How are things going between you and your dog? With this blog I would like to share some of my journey with Woody, my now 4 year old German Wirehaired Pointer.
A New Versatile Breed: The Deutsche Drahthaar
Fuelled by a newly found German identity after the end of the Franco-Prussian wars and the unification of Germany in 1871, the country saw unprecedented economic growth. Germany suddenly began to compete with England on the world stage. This new tension also affected the genetic pool of hunting dogs available to hunters. Although many Germans still imported pointers and setters from England, breeders were often encouraged to breed out the English genetics. This was further emphasized in 1879 when there was a formal call to categorise German hunting dogs into new “breeds.”
This nationalist push for having “uniquely German” dogs created a new preoccupation with the appearance of hunting dogs and “pure breeding” dogs with limited genetic working potential. This resulted in a profound deterioration in the performance of many hunting breeds still in their infancy, such as the Stichelhaar and Griffon, and dealt a huge impact to the development of the versatile hunting dog community that had at the time made great progress.
Sigismund Freiherr von Zedlitz (better known as “Hegewald”) took a prominent position in the effort to create a German hunting dog capable of serving the wide range of needs for the common hunter. He decided to breed the Water-Pudel and the English Pointer. The Pudelpointer, as it was called, enjoyed a lot of success before 1900.
Hegewald was not a breed specific advocate, but rather an advocate for a type of dog that he felt German breeding had yet to achieve. He called this concept of an ideal type of a German versatile hunting dog a “Gebrauchshund” and detailed what traits this dog should carry in his 1881 influential essay. This essay was a call for a hunting dog suited specifically to the needs of the German hunter. A dog that is equally at home in the field, water and woods. A dog that is as focused on recovering the game after the shot as finding it beforehand.
Hegewald’s new ideas and vision for the Gebrauchshund soon took hold in the hunting community, and in 1891, the organisation for “Testing the Hunting Gebrauchshund” was formed; later becoming the JGHV—which still stands today. This organisation was designed to measure the performance of all German hunting breeds based on a standard of field, water, and forest tests under real hunting conditions. This would give hunters the best possible genetic stock to meet their range of needs.
Emboldened under this new testing system, many took Hegewald’s call for cross breeding based on performance even further. Soon, with new scientific evidence, many deemed all rough haired breeds related and therefore usable breeding stock for a new breed of dog. The newly formed testing system would be their guide, letting performance steer the direction of this new breed. A breed that would be called the Deutsch Drahthaar.
Combining the very best genetics in testing performance of the rough haired breeds: the Pudelpointer, Stichelhaar, and Griffon, with Deutsch Kurzhaar genetics added sparingly to improve field performance, the Verein (organisation of ) Deutsch Drahthaar (VDDhttps://www.vereindeutschdrahthaar.de/ ) was formed on May 11, 1902.
The genetics of the Deutsche Drahthaar were seriously damaged from World War II, and it took a great deal of effort to restore the breed to prominence. But thanks to the efforts of many dedicated individuals, the breed saw a quick comeback. In 1951, twenty litters were registered. By 1984, of the over 6,000 continental pointing breeds in East Germany, the Drahthaar accounted for more than 50 percent—speaking volumes to the breeds popularity and power.
The German Wirehaired Pointer is amongst the most popular hunting dogs for the German hunter.
A connection with Germany through the breed and being very popular attracted me to the breed for my next dog.
The World of German Wirehaired Pointer
Join me on my journey; never a dull moment with a GWP in your life. The GWP has a zest for life and wants to be busy using all the traits of an all-round hunting dog.
Woody was born at the end of July and we collected him beginning of October. Between choosing him and collecting him our breeder updated us regularly with videos, photos and highlights of the activities of the litter. He spent his early weeks in a home setting with children and was exposed to people, sounds, and various environments, including other animals.
The foundation for trust, comfort, and first initial experiences to the world around puppies is laid in the neonatal period – birth to 2 weeks. Early interactions build puppies trust for the future. The period from 3 to 14 weeks is often described as the socialisation period and is a foundation-building phase. Puppy learning and experiences can greatly influence their adult demeanour and behaviour, making it super important for breeders and owners alike to be proactive and attentive.
Experiences can leave a lasting imprint and will shape some of the adult behaviours and reactions. Overwhelming or traumatic events during this developmental phase should be avoided as this could lead to a shy, fearful or reactive adult dog. Positive and gentle interactions are best for confidence and happiness.
