The Deutsch-Drahthaar is a passionate hunting dog with plenty of endurance, calm by nature, and friendly in relations. As with every genuine working dog, however, he needs special training and guidance. Only when given a job and sufficient activity does he feel content.

Today, more than ever it is important that the Drahthaar be a pleasant companion for other aspects of life. He is friendly and self-aware with regard to people and other breeds. The Drahthaar is a suitable family dog. He is suitable to keep in the kennel or the house. DD’s are normally gentle and friendly with children and other dogs, and are known to become protective of their “family” and home. Their intelligence and calm manner help them in adjusting to various living conditions. Breeding Regulations specify that DD’s who show unwarranted aggressiveness toward people or other dogs are to be removed from the breeding program, so these traits do not get passed on.

For good reason, the Drahthaar is the most frequently used hunting dog by the hunting establishment in Germany. The versatile work range of the all-around dog demands an intelligent, mentally flexible dog. Endurance and a will to obey, as well as the ability to concentrate on work, are of equal importance. The Drahthaar is a dog that can be used universally for a full range of hunting tasks, as well as tasks after the shot. He brings to the hunt many special attributes. 

After persistently searching the field with a sensitive nose, the DD shows the game by pointing, so that the hunter comes to a calm shot. Shot birds are hunted down and retrieved to the master. In particular, DD’s exhibit the characteristic of a retriever of lost game. They do this by their inbred capacity to track and pursue (and even dispatch) wounded game persistently and uncompromisingly in some of the most difficult conditions. This saves the game from unnecessary suffering. Their endurance, swimming ability and heavy coat make them well suited to waterfowl hunting in the most adverse conditions. DD’s also show game in the field by pointing, and they retrieve downed birds at a master level. DD’s exhibit the characteristic of a retriever of lost or wounded game. They have a capacity to track and pursue game persistently and even in some of the most difficult conditions, they excel. 

History:

The Deutsch-Drahthaar was created in Germany in the late 19th century by a small group of dedicated breeders who set out to develop a versatile hunting dog that would satisfy all aspects of German hunting in field, forest, and water. This group of breeders succeeded in creating a versatile hunting dog that took its traits from the best dogs of the existing coarse hair breeds, crossbred with the shorthair blood. These ancestors included the Stichelhaar, Pudelpointer, Griffon, and the Deutsch-Kurzhaar.

The Deutsch-Drahthaar is a mid-sized, substantial dog. The height at shoulder varies from around 61 to 68 cm for males, and 57 to 64 cm for females. The coat is generally wiry and tightly fit with a thick under wool. This coat was developed to provide optimal protection from external influences such as moisture, cold and heat, as well as thorns, brush and insects. The extended “eyebrows” and the typical beard give the DD his characteristic appearance. The breed has a variety of colorations. They are: brown and white or black and white ticked usually with some solid patches, and solid brown with or without a white chest patch.

Verein Deutsch-Drahthaar is a breed organization dedicated to the development, breeding and continuous improvement of the versatile hunting Drahthaar. Its organizational objectives are achieved by means of stringent breeding regulations, practical field tests, and high standards of conduct. The VDD presently has over 10,000 members divided among thirty-four groups in many countries, including Canada, and the United States.

More information and breed requirements on the Deutsch-Drahthaar can be found at http://www.vdd-gna.org/