The development of our pointing breeds, British and continental, and the breeding, testing and registration systems we've invented for them has followed the ebb and flow of various cultural, social and political forces. Let's not forget that all the pointing breeds started in southern europe. They then spread across the continent and into the UK in the 1600s (longhaired setting dogs) and after the War of Spanish succession in 1715 (short haired pointing dogs "braque" and "old spanish pointers").Then for the next century and a half, they sort of languished on the continent, taking on regional characteristics but not really advancing beyond the fairly primitive model from the south.
Meanwhile in the UK, the 1700s and 1800s were years of unbridled innovation and advancement. Aided by the huge leap forward in livestock breeding techniques pioneered by Robert Bakewell in the 1770s and driven by the fierce competition among the growing class of nouveau riche, the landed gentry and various other social climbers, pointing dog development shifted into high gear. British innovation, a genius for animal husbandry and the free enterprise, competitive society transformed the imported long-haired setting dogs and short-haired pointing dogs into the various Setters and the Pointer. And after the fall of Napoleon in 1815, these new and improved versions of the old breeds returned to the land of their ancestors. When they did, it was as if a bomb had gone of on the continental sporting scene.
It is hard to overemphasis the impact. British Pointers and Setters were light years ahead of the continental breeds and stunned the dog-men of the day. Breeders across the continent stampeded to either get some of the dogs for themselves or to breed their dogs to them. Some even admitted it, many, due to nationalism and other social restrictions, did not. But it is safe to say that there is not a single, solitary pointing breed on the continent that does not have at least a drop or two of British blood in it. Some are clearly half breeds, others, more like 9/10th breeds.
The British influence is still very strong to this day. The English setter is the most popular pointing breed in France and Italy where over 20 thousand (!) are bred each year. Pointers are very popular everywhere and are still used (by the light of the moon) to add speed, range and nose to many breeds. The British competitive system of field trials and dog shows still dominates in many countries and now regularly produces Setters and Pointers that would run circles around their relatives back in the UK.
So what happened?
Why are we now discussing setting up a German based non-competitive system in the UK? How did the Brits go from absolute monarchs of the pointing dog kingdom to net importers of types of dogs that the average 19th century English Sportsman would have considered curiosities at best, and a wooly-haired pointing pigs at worst?
Well it turns out that the "wooly-haired pointing pigs" were nothing of the sort. When the British breeds made their way to the continent and rocked the world of hunters and breeders everywhere, those breeders and hunters set their sights on building an even better mousetrap. Some, like the French, Italians, Dutch, Danish adopted the British competitive system of trials and shows. Today they produce some of the best pointing dogs in the world. The Germans, Czechs, Slovaks and Hungarians came up with their own system...one of non-competitive tests. And they did indeed build a better mousetrap for the average hunter in those countries who wanted more of a Swiss Army Knife do-it-all kind of dog.
Meanwhile, back in Jolly Old England, it was the British turn to let their pointing breeds languish. Pointers and Setters split into (mainly) show and (very few) field lines and the average British rough shooter migrated to spaniels and labs. Where there were once hundreds of kennels and dozens of lines of working Pointers and Setters, there a now a handful.
Jump forward a couple of world wars and decades of British servicemen and women stationed on the continent and we find the continental breeds showing up more and more in the UK. Over the years they had been transformed by continental breeders from "wooly-haired pointing pigs" to fantastic do-it-all dogs that the Brits christened "HPRs". And, as with the British dogs in the late 1800s, they came with a new approach to breeding and selection: the non-competitive test. They rekindled interest in pointing dogs in the UK but found themselves a sort of square peg in a round hole. They were breeds from a system that was not based on field trials and dogs shows, but that was the only venue open to them in the UK. So they adapted. Some, like the Weimaraner, became a show dog and couch potato, others like the GSP managed to retain some working ability, but are not tested for the same things or to the same standards as in Germany.
So here we are today, wondering what sort of scheme or system can be established that will reconcile the different cultures, types of dogs and styles of hunting so that British sportsmen and woman can take full advantage of what has been imported from the continent.
My answer is "I don't know". One could look at the North American model NAVHDA etc. and go from there. One could just import, wholesale, the German model like they and others did in the late 1800s with the British model of field trials and shows. But I am not British and I have no idea what sort of thing would stimulate enough interest and gain enough gravitas to succeed. But I am generally an optimist, so I do believe that a system could be created or imported.
But there is a rub... a big rub. And I hate to end these sorts of rants on a negative note. But I fear that the age of innovation and excellence in pointing dog breeding has come to an end. The very hunting culture for which our dogs were designed is in slow but steady decline. The doors have long been shut to new breeds or new initiatives. Let's face it, the very essence of kennel clubs is not innovation, evolution or progress, but in fact the exact opposite. They are the social equivalent of aspic in which we seek to seal our breeds "as is" forever and ever, despite paying lip service to the idea of "improving" them. The last great systemic shakeup in pointing dogs, I believe, was the creation of NAVHDA in the very early 1970s and the creation of North America chapters of the German clubs in the 70s and 80s. There are still some echos of that change occurring today, the VHDF and other German based clubs are still getting up and running, but I think that is about it.
From here on out, despite all the improved communication the Internet has brought us and despite the increased exchange of genetic material thanks to cheap travel and pet passports, inevitably, pointing dog culture will become more and more marginalized until it is truly a niche within a niche within a niche.
So does that mean one should not try to create a British system for HPR evaluation? No. Does it mean no one should try to form a UK chapter for a German breed? No.
What it means is that the task will become more difficult every year. So if you are going to do it, do it now. None of us is getting any younger -- when was the last time you saw a group of 20 somethings discussing dogs and hunting and testing and trials?-- and as the clock ticks on the fate of hunting in many regions, this may be the last chance continental pointing dogs in the UK have of getting their act together.
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