Editing Pointing dog (section)

==History==
[[Image:PointerDogSketch3.png|thumb|left|Pointer at the moment of flush]]

Pointing dogs may have descended from dogs from [[Spain]], specifically of the [[Old Spanish Pointer]] (Furgus, 2002). Pointing dogs were originally used by hunters who netted the game. The dog would freeze or set (as in [[Setter]]) and allow the hunter to throw the net over the game before it flushed.  Flushing dogs, on the other hand, were often used by [[falconry|falconer]]s to flush game for the raptors. Most continental European pointing breeds are classified as ''versatile gun dog'' breeds or sometimes ''HPR breeds'' (for hunt, point, and retrieve).  The distinction is made because versatile breeds were developed to find and point game as all pointing breeds, but were also bred to perform other hunting tasks as well. This distinction likely arose because while the British developed breeds which specialized in tasks such as pointing, flushing, and retrieving from land or water, in Continental Europe, the same dog was trained to be able to perform each of these tasks (albeit less effectively). The [[North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association]] defines versatility as "the dog that is bred and trained to dependably hunt and point game, to retrieve on both land and water, and to track wounded game on both land and water." As an example, [[German Shorthaired Pointer]]s are often used to retrieve birds, i.e. [[Waterfowl hunting|duck hunting]], whereas calling upon a Pointer to do the same would be less common. Unlike the pure pointing and setting breeds, many versatile dogs were bred for working in dense cover, and traditionally have [[Docking (animal)|docked]] tails.<ref name=":0" />

The Westminster Kennel Club was organized in the early 1870s, and the club's early English import, "Sensation", is still used as the club logo.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hunt History|url=https://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/about-hunt-test/hunt-history|access-date=2021-12-25|website=www.westminsterkennelclub.org|language=en|archive-date=2021-12-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211225101443/https://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/about-hunt-test/hunt-history|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The American Kennel Club was founded in 1884, and Pointers were among the first breeds registered with both the AKC and the Westminster Kennel Club [7]. Over the years, the AKC has recognized many of the pointer breeds like the German Shorthaired Pointer in 1930 and the German Wirehaired Pointer in 1959 [8]. The AKC also developed training and testing programs for pointer breeds; these programs offer opportunities for both the dogs and the handlers to exhibit their skills. These tests for Pointers began in 1986, and the AKC Gun Dog Championships started up in 1993 - these Championships include Pointers along with other retrieving and non-retrieving dog breeds.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History of AKC Pointing Breed Hunting Tests |url=https://www.akc.org/sports/pointing-breeds/hunt-tests/history/#:~:text=Juniors-,Pointing%20Breeds%20Hunt%20Tests:%20History,in%20a%20normal%20day's%20hunt. |access-date=2025-04-28 |website=American Kennel Club |language=en}}</ref>   

=== Appearance ===

Pointing dogs come in all varieties of coats, from short-haired dogs, to wire-haired dogs, to silky-coated Setters. Most breeds tend to have some sort of spots on their body, whether the spots are small and round, or a large oval shape.