How does the Pointer work in the field?
The pointer is the classic grouse-moor bird dog. It ranges wide and fast, freezes on point when it winds birds, and is not normally used to retrieve.
The pointer, often called the English pointer, is the classic bird dog of the British grouse moor. It ranges wide and fast with its head high, finding birds on the wind, and when it winds them it freezes in the classic pose, head and tail in line and often one foreleg raised. It holds point until the guns arrive, then flushes on command; like the English setter, it is not normally expected to retrieve. Pointers are a mainstay of pointer and setter field trials in Britain. Working-bred pointers differ from show dogs in build and drive, so look for parents with field trial or moor experience.
What is the Pointer like to live and work with?
Friendly, gentle and even-tempered, calm at home and intense in the field. It needs a great deal of free running.
Pointers are friendly, gentle and even-tempered, with a calm manner at home that contrasts with their intensity in the field. They are usually good with children and other dogs, and they bond closely with their family. They are energetic dogs with enormous stamina and need a great deal of free running. They can be independent when scenting and easily distracted, so they respond best to patient, consistent handling. Look for parents that are confident and sociable, with drive and style on the moor and a willingness to respond at a distance.
Which health tests matter for the Pointer?
Both parents should have hip scores, ideally elbow grades, and a current eye certificate. Check the breed club for any further recommended tests.
Ask for both parents' hip scores under the BVA/KC Hip Dysplasia Scheme, elbow grades where they have been done, and a current eye certificate under the BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme. The breed club keeps an up-to-date list of recommended tests, and DNA tests for inherited conditions are available from canine genetics laboratories, so ask which have been done and see the certificates rather than accepting 'health tested' on trust. Ask the breeder about any problems in the parents' close relatives as well; a breeder who answers openly is one worth buying from. Results for Kennel Club registered dogs can be checked on the Kennel Club's Health Test Results Finder. See our checklist for buying a gundog for everything else to ask.
How much training and exercise does the Pointer need?
Control at a distance: the stop and turn whistles, steadiness on point and dropping to flush. An adult needs a great deal of free running.
Pointer training centres on control at a distance: a reliable stop whistle and turn whistle, steadiness on point, and dropping to flush and shot. Pointers are usually biddable but can become absorbed in scent, so building responsiveness early pays off. Many handlers bring young dogs on with experienced pointer and setter people on the moor, where there is room to range and birds to find. An adult working pointer needs a great deal of free running each day. The short coat needs very little care, but pointers feel the cold and wet, so a coat for long waits is worth having.
How long does it take to train the Pointer?
For the Pointer, readiness for the intended role matters more than a birthday. Check demonstrated foundations, physical suitability and the support needed for the next stage.
Early learning includes socialisation, recall and an introduction to open ground, with care taken that the puppy does not learn to chase birds it cannot catch. After comfortable everyday foundations, it learns the stop and turn whistles, begins to range in a pattern, and is allowed to find and point birds. With reliable foundations, it is steadied on point and taught to drop to flush and shot, ideally alongside experienced dogs on the moor. To start from the beginning, look at the pointer puppies for sale. Use the training progression guide to discuss readiness with a reward-based trainer. Ask your vet about physical demands, and plan game, water and gunfire introductions with competent help.