There is confusion about dogs that look like the Korthals Griffon. The similar characteristics of wire coat, beard and mustache, mistakenly lead one to the wrong conclusion that they are all the same. This brief comparison of two other breeds; the Stichelhaar and the German Wirehaired Pointer, will hopefully clarify some of the differences and emphasize how they have evolved from one another. Stichelhaar This name was given to a variety of wire-haired pointers bred by a German breeder; Bontant, who had originally raised Griffons. He liked a dog with a hard, shorter hair and practically no undercoat. To achieve this, he crossed Griffons with the French Pointer (Braque) type. Thus, the Stichelhaar has very little beard or mustache, no undercoat, and a short, harsh outer coat. The temperament was also reported to be aggressive. The breed was admitted for registration toward the end of the 19th century, with the Central Canine Society in France under the group of “Pointing Griffons.” The Stichelhaar was to be registered with the Griffon in the same studbook. A split occurred in 1913 because of the continued crossings with short haired dogs which were not always of the German French Pointer. White and yellow, white and black, and even all black offspring were produced. The coat atrophied, the type grew further away from the Griffon type. Thus the Griffon studbook was closed to the Stichelhaars’ registration in 1914. Drahthaar (German Wirehaired Pointer) The German Wirehaired Pointer, or Drahthaar (meaning wire hair in German), is a relatively recent development in the realm of purebred dogs. In 1902, a group of sporting dog fanciers decided that the best crosses for developing an all around sporting breed would be between the German Shorthaired Pointers, Stichelhaars, and Griffons – as well as the Pointer and Poodle. The German breeders were trying to develop a hunting dog adapted to German style hunting (all game, all waterfowl, all terrain, all methods) and having by nature the necessary aptitude and means (bite, courage, strength, coat). The importance of the coat to brave thorny briars and inclement weather indicates the grafting of diverse shorthaired breeds chosen for their particular aptitudes with the common root of a thick coat. They were initially admitted to the registration of the FCI and classified in the group of Pointing Griffons. The German breeders contested the classification on February 11, 1907. An agreement was reached to include only the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon (Korthals Griffon) and Stichelhaar in the Griffon stud book; separating all others into individual stud books. The Deutsch Drahthaar was one of these separated. Thereafter, the Verein Deutsch Drahthaar Club was formed to protect the new breed, and developed a breed standard. The Drahthaar, like the Stichelhaar, showed the characteristics of the Pointer – crossed with a shorter, harsh coat – less facial furnishings, and a pointer like silhouette. The GWP’s size is also different, being 2 inches larger for males and females than the Griffon. The German Wirehaired Pointer was admitted
into the German Kartell of Dogs in 1928, and soon thereafter
was brought to the United States. The breed was admitted
into the AKC Stud Books in 1959 as the German Wirehaired Pointer.
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Breed Standard
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Breed Standard - Continued
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Breed Comparisons
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