Needless to say, I was very excited when the day came to collect our new puppy - Woody. The journey home from Cambridge to Bramley was filled with joy in my heart and a wriggling Woody in the car. We decided our garden for the best place for introductions with Hollie and Aska. Woody had a little explore of his new outside empire on his own and after a little while Hollie and Aska joined him. I still remember to the day Hollie’s initial “really mum?” but both girls integrated him quickly into the family.
Hollie made it clear early on that she does not entertain any form of play but Aska was very happy to have a new play mate. Forging a deep connection with your dog is a journey, and every interaction serves as an opportunity to enhance this bond. Training with your new puppy is communication, trust, bond and building a relationship.
Woody arrived home and everything was new and strange. New smells, noises and lots of things unfamiliar to our new puppy.
We wanted to make this transitional period from his mum, siblings and first home to his new home as stress free as possible for Woody. He needed to get to know us and build a bond of love and trust between us. We opted for hand-feeding, allowing him to fall asleep on us, creating a calm environment, a quiet place for him to relax (crate), and developing a routine. Regular toilet breaks were on the top of our list. We started with an hourly schedule and progressed to before and after eating, before and after sleeping, during playtime and after playtime, and before the arrival of visitors.
We always went with Woody in the garden and he was always rewarded when going to the toilet with praise and a tasty food based something. We had the occasional accident and dealt with it when it happened in a calm manner cleaning up. Toilet training is an important aspect of raising a puppy. With consistency, patience and positive reinforcement, your puppy will soon master it. Scolding and punishing when accidents happen does not work and is counterproductive to the raising of a confident puppy.
Every puppy is unique and some dogs get the hang of it quicker than others. I put ‘toilet’ on cue from the very beginning and I find this very helpful now as he will go for a wee when cued ‘toilet’ providing there is something to wee against being a typical boy.
For puppies to be happy in a crate is super helpful day in day out and for future holidays with your dog, or trips to the vet. A crate in the car offers extra protection especially with a crash tested crate.
We selected a crate spacious enough for him to move around and kitted the crate out with a cosy bed. The new crate was placed in our kitchen with plenty of room around. Initially, the door was left open and we encouraged Woody to explore it freely by putting soft toys, puppy friendly chews and some food inside. Hollie and Aska inspected and approved the crate, which I am sure helped Woody love his space. Every time he went into the crate on his own, we rewarded and praised him. In a playful way we started closing and opening the door gradually increasing the duration.
When he got tired we put him in his crate sitting next to him until he fell asleep. The crate became his little sanctuary and peace of mind for us that he is safe and comfortable when left by himself. His first trip in the car with us was a trip to the vet for his vaccination. He howled from Bramley to the vets in Godalming. This was during Covid and our vets came out to the car to meet him, check and vaccinate him. He screamed when the vet picked him up, and I ended up holding him for the injection.
That was traumatic for all of us. We went to the vet for a health check recently and he was reluctant to go inside. No hesitation going onto the scales, but I could feel his uneasiness while waiting for our appointment. In the waiting room he jumped onto the table without being asked but this made the examination easy for the vet, and I had a tube of Primula Cheese to keep him entertained with pleasant licking.
The next few car journeys were together with Hollie and Aska and he got used to the car very quickly. He know jumps into the car without any hesitation as he anticipates a fun adventure. Some dogs find travelling by car stressful and it is important to introduce the car and travelling in the car slowly. Once fully vaccinated we started taking Woody to new places to explore the world around him. Favourite places t visit include garden centres, pet shops, DIY shops, playing fields and woods.
3 to 6 months is the Juvenile Period – this can be very exciting and challenging for puppy owners. More independence and curiosity is now on the agenda. Teething begins during this period, with a desire to chew on different objects. Being a multi dog household I use chews that get eaten and disappear. Carrots are a favourite, along with fury rabbit ears. There is a good choice of natural chews available.
Puppies may start to test boundaries, which is normal for the development of a healthy, confident puppy as they learn about their environment and place within their social group. Fear periods can also occur during this stage, where previous situations may startle a confident puppy. With patience, training and consistency, it is possible to navigate this growing up phase effectively, and laying the foundation for a well behaved and well-rounded adult dog.
Training your puppy is a journey and not a destination. It is a marathon and not a sprint. The process of training is continual and learning for your dog is not linear.
I really enjoy training with my dogs but I have learnt to plan my training sessions and prepare for them. From the day Woody came home I started training name recognition, hand touch, recall and sit. I use food and toy play to motivate – motivation activates engagement and focus comes from engagement.
