German Shorthairs come to America. The date is 1925, and the first documented litter was born on the forth of July. How cool is that. They were born on a Ranch in Missoula Montana which is 337 miles away from where I am hunting birds right now with German Shorthairs at Petrolia Lake, near Winnett Montana. How fitting that I write this here in Dr. Thornton's home state.
The story goes that Dr. Thornton was reading in a sporting magazine about the German Shorthairs and how incredible they were. He turned to his wife and told her that he had to have them and that the amount of money did not matter. I will get the exact quote latter.
Dr. Thornton corresponded with a breeder in Austria and before long had a female that had been bred there and sent over. In 1925 that was not an easy task, first a long ship ride, and then a long train ride.
The sire of the litter was a solid liver dog, and the mother Senta v. Hohenbruch was a large white ticked female. Senta was registered in the Field Dog Stub Book with the numbers 125225. Dr. Charles Thornton was so pleased with the hunting ability of both the mother and offspring that he imported at least a dozen more GSPs from Austria and Germany. Five of these being pregnant bitches.
The first 7 pups were registered with the suffix “of Everyuse”. Dr. Thornton exclaimed the virtues of the breed, and explains the name Everyuse. He was so enamored with with his Shorthairs that he got rid of his Setters.
The first two show titles were awarded to Dr Thornton's breeding, “Becky v. Hohenbruck” and “Baron v.d. Brickwedde”.
Dr. Thornton used the Shorthairs for every type of hunting. From pheasants and ducks to treeing what ever. He said that the dogs were wonderful duck dogs right up to the time the rivers froze over, and the way they handled pheasants showed a remarkable intelligence. He hunted them also in a pack, and the photo I saw was where they had something treed like hounddogs. Dr. Thornton also raved about how wonderful a ranch dog they were, and once again how smart they were. He told of how one of his dog saved the ranch hand from a big bull.
The versatile hunting dog got a good start in America at the hand of a versatile hunter.
Dr. Thornton was responsible also for getting the AKC to adopt the breed. However this would cause the breed some problems in the future. It seems that when a breed classification was needed by AKC that Dr. Thornton choose Pointer Retriever. Since this classification as well as Versatile hunting dog, or Gun Dog did not exist he was forced to pick either Pointer or Retriever.
As you might guess, either pick would cause problems down the road. If he picked Pointer then the type would be set and the dogs would stuck with the stigma of a pointing dog, and have to compete with other pointing dogs. If a Retriever was chosen then the same problems would arise later down the road.
England was faced with a similar dilemma, but they ended up forming a new classification of Gun Dogs which salved the problem.
Dr. Thornton choose Pointer and the cast was set. The problems would not show itself for many years, but they were headed our way.
It was the working abilities of the breed that interested breeders. They wanted versatile hunting dogs. If they had wanted pointers they would have chosen the already well established breeds of Pointers and Setters that were already out there.
One such breeder of early dogs was Joseph Burkhart, a ex German gamekeeper.
There is little doubt that some of the best Shorthairs were imported into the United States. The list is extremely long but to name a few, Adam who would sire the number one sire of show dogs Adam v. Fuehrerheim. The Schwarenberg line which produced our first Dual Champion Rusty, a solid liver dog.
The early kennels and their lines are exhausting, and often become a long list of names of dogs and people that only the most dedicated researcher could comprehend. This is an overview and I'll not subject the readers to such a long history. For such information there are books out there and the foremost being Georgina Byrne's book the “Der Deutsch Kurzhaar, The German Shorthaired Pointrer”. How she was able to compile the information is beyond me.
But what I will try and do is give an overview of the progression of the breed in America.
So one sees what the breed consisted of when it got to America, especially if you read what I wrote of the early German development of the breed.
I will do my best to tie in some dates and information that shows the progression of the breed. In 1938 the Parent Club was formed, and the Club was the first to provide a field trial for the breed.
The Breed Club is the organization that works with the AKC and controls the Breed Standard, and in this case was derived from the German Standard and approved in May of 1946. However it seems that the organization missed that the German Standard in 1946 had changed to allow black as an excepted color. In 1946 the parent club was known as The German Shorthaired Club of America.
