Large Münsterländer

The Large Münsterländer, or Großer Münsterländer, is a modern German pointing dog of spaniel type. It comes from Westphalia and Lower Saxony and is named after the Münsterland, in northern Westphalia. It is a versatile gun dog that points, tracks, and finds and retrieves shot game.

History

The breed shares its origins with the German Longhaired Pointer. Like the other pointing dogs of Europe, both go back to the Old Spanish Pointer, which reached the German princely houses by way of France and the Low Countries. English bird dogs and, in the 19th century, many dogs of the Burgos Pointing Dog type were added to the mix.

A standard for the German Longhaired Pointer was introduced at Hannover in 1879. Black and white dogs appear in old paintings of German bird dogs, but they were at first kept out of that standard, because the color was taken as a sure sign of crossing with the English Setter. They were later allowed to be registered, until black and white was removed from the standard for good in 1908 or 1909.

In 1919 breeders of the long-haired black and white dogs, most of them in Westphalia or Lower Saxony, formed their own society at Haltern in the Münsterland and chose the name Großer Münsterländer Vorstehhund. They drew up a list of 83 foundation dogs, which was published in the first stud book in 1922. The breed was officially recognized that same year.

The Fédération Cynologique Internationale gave it full acceptance in 1954. The Kennel Club in Britain recognized it in 1971 and the American Kennel Club in 2023. In Germany, between 241 and 452 dogs were registered each year from 2009 to 2023.

Appearance

The international standard calls for an athletic, noble and elegant dog, muscular without being bulky, about as long in the body as it is tall, with a fluid and springy gait. Males stand about 60 to 67 cm (24 to 26 in) at the withers and females about 2 cm less. Both weigh around 30 kg (66 lb).

The coat is black and white and of medium length. It is dense, sleek and firm, lies close to the body, and may be smooth or lightly waved. The amount of black varies a great deal, from mostly white dogs to mostly black ones. There are solid black patches, and the white is filled in to a greater or lesser degree with black ticking or roan. The head is usually mainly black and the tip of the tail white.

Temperament

The standard asks for an intelligent dog. In the field it works well on land and especially well in water.

Care and health

The long, thick coat keeps out the cold and lets the dog search dense cover thoroughly. It also picks up burrs.

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