How The English Pointer Hunts Prey

Tags: dogs, pets, breeds, english pointer

Hunters use all kinds of dogs with different hunting abilities – they choose the one with the skills that are best suited for them. Some canine use their scent of smell for finding animals, track it down, and then lead its human buddy to the game. Others put to good use their eyesight, where they will be able to spot the prey from a distance, and then lead its companion to its location.

The English Pointer dog breed, on the other hand, would find the game, stop, and then “point” where the prey was with its muzzle. The hunter would then follow that direction and move in for the kill. This pooch is the result of a variety of dog breeds (Bloodhound, Foxhound, Greyhound, Bull Terrier), inheriting many of the desirable traits they possessed – wrapped into one package.

But the English Pointer doesn't just limit itself to that type of sport; many pet owners everywhere will be more than happy to testify that hunting dog breeds do make excellent pets (well, at least for the majority of their kind). Here's why: to be a pooch taking that kind of job, you're going to have to possess “trainability”, or the ability to be trained easily.

When you're after the big prey (such as lions and bears), you're putting your life in the hands of your hunting companion (the pooch). If you've any intentions of being successful and/or surviving the encounter, the pooch is going to have to be well-trained, and obey each and ever command you give.

If not, you're dead – simple as that. So what does that mean for you, chum? For starters, it does mean that having that type of breed means you'll have an easier time teaching it something, so say goodbye to the long frustrating hours of educating a breed of lesser intelligence.

Moving forward, hunting dogs also have courage, and must get along well with their master – this means that they'll be keeping close watch over you, making sure that nothing bad happens. Getting along well with humans, as mentioned above, is what the English Pointer is known for. They are very friendly and even like children, as well as the other pets you may have in the house.

They aren't very territorial, so sharing the property with everyone and everything in the household should be expected from this pooch. It's vital that it receives enough love and attention daily – it's a dog thing (does wonders for canine behavioral development). The outdoors is what it was bred for, so giving it ample time for physical activities outside the house would do it good.

Having said that, it's always not a good idea to keep a pet with these kinda attributes cooped up all day inside – doing so will lead to the development of destructive “house pet behavior”. An English Pointer shouldn't be allowed to store all that energy for long periods of time.

For the common good of all, provide “outlets” for it to “release” all the “negative” energy piling inside. Other than that, you shouldn't have too much problems if you go about things the right way. Hope you've got enough knowledge and/or experience with pet ownership.

About the author

Alex De La Cruz is a successful Dog Trainer who has been advising and coaching dog owners for many years. Alex now decided to share his knowledge through this site, Doggyweb.info. You can sign up for his free weekly newsletter and learn how to keep your dog healthy and happy.

Share this article

You may reprint this article in its entirety on your web site, newsletter or ezine, providing you leave the About the author sections intact. You may not alter the contents.

Read other Breeds articles or visit our forum for additional information.

Free newsletter • Email this article to a friend

Previous 10 breeds articles:

1.	Things To Consider Before Getting A Giant Schnauzer
2.	An Easily Distracted English Springer Spaniel
3.	Why You Should Get A Hairless Dog
4.	Bichon Frise For Frustrated Pet Owners
5.	The Versatility Of A German Shepherd
6.	A Very Affectionate Boston Terrier
7.	Canine Congestive Heart Failure
8.	What Makes The Greyhound A Champion
9.	Dogue De Bordeaux: A Fighting Family Pet
10.	Weimaraner: The Gray Ghost

I would love to hear from you what you think about my article. Please leave a comment below!

Welcome to DoggyWeb!

Are you a real dog lover? Then DoggyWeb is your new home on the web from now on. Here you will find all the information you need to take care of your beloved pet. Articles about how to deal with complaints, maintaining your dog's fur the right way and information on training your dog: it's all on this website.

When you have plans to get a new dog, but don't know exactly which kind of dog should perfectly fit within your family situation, this site helps you to make the right decision. My team of dog experts has build a rich archive of articles containing descriptions of many different dog breeds. DoggyWeb is the right place to find answers to all your questions about dogs.

There will be new articles every day, so I advice you to check this website daily! It's also possible to receive the latest daily written articles by email once a week. Simply sign up for our newsletter and choose the categories you are interested in.

If you want more information on a topic, I offer you the opportunity to order informational products about the topic you are interested in. You find these products in the bar on the left, once you have opened an article. Examples of these products are e-books written by qualified dog experts.