Olympic-class athlete, best friend through thickets and thistles, hunter extraordinaire—the German Wirehaired Pointer is a dog of many distinctions. This exercise junkie needs vigorous daily mental and physical stimulation to thrive, and when he gets it, the GWP is mellow at home with his human(s), happy to snuggle up and watch reruns. An all-weather, off-road, multipurpose pooch, he can hunt, point, track, retrieve, swim, jump—you name it, he’s got the skills, and he’s never happier than when he has a job to do. You can tell the GWP by his coarse wire coat, webbed feet, and signature shaggy beard and eyebrows. His quizzical, worldly expression is hard to resist, and the GWP, along with his close relative the German Shorthaired Pointer, can be found in hunting artwork throughout Europe from the late 1800s and on.
To re-home a GWP, visit your local shelter or rescue group.