Large Munsterlander

The breed comes from the Münsterland, the countryside of Westphalia and neighbouring Lower Saxony in north-western Germany, where long-haired pointing dogs had been used by falconers and shooting men for centuries. Its immediate ancestry lies with the German Longhaired Pointer.

The split that created the modern breed was about colour. When the German Longhaired Pointer standard was fixed in the late nineteenth century it admitted only brown and brown-and-white dogs, and the black-and-white puppies that continued to appear in litters were excluded from registration. Farmers and hunters in the Münsterland kept breeding them anyway because they worked well.

In 1919 the writer and dog man Friedrich Jungklaus and a group of enthusiasts organised these black-and-white dogs into a breed in their own right, and the Verband Grosse Münsterländer Vorstehhunde was founded, with recognition following in 1922. The Fédération Cynologique Internationale accepted the breed definitively in 1954.

The Large Munsterlander reached Britain in 1971 and North America a few years later. In both places it is still bred largely by and for hunters; the American Kennel Club has not granted it full recognition, and clubs such as the Large Munsterlander Association of America and the British club maintain the breed with a strong emphasis on proven field ability.

This is a large, strongly built but elegant gundog. Dogs stand roughly 24 to 26 inches at the shoulder and bitches about 23 to 25 inches, with weights generally between 55 and 70 pounds. The outline is close to square, the body muscular and the movement long, elastic and free.

The coat is long and dense, sleek and firm rather than woolly, lying close to the body, with good feathering on the ears, the backs of the legs and the tail, and short smooth hair on the head. It should never be curly or coarse, and it gives real protection in brambles and cold water without being a burden to maintain.

Colour is the breed's most recognisable feature and is strictly black and white. The head is solid black, sometimes with a white blaze or snip, and the body is white or blue roan with black patches, flecking or ticking in any arrangement. No other colour is acceptable. The eyes are dark brown and the expression intelligent and kindly.

The British breed standard sums the dog up as loyal, affectionate and trustworthy, and that is a fair description. Large Munsterlanders form intense attachments to their families and want to be in the room with them; this is not a breed that settles for kennel life or long days alone.

They are keen, high-drive workers with excellent noses and considerable stamina, and that drive does not switch off simply because the dog is in a house. A Munsterlander that has not been worked or walked properly becomes restless, mouthy and destructive, and may take up barking or roaming.

With people the breed is generally friendly and outgoing, and most are patient and gentle with children, though a boisterous adolescent of this size can flatten a toddler without meaning to. They tend to be sociable with other dogs and can live with cats if raised with them, but small pets and poultry are a different matter given the breed's hunting purpose.

They are sensitive dogs, quick to notice their handler's mood and easily discouraged by rough handling. Some individuals are a little reserved with strangers, and they will bark at an unfamiliar arrival, but guarding is not part of the breed's character.

In the field the Large Munsterlander is a genuine all-rounder in the continental tradition. It quarters and points upland birds, tracks wounded game, works cold water for duck and retrieves to hand, and it is expected to do all of that steadily and within reach of a walking gun. Its coat and its willingness in water make it particularly effective on winter wildfowl and in heavy cover.

Away from shooting, the same nose and biddability suit the breed to tracking, scent work, agility, obedience and canicross, and its stamina makes it an excellent partner for running and long-distance hiking. Some are trained for search and rescue. It is not a breed to acquire purely as a house pet; whatever the outlet, it needs regular, structured work.