Through 1987 approx. 213 GSPs were imported to American and Canada. All of these being Versatile hunting dogs.
What also happened to the breed in America up until the 90, I mean how was the breeding going on, and what were the the dogs like and used for?
Clubs, tests, and trials. It's not easiest to follow but will help one understand the German Shorthair in America. The first to register the GSP was the FDSB which is a registry of hounds and pointers, and the GSP competed in the pointer field trials. AKC 1930 and the GSP competed with the other pointer breeds, and Dog Shows. 1986 AKC started the hunt test which now has tests such as Master Hunter, Jr. Hunter, and Senior Hunter. Other AKC activities such as being allowed in the Retrievers tests, Dock Diving, Barn Search, etc. have also been added.
United Kennel Club which has nothing to do with the United Kingdom and is an American registry allowed GSPs in 1948, and also tests with pointer breeds. In 1978 the National Shoot to Retrieve Association was formed and now is aligned with the United Kennel Club. The NSTRA is for pointing breeds where the dog finds a birds and points or honors another dog that is pointing. The handler flushes the bird and it is shot, and the dog retrieves.
The North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association was formed in 1969, to promote and test the Versatile hunting dog. Water work in NAVHDA is a strong proponent. Later the club became a registry, and has approx. 10,000 members. The highest honor is a test to become a Versatile Champion. In 1993 the German Club came to America in the form of the North America Deutsch Kurzhaar club which brings all the German Testing to America which is extremely diverse. Also there is a Deutsch Kurzhaar Group of North America, which seems to be a club devoted to the Deutsch Kurzhaar breeding standard and the Deutsh Kurzhaar registry.
There you have it the clubs, organizations, testing, and trials.
Now let us see if we can get it to flow in a way we will be able to see the progression of the German Shorthair in America.
German Shorthairs came over with the German immigrants shown in photos of the time, however it falls to Dr. Thornton in 1925 as the first to get things started. He wanted versatile smart hunting dogs. The German Shorthair was classified as a pointer and thus championed as such. Many hunters however wanted, to breed, and import versatile hunting dogs.
The GSP progressed as a pointing dog with the elimination of a required test for water work or retrieving. In the early 70s or late 60s the pointing trials fraternity according to Robert Wehle, of Elhew Pointer fame had a decisions to make, and that was continue to breed dogs to ran bigger or to real the dogs in, and breed more for the foot hunter. The choice was to breed bigger running dogs.
This effected the Shorthair more than people want to admit or even understand because the Pointer (English) is the main dog that the Shorthairs had to compete with for field trial Championships. Meaning the Shorthair by nessisaty had to also become a bigger running dog. So it's bad enough that the GSP is classified as a pointer, but now it's going to become a big running GSP in a way even the English Pointer was not designed to do.
From my research the GSP formed into an English Pointer look and run alike, with the 1950s born import Moesgaard Ib. Even though Ib was built like a more traditional Shorthairs his offspring started looking more like a pointer, even having the all white coat. Take a look at Moesgaard's Luchy II, who was whelped in 1959. Which many believed was caused by Pointer infusion. When I started working with the pedigree program I noticed that all roads in most white field trial lines lead back to Moesgaard Ib.
So it is a well know fact that English Pointer was bred into the GSP, and in some cases it was reported that full Pointers were registered as GSPs. Americans like most competitive people will always take shortcuts or do what every is needed to win, or get what they want. Remember Lance Armstrong? There is no need to dive in any deeper into the lines or breeders.
At one point in about 2000 I read somewhere that about 28 percent of all GSPs that were bred were white field trial lines. That's a lot of dogs. This does explain why other groups had to step in and fill the void.
The North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association being the first. At about the time the GSPs were becoming Pointers the group was formed. And there were always Americans that were breeding to the old German standards for versatility. The first German Shorthair that I ever knew about was Jack a solid liver GSP that was an extremely versatile hunting dog. This was in the 60s, and 70s.
