I FIRST BECAME AWARE OF THE DRAHTHAAR DOG BREED BACK IN 1962. I WAS INITIALY LOOKING TO FIND A GRIFFON. THE DRAHTHAARS WERE VERY RARE IN AMERICA AT THAT TIME. I LOCATED A GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS LIVING IN WISCONSIN AND MICHIGAN THAT HAD RECENTLY (1959) FOUNDED THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB AFFILIATE THAT HAD TRANSLATED THE GERMAN WORD “DRAHTHAAR” MEANING” WIREHAIR.” THE REGISTERED EUROPEAN GROUP, WHERE THEY OBTAINED THEIR DOGS WAS THE “VEREIN DEUTSCH DRAHTHAAR”, FROM WHENCE ALL THE AMERICAN DOGS ORIGINATED. SOME OF THESE FIRST DOGS WERE PURCHASED FROM SCANDINAVIAN COUNTRIES. IN AMERICA THIS BREED OF DOGS WAS RECOGNIZED BY THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB, APPROPRIATLY, AS THE GERMAN WIREHAIRED POINTER. A SET OF AMERICAN RULES WERE ESTABLISHED SO AS THEIR OWNERS COULD COMPETE THEIR DOGS IN BOTH FIELD AND SHOW EVENTS.

AFTER I PURCHASED MY FIRST DOG I COMPETED HIM IN BOTH FIELD AND SHOW. I MET A BUNCH OF HELPFUL AND WONDERFUL PEOPLE. IT WAS A LOT OF FUN. I WAS SO IMPRESSED WITH THIS BREED AND THEIR COMRADERIE. I WAS CONVINCED THIS WAS THE GREATEST DOG I EVER OWNED AND DECIDED TO INTRODUCE THIS BREED TO OTHER HUNTERS.

OVER THE LAST 50 YEARS I RECENTLY BEGAN TO REALIZE THAT SOME DOG OWNERS CAN BE VERY JEALOUS AND RUTHLESS PEOPLE. ESPECIALLY IF THEY CONSIDER OTHER BREEDERS AS THEIR COMPETITORS. FIRST OPPOSITION WAS MADE WHEN I INTRODUCED THE BLACK AND WHITE COLOR TO AMERICA. CERTAIN OF THE AKC “SHOW” MEMBERS WERE OUTRAGED. THEY TRIED BANNING THE BLACK AND WHITE COLORATION. I GUESS THEY DIDN’T REALIZE THAT SOME OF THE FIRST CROSSES BETWEEN POODLES AND POINTERS RESULTED IN BLACK OFFSPRING. NOW, THE AKC RECOGNIZES HOW BEAUTIFUL THE BLACK AND WHITE DOGS ARE.

THE CURRENT AND CONTINUED OPPOSITION COMES FROM CERTAIN BREEDERS OF THE VDD NORTH AMERICA. I WAS INVITED TO JOIN THIS GROUP BY THEIR FIRST BREED WARDEN. SHE WAS ESPECIALLY INTERESTED IN MY TWO DRAHTHAARS THAT HAD STICHELHAAR LINEAGES. SHE OWNED A KENNEL IN OKLAHOMA THAT ALSO HAD STICHELHAAR ANCESTORS. I DROVE OVER A THOUSAND MILES TO THEIR FIRST FIELD TRIAL ONLY TO WITNESS THIS HEAD BREED-WARDEN JUDGING TWO LITTERMATES THAT CAME FROM HER KENNEL. THESE TWO DOGS WERE OVER ONE YEAR OLD AND WERE UNABLE TO POINT PLANTED PHEASANTS; AFTER THREE ATTEMPTS, THEY WERE COMMANDED TO “STAY” WHILE ON LEASH AND THEN WERE AWARDED A PASSING GRADE FOR POINTING IN THE NATURAL ABILITY TEST. OTHERWISE THEY MAY NOT HAVE BEEN QUALIFIED FOR BREEDING. I PHONED THIS BREEDWARDEN AFTER RETURNING TO BOISE AND TOLD HER I NO LONGER WISHED TO BE PART OF THIS VDD NORTH AMERICAN ORGANIZATION.  I FIND IT PARTICULAR ODD THAT AFTER 50 YEARS, THIS GROUP MEMBERSHIP IS STILL IMPORTING MOST OF THEIR BREEDING STOCK FROM GERMANY. GERMANY IS SMALLER THAT THE STATE OF IDAHO. GERMANY OBVIOUSLY MUST HAVE BETTER BREEDERS THAT KNOW “HOW” TO BREED BETTER DOGS. IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO LEARN HOW MANY GERMANS ARE STANDING IN LINE WAITING TO RECEIVE VDD DOGS BRED IN AMERICA.

