Drathaar - breed description and dog character

Choosing a pet, many bypass the hunting breeds. Everyone believes that their natural instincts will not bring peace to life. There is some truth to this assumption when it comes to drachtaaras. In addition to being excellent hunters, dogs of this breed are very smart, proud and have a strong character.

From the history of the breed

Deutsch Drathaara (German Wire-haired Pointing Dogs) were bred in Germany at the end of the 19th century. It is reliably known that their ancestors are griffons, pointers, shtichaelhaars and German short-haired cops. The hard coat of the dog of this breed became the reason for its name, drathaar from it. "Wirecoat".

Even in spite of the German origin of the dratkhaars, in hunting books of the 16-18th centuries there are no mentions or descriptions of wire-haired dogs. They arrived in Germany from Northern France a little later in the person of their ancestors of the griffon, which crossed with German cops, as a result of which a new breed appeared. In addition to the coat structure, the drathaara inherited their eyebrows, mustache and beard.

The first mention of German wire-haired cops was recorded in the 97th year of the 18th century, and in 1813 the baron Borch described this breed. In 1829, Karl Kegel recorded a distinction between bristly and smooth-haired cops.

In the 19th century, bastard dogs were not very popular among German hunters. They were considered unattractive according to external data and noted their weak hunting qualities. Individual individuals were crossed with more popular setters to improve breed quality. Most of them were used as pets and security guards, and only occasionally for hunting assistance.

During World War II, no one was involved in breeding drathaars. Most breeding animals were destroyed in order to save food stocks. After the war, through the efforts of breeders until the 65th year, the population of these animals was restored, along with the adoption of breed standards. For the purpose of high-quality selection, individuals with the best qualities of a hunter were selected, often neglecting external data.

In Russia, drathaars appeared after the Second World War along with other trophy breeds. Today it is one of the most famous and popular hunting.

Breed standards

This noble animal belongs to the barking hunting dogs. When evaluating exhibitions, external data and the working abilities of individuals are taken into account.

According to FCI standards, typical drathaars have the following breed characteristics:

1. Appearance. Powerful, strong, decisive and quick-witted. Their appearance corresponds to the internal content. Drathaaras are girlfriends, hardy, and absolutely controlled by humans.
2. Weight. The unit is floating, but is in the range of 27-32 kg.
3. The size. In males - from 61 to 68 cm. In females - from 57 to 64 cm.
4. Torso. Has a square or rectangular format. Females are more elongated. With a long enough, curved, muscular neck without sagging skin.
5. Head. Proportional to the body, medium size. The forehead is wide and almost flat, rounded in the nape and on the sides. With pronounced cheekbones and eyebrows. At the end, the muzzle is rounded and decorated with a beard, which visually makes it square. Lips have pigmentation in the color of the main coat.
6. Eyes. Small size. They have an average landing.Iris saturated dark brown. The whites of the eyes are covered for centuries and colored according to the basic tone of the coat.
7. Nose. Wide with a hump. The nostrils are round.
8. The ears. Medium thickness. Round. Hang down and slightly raised in the area of ​​cartilage. When the dog is focused, turn in the direction of the nose.
9. Paws Muscular and straight. They have a length proportional to the body and are symmetrical with each other. Brushes are rounded, stable, tightly assembled. Paw pillows are the color of the tone of the main color.
10. Tail. Forms a straight line with the back. Most often docked, but if not, it has a saber shape.
11. Wool. Tight, adjacent to the body. The length of the outer hair is about 3 cm, but not less than 2 and not more than 4. In the area of ​​the paws of the abdomen and chest, its length is less than this on the rest of the body. Shorter coat on the muzzle. The presence of a very dense, waterproof undercoat is characteristic. In the area of ​​the cheeks, eyebrows and beard, the hair is longer than over the entire head, which gives the impression of beard (brudishness).

Colors:

• Gray-haired (gray).
• Black alternates with gray.
• Brown with gray hair.
• Brown with white spots in the sternum.

Any type of color can be spotty.

Individual character traits

Drathaaras are faithful animals with a set of positive universal qualities of a companion dog. Very well trained and inquisitive. At a young age, as a rule, they are distinguished by a strong and stubborn disposition. They tend to compete with their masters in terms of leadership. Sometimes the nature of these animals does not allow owners to achieve success in training. Therefore, it is better to entrust it to professionals.

Hunting qualities

Buying an animal to help with the hunt involves taking on the owner a great deal of responsibility. Most often, the hunter prefers hunting qualities to the exterior. To obtain a hunting license, tribal documents and test certificates are required. The puppy must be trained in elementary teams before vaccination. During the walk, dogs are trained in primary teams, and after - more difficult.

Before proceeding to special classes with puppies, they are trained for courage by eliminating fears of loud and sudden sounds, water and other possible irritating factors.

Specialized trainings carry out by imitation of the hunting process. For this, birds are released from the shelter, most often quail, and the dog is trained not to move to the team. Then dogs are taught to hunt a certain type of living creature. Drathaar can be adapted to any type of prey.

When the dog reaches adulthood, training is carried out in the form of a game. With adults, training takes place at the level of practice. In no case should you encourage aggression on the part of the dog, as well as manifest it yourself.

Adults are ideal versatile hunters. Representatives of this breed are leaders among dogs of hunting breeds. Due to their stiff hair, they are not vulnerable in the natural environment to damage to the skin by sticky plants and bushes, through which it is sometimes necessary to wade for prey.