Training starts at home (bathroom is the best room to eliminate distractions) and gradually distance, distractions and duration get added to a behaviour. I never rush training and part of my preparation is making sure that I have enough time available for a training session. When my head is busy with other stuff I am not focused and dogs will detect my lack of focus. Training our fur-legged friends should always be enjoyable and rewarding for dog and owner. Dogs learn through consequences and anticipation.
Reinforcement is pivotal in dog training. For optimal training results and a positive relationship with your dog, reward based training by reinforcing the desired behaviour is highly recommended. By understanding what motivates your dog (food, toys, praise, touch), we can effectively increase engagement and from engagement comes focused learning to increase desired behaviours. We have the primary reinforcers which are innate rewards such as food, sniffing or play.
They don’t need to be learned; dogs are naturally drawn to them. And there are secondary reinforcers which are learned reinforcers, such as clickers, picking up car keys or opening the fridge. Initially neutral, theses become rewarding when associated with primary reinforcers.
Some tips for setting up a successful training session:
Preparing for training: Create a positive environment that is safe and comfortable for your dog and yourself. Equip yourself with the tools you require for your training session. Plan and prepare your reinforcer such as food and / or toys and have your equipment, ie. clicker, training dummy, marker post, lead, whistle prepared. Attitude and energy can affect the training process. Approach each training session with patience and optimism. Remember, train the dog in front of you and dogs learn at their own pace.
Do not rush your dogs learning and allow for thinking and processing time.
Core training principles: Be consistent in your cueing, gestures and rewards. Short and frequent sessions are more productive than a long, drawn-out one. Always finish a training sessions with a win for your dog, even if it is a simple trick your dog’s knows well.
Progressive distraction training: Once a behaviour is reliable on cue in a quiet environment, gradually introduce distractions. This could be another person present, a toy in your hand, different environment, such as garden or local field.
Be adaptable, observant and responsive to your dog’s needs. Happy training!
I found it very tricky at times to balance Woody’s energy and inquisitive nature with giving him plenty of down time and teaching him calmness.
Left to his own devices he checked out sport bags and developed a taste for straps, had a beer tasting from a beer can we left on the kitchen counter, learned to open doors and ate the seat belts on the back row from the boot in the car. We had a MOT fail with the middle seat belt having had a nibble which I didn’t spot.
The Adolescence period 6 months to approx. 2 years is reminiscent of the “teenage years” in humas. Dogs undergo significant physical and behavioural changes as they reach sexual maturity. Depending on the breed and individual genetics, they might achieve full growth between 6 months and two years of age. Larger breeds may continue growing in emotional maturity beyond this period. I can say that Woody started maturing emotionally between 3 and 4 years of age.
My goal was to build a deep connection with Woody and I knew that on this journey every interaction holds an opportunity to enhance this bond but every day life comes with challenges. A combination of under - / over socialisation, rapid or forced introductions to new environments, or misreading dog body language can be stumble blocks on the way. I learned this tough lesson when Woody was in his adolescence at about 18 months old.
Despite all my efforts of raising a confident, resilient and sociable Woody he developed reactivity towards other dogs. This put a rapid stop to group gundog training for us. Needless to say I was devastated and felt isolated very quickly. We found a Behaviourist specialising in reactive dogs and our journey took a different direction. We continued our gundog training with 121 training sessions and, parallel to the breed specific training, we worked on the reactivity with professionals in the field. Woody was a very bouncy impulsive puppy and what I didn’t realise early on was that his jumping and goofiness was covering a lack in confidence.
And under pressure, he chose to fight instead of flight.
We had a rollercoaster of a journey but well worse all the tears and smiles. The goal for Woody is to feel neutral and stay calm in himself when seeing other dogs. He will never be the dog running up to other dogs wanting to play but he has Aska at home as his play mate and he loves his work when out with me and his dummies. Deer tracking is another activity he loves and he is very good at it.
Owning a dog that is reactive towards other dogs and needing his space taught me a lot about myself. I have to be vigilant when out and about but also had to learn to take charge of any given situation for Woody to stay relaxed and not worry. ‘Captain of the ship’ is my motto these days and we can navigate through calm waters and the odd storm.
Stepping into the adventure of owning a dog opens a world filled with love and happy tail-wagging moments. There are many things to consider, such as diet & nutrition, grooming, toys, physical activities, holidays, training, insurance, cost to name a few - when raising a dog.
Dogs' love is unconditional, and their companionship is priceless; dogs are family! As our dog’s guardians, it is our responsibility to do our best to meet our dogs’ needs. There is plenty of information available, and please contact a professional of your choice with any questions, concerns, or training issues you may have. We strive for a harmonious and loving relationship between you and your dog.
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