The truth is that most owners of GSPs. Past and present know little about field trials, and have little or no desire to see one, much less compete in one, the damage came about because these were the dogs being bred to and at one point it became hard to find a shorthair that was not heavy in field trial lines. I mean look at the pedigrees and you see FC, and you think the dog has to be good.
There was another trend for buyers of GSP, and that was for a bird dog. Since that was becoming the main use, breeders of pointer type shorthairs were going unnoticed because water work, and retrieving were often not needed. Another trend was in the rise of professional trainers that were needed to train such dogs. As a kid even I knew that what ever kind of dog you had needed to perform the task of the breed without training. I had never even heard of a professional trainer and never heard of anyone sending their dog to one. Jack had no training other than on the job training and he could track a deer, retrieve and duck or any bird or stick for that matter, and point and retrieve a pheasant. Labs retrieved ducks and hounds did hound stuff. But now all of a sudden you needed a trainer to force your GSP to retrieve, work closer, and forget about water, some GSPs will never do that.
The light got brighter and shines pretty good right now with so many breeders, and clubs focusing on versatility. In the 80s hunt test came upon the scene, NAVHDA going strong. In the 90s things really hit full stride. The German influence was here, not only in their clubs but in their dogs.
For the first time many begin seeing their first black dogs. At first thinking they were just a novelty. It was not that the dogs were black that drew the breeder or buyer, but the dogs themselves. Here was a dog that was versatile and was in the AKC registry, and was the full package. Water loving, natural retrieve and point, and a joy for the foot hunter, and crossed so well with the American GSP. What people did not know about this hidden gem was their background. The fact that they came down from German's oldest Kennel the Pottmes kennel of Apotheker Meyerheim who started working with his first dog in 1903, and that one of the most influential studs was Quell Pottmes, and his grandson Ciro v. Bichtelwald another black became the most used stud ever even passing Alex.v. Wasserschling. See the paper I wrote on the blacks.
Now a breeder, and buyer has the largest choices when it comes to GSPs. The internet has played a big part in this. Research is easier than ever though opinions are out there that confuse the situation, but like anything the more research you do the more likely you will come up with the information that will lead you to the right dog for your breeding program or personal family hunting dog.
The story goes that Dr. Thornton was reading in a sporting magazine about the German Shorthairs and how incredible they were. He turned to his wife and told her that he had to have them and that the amount of money did not matter. I will get the exact quote latter.
Dr. Thornton corresponded with a breeder in Austria and before long had a female that had been bred there and sent over. In 1925 that was not an easy task, first a long ship ride, and then a long train ride.
The sire of the litter was a solid liver dog, and the mother Senta v. Hohenbruch was a large white ticked female. Senta was registered in the Field Dog Stub Book with the numbers 125225. Dr. Charles Thornton was so pleased with the hunting ability of both the mother and offspring that he imported at least a dozen more GSPs from Austria and Germany. Five of these being pregnant bitches.
The first 7 pups were registered with the suffix “of Everyuse”. Dr. Thornton exclaimed the virtues of the breed, and explains the name Everyuse. He was so enamored with with his Shorthairs that he got rid of his Setters.
The first two show titles were awarded to Dr Thornton's breeding, “Becky v. Hohenbruck” and “Baron v.d. Brickwedde”.
Dr. Thornton used the Shorthairs for every type of hunting. From pheasants and ducks to treeing what ever. He said that the dogs were wonderful duck dogs right up to the time the rivers froze over, and the way they handled pheasants showed a remarkable intelligence. He hunted them also in a pack, and the photo I saw was where they had something treed like hounddogs. Dr. Thornton also raved about how wonderful a ranch dog they were, and once again how smart they were. He told of how one of his dog saved the ranch hand from a big bull.
The versatile hunting dog got a good start in America at the hand of a versatile hunter.
Dr. Thornton was responsible also for getting the AKC to adopt the breed. However this would cause the breed some problems in the future. It seems that when a breed classification was needed by AKC that Dr. Thornton choose Pointer Retriever. Since this classification as well as Versatile hunting dog, or Gun Dog did not exist he was forced to pick either Pointer or Retriever.