Content Features

Drathaar is not a sofa pet. It is best kept in a private sector, in the courtyard in the aviary. At the same time, it is necessary to equip a warm booth in the territory of detention, in which the animal can hide from the weather. The dense undercoat of drathaars prevents them from freezing even in thirty-degree frosts. In addition to being excellent hunters, they also have excellent security qualities, have a developed sense of territory and are not aggressive at the same time. They are not inclined to show confidence in others, but are loyal only to their owners and the family in which they live.Sometimes the owner and himself need to go a hard way in order to understand with his own pet.

Living a dog in an aviary does not relieve the owner of the need for walks. It is necessary to walk this large and active animal on a leash. It is advisable to provide the pet with active leisure in nature or in an area close to it.

Drathaara kids are smart enough and curious. They are rarely prone to pranks inherent in puppies, especially with elementary education. In order to maximally protect yourself from damage to property by a dog, it is necessary to load it with walks and games as much as possible. The presence of special toys to occupy the pet has a positive effect. The use of physical punishments and an increase in voice in relation to an animal can develop a number of complexes in it and is unacceptable.

Relationship with children

With children, drachtaars often become friends and love to play with them, but this does not apply to kids. At too young a child can cause discomfort to the dog, which will cause dislike on the part of the pet. These animals in rare cases tend to be aggressive. As a rule, an adult drathaar simply ignores young children. As for puppies, they better adapt to obsessive babies and can find a common language with them. But still, you should not leave an animal with small children unattended.

Relations with other animals

This dog breed is not considered aggressive, so they can be kept with other representatives of the animal world in the house, if they were there before the puppy appeared. Otherwise, the cop can mock at weaker pets, training their hunting abilities on them.

As for rodents and birds, they are unlikely to become best friends with the drathaar, accustomed to seeing them as more prey than friends. There are exceptions, but very rarely. To avoid unpleasant situations, do not keep them in the same room with the intended prey.

Nutrition

The first thing to do is to give the dog a special place for meals. Puppies need to be taught to eat in a special place designated for this purpose and on a schedule. Otherwise, there is a risk of acquiring a beggar.

Experts recommend that owners of dogs of this breed feed the animal with natural products, giving them preference over ready-made dry food. But in fact, specialized food is more convenient during the hunt. The best food option is mixed. However, you should never mix both types of food in one feeding. At home, they use natural food, and on the hunt - high-quality food. In the diet of the animal, non-fat varieties of meat, cereals and vegetables must be present. It is worth avoiding flour products, pickles, sweets and smoked meats. Fresh meat must be well frozen and processed with boiling water.

Puppies are fed about 4 times a day, in small portions. Adult animals eat 2-3 times depending on the volume of servings. You need to give your pet food after walking and training, and not before.

Hair care

The presence of a thick undercoat implies mandatory combing during periods of molting. This should be done with a scallop with long, moderately thick teeth. The rest of the fluff is removed with a wet hand or a special glove.

Females in the summer lose most of their protective hair, so it is better to keep them indoors during periods of rains. Also, representatives of both sexes in wet weather during molting is better to protect from getting wet with the help of special raincoats, otherwise the pet may catch a cold.

You should not bathe your pet often. This is best done in the hot season, not more often 4-5 times a year. From frequent water procedures, the skin's natural PH is disturbed. What can cause peeling and itching.When bathing, you must use special dog shampoos or products for newborns. In no case should you use cosmetic soap or human shampoos and shower gels.

Eyes and ears should be examined several times a week and hygienic procedures should be performed every 7-10 days. The same goes for teeth.

Paws and claws

After walking, it is necessary to inspect the pet's paws for mechanical damage. If the dog lives in the house, it is necessary to wipe them with a damp cloth or washcloth. If cracks appear on the pads, this indicates that the animal is not getting enough vitamins or fats. In this case, it is necessary to introduce vitamin complexes intended for large breed dogs into the diet. Treat damage with an antiseptic once or repeatedly if there is inflammation.

Deworming

It is carried out once a quarter with the use of special antiparasitic drugs purchased at a veterinary pharmacy with the exact observance of the instructions and dosage rules. Anthelmintic animals are important before vaccinations to avoid complications, as well as before breeding both individuals to get healthy offspring.

Health

As a rule, animals of this breed have fairly good health and minimal tendencies towards popular canine diseases with proper care and maintenance. Most often, drathaara are susceptible to the following possible diseases:

• Dermatitis It can occur due to frequent water procedures.
• Inflammation of the skin.
• Endocrine disruption.
• Inversion of the intestines.
• Cataract
• Atrophy of the retina.
• Cardiovascular pathologies.

Hip dysplasia. Appears in dogs of old age as a result of metabolic disorders. It is treated most often promptly.

The average life span of a drathaar is about 15 years.

Purchase

When choosing the gender of a pet, one should consider for what specific purposes a dog is needed. If a hunter is required, then a dog is best. Since females can not be used during periods of leukemia, pregnancy and feeding offspring.

Literate breeders do not sell puppies until 3 months. Since only upon reaching this age can one determine the pedigree data and the nature of the animal.

How much does a drachtaar puppy cost?

Buying an animal is necessary only in a specialized nursery from breeders with a good reputation. Purebred animals have a set of necessary qualities from the moment of birth. The price of such a puppy varies between $ 1,000 in Russia and about 2,500 in Europe.

Do not buy an animal remotely or at too low a cost. Otherwise, there is a risk of getting a homemade "ball" instead of a thoroughbred dog.

Video: dog breed Drathaar