in Wolfsdorf i. Schlessia. Following Hegewal's
advice, the breeding was between the black Pudelpointer female Molly
and the Pointer Tell. Tell was donated for this purpose by Emperor
Friedrich the IIIth for this purpose. Stiftsförster Walter bred this
first generation of Pudelpointer, and the dogs of the three subsequent
generations as suggested by Hegewald, received a lot of attention and
achieved the highest scores at the hunting tests, much to the joy of
the Ältmeister. Throughout the 1890s, six “Wolfsdorfer” Pudelpointers
were entered into the Pudelpointer Breed Register, which had been in
effect since 1892.
One
son of the celebrated dog Cora von Wolfsdorf, belonged to the
Ältmeister of the Dog Training, Carl Rehfuß (known as Oberländer). He
was so enthusiastic about the Pudelpointer, that he remained an active
and loyal follower of the Pudelpointer for the rest of his life.
A
further 12 Pointer and Pudel breedings, were done by professional
hunters, mostly motivated by Hegewald and his friends in the 1890s.
According to Hegewald, these “crossings” were then bred back to
Pointers, following a Breed Plan. In total, there were 87 crosses to
Pointer. Back crossings to the Pudel were not made. With this breeding
material, highly enriched with Pointer blood and with only occasional
additions of Pointer to the present, created the foundation structure
of the Pudelpointer Breed.
Born
August, 1882 out of the Pointer “Tell” and the female Pudel
“Molly”; Of Stiftsförster Walter zu Wolfsdorf bei
Goldberg.
This picture was held up as an “example” of the PP Breed.
It
was in the following decades when the Association of Pudelpointer
Breeders, the Verein der Pudelpointer-Züchter, later known as Verein
Pudelpointer, was created in 1897 with Hegewald and Oberländer as its
Executive Committee (In 1897, Hegewald passed on the presidency to the
then 37 year-old Edgar Heyne, who remained in the post for 50 years).
Its mandate was to achieve out of the first few cross-breedings, the
narrow breed basis of the Pudelpointer Breeders, luckily almost
exclusively professional hunters, these three indispensable principles:
1.)
Right from the beginning, breeding was done exclusively based on
performance, and there was probably no other Breed where as large a
portion of the breeding material was selected based on test results.
E.g. Until 1911, 40% of all the dogs listed in the Breed Book had run
in Hunt Tests, and were thus registered into the Breeding Register. Of
these, half were Totverbeller (Sounding on Dead Game). The remaining
registered dogs had been at least examined in puppy tests, or at least,
a natural ability test. There was special emphasis placed on the track,
fox and predator work, and retrieving. It is mostly this spirit of
Hegewald, Oberländer, and Edgar Heyne and their colleagues, which
remains alive today in the Pudelpointer Breed.
2.)
They also undertook Pure Breeding. They were not tempted to achieve
instant success in the F1 or F2 generations by adding in foreign
(additional Pointer) blood, which in later generations would have led
to constant splitting and set-backs in the Genotype and Phenotype. They
kept strictly to the original breeding material, created from the first
pointer back-crossings, preventing the admixture of too much pointer
blood. This was a wise decision, which protected the breed from the
ambitions of a single Breeder, and made it possible for the later
additions of pointer blood, three generations later, and under the
strictest controls. It was also understood that breeding
would be
aggressively based on the dog’s achievements and careful selection was
based on confirmation and coat as well.
3.)
From the beginning, the Pudelpointer breeder remained true to the
intensive and proven measures of Nature, as well as the modern breeding
recognition where the recognition of the Pedigrees and Mother-lines, as
a discipline in forming their breeding programs. Amazingly and
interestingly enough, since the beginning, the Pudelpointer Breeder who
strives to be successful, carefully pursues their Mother-lines in
multiple generations. Just like their forerunners, they keep an eye
open to strengthening and improving their own breeding by the
introduction of proven blood from their own Mother-lines.
Beyond
that, however, is that the most influential Pudelpointer Mother-lines
are a continuation of the original lines, E.g. Klosterjägers, vom
Waldhorst, vom Badener Land, vom Breuberg, von Langenholthausen, going
back sixteen generations to the original Pudel x Pointer crosses. Thus,
also, the Founding Fathers developed interconnections of these lines,
and line breeding is still in use today.
Etzel von Tribergen PP 7994 DGStB
20974
Using
these strictly defined methods, the Pudelpointer was a successfully
created Breed, achieving a dog clearly defined by the origins and
characteristics of the foundation breeds. The context of the breed has
been led by decades of devoted breeders to maintain the equation of ¾
Pointer blood and ¼ Pudel blood.
Hegewald’s
mandate and prognosis reads:
“We
must strive to create from Pointer and Pudel blood, an excellent,
consistent and extremely useful dog…. Man’s creation of long-legged,
elegant, rough-haired pointers of great impact, which on the outside,
the Pudel is a so small part that only the rough coat remains, but
inside the intelligent, understanding soul of the Pudel is supreme. I
am thankful, and with admiration in addition to joy and pride, to be
able to state that after 75 years, the Pudelpointer Breed has fulfilled
its mandate. The
Pudelpointer breed carries with it a serious bequest and obligation to
continue its development without deviation, and to continue perform to
its high standards for the German Woodsman, as the Ältmeister created
it: “The
Pudelpointer as a solid-coloured, rough coated dog, of a pointer type,
a lively, well built versatile hunting dog, keen, easily guided,
maturing early, happy to track, of strong character and bravery, with
strong capabilities equally in field, water and forest, both before and
after the
Dina vom
Klinbach PP5793 DGStb 13.563 born
22.01.62
Using
these strictly defined methods, the Pudelpointer was a successfully
created Breed, achieving a dog clearly defined by the origins and
characteristics of the foundation breeds. The context of the breed has
been led by decades of devoted breeders to maintain the equation of ¾
Pointer blood and ¼ Pudel blood.
Hegewald’s
mandate and prognosis reads: "We
must strive to create from Pointer and Pudel blood, an excellent,
consistent and extremely useful dog…. Man’s creation of long-legged,
elegant, rough-haired pointers of great impact, which on the outside,
the Pudel is a so small part that only the rough coat remains, but
inside the intelligent, understanding soul of the Pudel is supreme.
I
am thankful, and with admiration in addition to joy and pride, to be
able to state that after 75 years, the Pudelpointer Breed has fulfilled
its mandate.
The
Pudelpointer breed carries with it a serious bequest and obligation to
continue its development without deviation, and to continue perform to
its high standards for the German Woodsman, as the Ältmeister created
it:
“The
Pudelpointer as a solid-coloured, rough coated dog, of a pointer type,
a lively, well built versatile hunting dog, keen, easily guided,
maturing early, happy to track, of strong character and bravery, with
strong capabilities equally in field, water and forest, both before and
after the shot.”
That
was Hegewald’s goal, and it is today after 75 years, that it stands as
an independent, pure Breed.
Check out
the web site for the German Pudelpointer Club,
VPP e.V.