As you might guess, either pick would cause problems down the road. If he picked Pointer then the type would be set and the dogs would stuck with the stigma of a pointing dog, and have to compete with other pointing dogs. If a Retriever was chosen then the same problems would arise later down the road.
England was faced with a similar dilemma, but they ended up forming a new classification of Gun Dogs which salved the problem.
Dr. Thornton choose Pointer and the cast was set. The problems would not show itself for many years, but they were headed our way.
It was the working abilities of the breed that interested breeders. They wanted versatile hunting dogs. If they had wanted pointers they would have chosen the already well established breeds of Pointers and Setters that were already out there.
One such breeder of early dogs was Joseph Burkhart, a ex German gamekeeper.
There is little doubt that some of the best Shorthairs were imported into the United States. The list is extremely long but to name a few, Adam who would sire the number one sire of show dogs Adam v. Fuehrerheim. The Schwarenberg line which produced our first Dual Champion Rusty, a solid liver dog.
The early kennels and their lines are exhausting, and often become a long list of names of dogs and people that only the most dedicated researcher could comprehend. This is an overview and I'll not subject the readers to such a long history. For such information there are books out there and the foremost being Georgina Byrne's book the “Der Deutsch Kurzhaar, The German Shorthaired Pointrer”. How she was able to compile the information is beyond me.
But what I will try and do is give an overview of the progression of the breed in America.
So one sees what the breed consisted of when it got to America, especially if you read what I wrote of the early German development of the breed.
I will do my best to tie in some dates and information that shows the progression of the breed. In 1938 the Parent Club was formed, and the Club was the first to provide a field trial for the breed.
The Breed Club is the organization that works with the AKC and controls the Breed Standard, and in this case was derived from the German Standard and approved in May of 1946. However it seems that the organization missed that the German Standard in 1946 had changed to allow black as an excepted color. In 1946 the parent club was known as The German Shorthaired Club of America.
Through 1987 approx. 213 GSPs were imported to American and Canada. All of these being Versatile hunting dogs.
What also happened to the breed in America up until the 90, I mean how was the breeding going on, and what were the the dogs like and used for?
Clubs, tests, and trials. It's not easiest to follow but will help one understand the German Shorthair in America. The first to register the GSP was the FDSB which is a registry of hounds and pointers, and the GSP competed in the pointer field trials. AKC 1930 and the GSP competed with the other pointer breeds, and Dog Shows. 1986 AKC started the hunt test which now has tests such as Master Hunter, Jr. Hunter, and Senior Hunter. Other AKC activities such as being allowed in the Retrievers tests, Dock Diving, Barn Search, etc. have also been added.
United Kennel Club which has nothing to do with the United Kingdom and is an American registry allowed GSPs in 1948, and also tests with pointer breeds. In 1978 the National Shoot to Retrieve Association was formed and now is aligned with the United Kennel Club. The NSTRA is for pointing breeds where the dog finds a birds and points or honors another dog that is pointing. The handler flushes the bird and it is shot, and the dog retrieves.
The North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association was formed in 1969, to promote and test the Versatile hunting dog. Water work in NAVHDA is a strong proponent. Later the club became a registry, and has approx. 10,000 members. The highest honor is a test to become a Versatile Champion. In 1993 the German Club came to America in the form of the North America Deutsch Kurzhaar club which brings all the German Testing to America which is extremely diverse. Also there is a Deutsch Kurzhaar Group of North America, which seems to be a club devoted to the Deutsch Kurzhaar breeding standard and the Deutsh Kurzhaar registry.
There you have it the clubs, organizations, testing, and trials.
Now let us see if we can get it to flow in a way we will be able to see the progression of the German Shorthair in America.
German Shorthairs came over with the German immigrants shown in photos of the time, however it falls to Dr. Thornton in 1925 as the first to get things started. He wanted versatile smart hunting dogs. The German Shorthair was classified as a pointer and thus championed as such. Many hunters however wanted, to breed, and import versatile hunting dogs.
