Where the Pointer came from
The Pointer, also called the English Pointer, was developed in England to find game birds. When it smells game, it freezes and points its nose at the bird, which tells the hunter where it is. Unlike most other hunting breeds, the Pointer's job is to point, not to retrieve.
One common account says the breed descends from Spanish Pointers brought to England by returning soldiers after the Peace of Utrecht in 1713. Historians still debate this. The poet John Gay wrote about Pointers hunting partridge in 1713, and in 1725 Peter Tillemans painted a kennel of pointers. Greyhound blood was later added for speed, giving the modern lean look.
The AKC recognized the Pointer in 1878, and it is one of the older breeds on the AKC list. Field-bred Pointers are still some of the top bird dogs in the world.
- 1713 John Gay mentions Pointers hunting partridge in his poem Rural Sports
- 1725 Peter Tillemans paints the Duke of Kingston's kennel of pointers
- 1878 AKC recognizes the Pointer
- 1902 William Arkwright publishes The Pointer and His Predecessors
The job a Pointer was bred for
Pointers ranged wide and fast, searching for bird scent in the air, then froze on point until the hunter came up. That is why many Pointers race around, lock up when they see a bird, and cannot settle without exercise. A bored Pointer can get into trouble.
What you may see at home
Always on the move, fixates on birds and squirrels, cold sensitive, restless without exercise.
Give them: Daily running, long line sniff walks, scent work, and a settle on a mat.
Sports that fit a Pointer
- Hunt tests. Their natural job: find and hold a point
- Field trials. Where the best field lines show off range
- Fast CAT. A safe place to run flat out
- Scent work. Uses their air scenting skills
- Agility. Fast, if they can keep focus
Training tips for a Pointer
- Give lots of daily exercise before training. Tired Pointers learn better.
- Teach a settle on a mat and reward it often.
- Use a long line for recall practice, since they will follow a scent.
- Reward focus and eye contact around birds and squirrels.
Body and health
Lean, short-coated and athletic. They feel the cold easily. Deep chest, so bloat is a concern. Avoid hard exercise right after meals.
Fun fact. The Pointer is named for the way they freeze and point at hidden game to show the hunter where it is.
Breed is where we start
A study of more than 18,000 dogs found breed explains only about 9 percent of the differences in behavior between dogs (Morrill and others, Science, 2022). So your Pointer is a starting guess, not a label. We find the drive your dog actually runs on, give it a job, and teach you to read them.
Free tools for your dog
- Breed drive calculatorMixed breed? Add the other breeds and see the drives your dog was bred with.
- Dog breed quizTen photos, four names each. The same quiz our trainers take.
- Dog drive testAnswer everyday moments and find the job your dog runs on.
Looking for a different breed? See what 137 breeds were bred to do, and download any of their guides.