ONE OF MY GREAT PRIVILEGES WAS MEETING AND GETTING TO KNOW A GERMAN MAN THAT I MOST ADMIRED. HIS NAME WAS BODO WINTERHELDT. HE BEGAN HIS CAREER AS A YOUNG BOY IN GERMANY WITH HIS GERMAN SHORTHAIRED POINTER. AS RELATED BY HIM TO ME, HE FINISHED HIS FIRST DOG AT THE AGE OF 14.  AFTER WWII HE IMMIGRATED TO NORTH AMERICA VIA CANADA. HE HAD SWITCHED TO A DIFFERENT BREED, THE PUDELPOINTER. HE FOUNDED THE PUDELPOINTER CLUB OF NORTH AMERICA AND THE NORTH AMERICAN VERSATILE HUNTING DOG ASSOCIATION (NAVHDA) WHICH HAD BEGUN TO GROW BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS. IT WAS FASHIONED FROM THE GERMAN TESTING GROUP.  HE FOUNDED THIS ORGANIZATION AS A MEANS TO EDUCATE OTHERS HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THEIR HUNTING COMPANIONS. IT WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE USED AS A COMPETITION OR A METHOD TO SELL HIS DOGS. IT WAS MEANT TO HELP OTHER DOG OWNERS TO EVALUATE THEIR DOGS AND PROGENY.

CEASAR WHISPERED TO HIS TRUSTED FRIEND BRUTUS

“ET TU BRUTE” (AND YOU TO BRUTUS)

AS BRUTUS STICKS A KNIFE IN CEASAR’S BACK

UNFORTUNATLY OVER THE YEARS, CERTAIN UNSCROUPULOUS COLLEAGUES WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN REMOVING BODO, A GREAT DOG TRAINER, SPORTSMAN AND FOUNDER FROM THE ORGANIZATIONS HE CREATED. BODO RECENTLY, AT 92, PASSED TO A BETTER WORLD. I HUMBLY PAY TRIBUTE AND GRADITUDE FOR THE KNOWLEDGE AND KINDNESS HE SHARED WITH ME AND SO MANY DOG LOVERS AND OWNERS. HE WAS A PROUD, HONORABLE, AND NEVER SELFISH NOR AN ENVIOUS MAN.

SINCE THE ADVENT OF THE INTERNET I TOO FIND MY 60 YEARS DEDICATION TO THE GERMAN WIREHAIRED POINTER (DRAHTHAAR) BREED BEING ATTACKED BY COWARDLY COMPETITORS HIDING BEHIND FICTITOUS NAMES ON VERSATILE DOG BREED FORUMS. THESE COWARDLY LOWLIFES MAKE FALSE ACCUSATIONS AND STORIES ABOUT ME AND MY DOGS. I HAVE HUNDREDS OF TESTAMONIES FROM SATISFIED OWNERS ON MY WEBSITE. I HAVE AT LEAST ANOTHER HUNDRED THAT I HAVE NOT POSTED.  THESE IMMATURE CRITICS HIDE THEIR TRUE IDENITY; I DON’T KNOW THEM, THEY CERTAINLY DON'T KNOW ME, AND I DOUBT THEY HAVE SEEN MY DOGS OR MY KENNEL. WHY A DOG FORUM WOULD ALLOW PEOPLE TO SLANDER OTHERS IS BEYOND ME.

IN REALITY, I BREED A LITTER OR TWO EVERY OTHER YEAR. IT ENABLES ME TO KEEP AN UNUSUALLY GOOD STRAIN OF HUNTING DOG ALIVE AND WELL. I HAVE A WONDERFUL BASE OF LOYAL CUSTOMERS. I DO NOT AND NEED NOT ATTACK ANY OTHER KENNELS OR BREEDERS TO MAKE A DOG SALE. I BELIEVE THAT A PROSPECTIVE BUYER OF A HUNTING DOG IS CERTAINLY SMART ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE PRODUCT THE BREEDER SELLS SHOULD STAND ON ITS OWN MERIT.  A BREEDER WHO SLANDERS ANOTHER KENNEL SO AS TO SELL HIS DOGS, IS A VERY POOR CHOICE FOR A PROSPECTIVE BUYER.

I WAS RAISED IN THE POST WORLD WAR TWO ERA WHERE YOUR PARENTS TAUGHT THEIR CHILDREN TO BE RESPECTFUL. MY FATHER SAID IF YOU CANNOT SAY SOMETHING GOOD ABOUT ANOTHER PERSON, THEN IT IS BETTER TO SAY NOTHING AT ALL.

THOSE WHO COMMIT SLANDER ARE BEST SERVED BY THE WISDOM OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN. TO HIS INSCROUPULOUS CRITICS HE SAID

“IT IS BETTER FOR YOU TO REMAIN SILENT AND BE THOUGHT A FOOL, THAN FOR YOU TO OPEN YOUR MOUTH AND REMOVE ALL DOUBT!”

GOOD FORUMS SHARE POSITIVE FEEDS