The GSP progressed as a pointing dog with the elimination of a required test for water work or retrieving. In the early 70s or late 60s the pointing trials fraternity according to Robert Wehle, of Elhew Pointer fame had a decisions to make, and that was continue to breed dogs to ran bigger or to real the dogs in, and breed more for the foot hunter. The choice was to breed bigger running dogs.
This effected the Shorthair more than people want to admit or even understand because the Pointer (English) is the main dog that the Shorthairs had to compete with for field trial Championships. Meaning the Shorthair by nessisaty had to also become a bigger running dog. So it's bad enough that the GSP is classified as a pointer, but now it's going to become a big running GSP in a way even the English Pointer was not designed to do.
From my research the GSP formed into an English Pointer look and run alike, with the 1950s born import Moesgaard Ib. Even though Ib was built like a more traditional Shorthairs his offspring started looking more like a pointer, even having the all white coat. Take a look at Moesgaard's Luchy II, who was whelped in 1959. Which many believed was caused by Pointer infusion. When I started working with the pedigree program I noticed that all roads in most white field trial lines lead back to Moesgaard Ib.
So it is a well know fact that English Pointer was bred into the GSP, and in some cases it was reported that full Pointers were registered as GSPs. Americans like most competitive people will always take shortcuts or do what every is needed to win, or get what they want. Remember Lance Armstrong? There is no need to dive in any deeper into the lines or breeders.
At one point in about 2000 I read somewhere that about 28 percent of all GSPs that were bred were white field trial lines. That's a lot of dogs. This does explain why other groups had to step in and fill the void.
The North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association being the first. At about the time the GSPs were becoming Pointers the group was formed. And there were always Americans that were breeding to the old German standards for versatility. The first German Shorthair that I ever knew about was Jack a solid liver GSP that was an extremely versatile hunting dog. This was in the 60s, and 70s.
The truth is that most owners of GSPs. Past and present know little about field trials, and have little or no desire to see one, much less compete in one, the damage came about because these were the dogs being bred to and at one point it became hard to find a shorthair that was not heavy in field trial lines. I mean look at the pedigrees and you see FC, and you think the dog has to be good.
There was another trend for buyers of GSP, and that was for a bird dog. Since that was becoming the main use, breeders of pointer type shorthairs were going unnoticed because water work, and retrieving were often not needed. Another trend was in the rise of professional trainers that were needed to train such dogs. As a kid even I knew that what ever kind of dog you had needed to perform the task of the breed without training. I had never even heard of a professional trainer and never heard of anyone sending their dog to one. Jack had no training other than on the job training and he could track a deer, retrieve and duck or any bird or stick for that matter, and point and retrieve a pheasant. Labs retrieved ducks and hounds did hound stuff. But now all of a sudden you needed a trainer to force your GSP to retrieve, work closer, and forget about water, some GSPs will never do that.
The light got brighter and shines pretty good right now with so many breeders, and clubs focusing on versatility. In the 80s hunt test came upon the scene, NAVHDA going strong. In the 90s things really hit full stride. The German influence was here, not only in their clubs but in their dogs.
For the first time many begin seeing their first black dogs. At first thinking they were just a novelty. It was not that the dogs were black that drew the breeder or buyer, but the dogs themselves. Here was a dog that was versatile and was in the AKC registry, and was the full package. Water loving, natural retrieve and point, and a joy for the foot hunter, and crossed so well with the American GSP. What people did not know about this hidden gem was their background. The fact that they came down from German's oldest Kennel the Pottmes kennel of Apotheker Meyerheim who started working with his first dog in 1903, and that one of the most influential studs was Quell Pottmes, and his grandson Ciro v. Bichtelwald another black became the most used stud ever even passing Alex.v. Wasserschling. See the paper I wrote on the blacks.
Now a breeder, and buyer has the largest choices when it comes to GSPs. The internet has played a big part in this. Research is easier than ever though opinions are out there that confuse the situation, but like anything the more research you do the more likely you will come up with the information that will lead you to the right dog for your breeding program or personal family hunting dog.