Judging the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon

This article was originally published in Showsight Magazine, May 2013 issue.

Judging the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon

The Wirehaired Pointing Griffon is a Sporting Breed that has languished in the shadows of the “big running dogs” for years. Now it is a breed newly discovered in the field and in the home, and it is a breed poised on the edge of a popularity explosion. The Wirehaired Pointing Griffon was bred to be versatile—and he is. He was bred to hunt any terrain for a wide variety of game in all weathers. He has the capability to track a wounded bird in the water because of his keen nose and his strength as a swimmer. And because vast, open hunting grounds are becoming more scarce, his style—which is gun range—is becoming increasingly attractive to the modern-day hunter. The Griffon has the capacity to go into heavy cover and retrieve a bird where other breeds cannot. This dog is also a “clean-up man.” He will often track and find wounded game when the larger-ranging dogs do not.

When you take your first look at this dog in the ring, you should see the symmetry and balance that spell power. You may also see a variety of types. Remember, this is a relatively new breed in this country; the Parent Club AWPGA did not acquire AKC recognition until 1990. Prior to that, there was a Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Club in the U.S., but it outcrossed dogs and was not recognized by the AKC.

In the last few years, American breeders have produced some very competitive, very nice dogs—including several Best in Show winners. At our National Specialties, almost every dog in the Best of Breed ring has at least two legs on an AKC, NAVHDA, or NASTRA Performance title in addition to its Championship. Judges are “wowed” by this. Not very many breeds can make that claim.

This is a medium-sized breed. There are two hallmarks of the WPG: one is size and proportion, and the other is coat. Proportion is very important. The Griff is slightly longer than tall, as 10 is to 9. Height in the bitches is 20″-22″ and in the males 22″-24″. As you can see, this is not a big dog, but you must see good substance. Oversize is to be severely penalized.

The coat is a double coat—fine, dense undercoat and wiry outer coat. The coat lays flat and is never curly or wooly. It is of medium length. When you put your hands on the body, the coat should feel harsh. The hair on the head and ears is an extension of the undercoat with some of the feel of the outer coat. In Europe, the head is commonly stripped somewhat close, leaving abundant eyebrows and a moustache. You will see this in this country, and it is entirely permissible. The Standard says “unkempt look,” but this does not mean unclean, uncombed, or unbrushed! This is a wire coat and as such requires maintenance. The coat should be rotated or rolled to keep it healthy; this can sometimes be done with just a fine comb, sometimes with stripping. The Griffon is not to be stripped in a pattern, but neither should it look neglected. The judge should see and feel a healthy, harsh coat of medium length.

It should be noted that when judging the WPG, you will frequently see a less-than-ideal coat in your puppy classes. An old adage in this breed is that it can take three years before the correct coat develops. In a puppy, one should not see a curly or woolly coat, but may see a rather soft coat. This should not be penalized, as the coat will change over time. This may be one area in the Griffon ring where it is appropriate for a judge to ask a dog’s age. Best areas to check coat texture are over the loin, shoulders, and tail. Dark, solid patches are not appropriate, as those areas are actually undercoat.

The Griffon has a noble head. Viewed from the side, it is square—not rectangular! The distance from the occiput to the medium stop is the same as from the stop to the end of the nose. Viewed from the front, the head is moderately broad and the top of the skull is slightly rounded. This head must not have a narrow look. The Griffon has a round eye, unlike the GWP, which is more elliptical. This gives the Griffon an owlish look. The eyes should not protrude nor should haws show. The eyes of a Griffon should be visible. This is not a Bouvier head! Eye color ranges from yellow to any shade of brown, and the nose is any shade of brown. A black nose or black coat are disqualifying faults.

The bite is scissor. Undershot or overshot mouths are to be severely penalized. A well-developed underjaw should be easily discernible. The ear is of medium length, sits high on the head, and the fold of the ear is at eye level. The ear lays flat to the skull.

This breed possesses a noble bearing and is not aloof. He is an outgoing dog and should never show shyness or aggression. Anything other than a sound temperament should be penalized.

When you go over the dog, remember this dog was bred to work in all terrains—mountainous, rocky, flat, dry, and swampy. He has a moderate spring of rib, and the chest extends to the elbow to allow good lung capacity but at the same time a complete, correct movement of the upper arm. The loin is moderate in length and strong, which is important as a strong loin transmits the rear leg drive through the back. There is good balanced angulation front and rear—neither over-angulated nor under-angulated. Pasterns are slightly sloping, neither upright nor at 45° as in the Shepherd. This is important, as the pastern absorbs much of the shock of rough ground.

Shoulders are well laid back, the neck is rather long, slightly arched, and well set into the shoulders. Hocks are perpendicular. When viewed from the front, the chest is moderate, and shoulders are never loaded. Front legs are perpendicular to the ground. Cow-hocks are a fault, as are hocks that turn out. Feet are round, well-arched, and tight. Pads are thick, and toes are webbed. Feet are an important feature often overlooked by the judge. A hare’s foot is incorrect in the Griffon.

The croup is level with the topline. The tail is an extension of the topline and is carried level or slightly higher than the topline. A gay tail is undesirable and is an indication of a faulty croup. The tail is docked by ⅓ to ½. Any type of plume is prohibited. An undocked tail is not permitted.

The Griffon should show good muscling in the fore and rear quarters and over the loin. The thigh is broad. In motion, the back should be firm and level, and one should see beautiful reach and drive, never hackneyed. No wasted motion; moving close in the rear is a fault as is any wasted motion in front. At a trot, the front and rear legs converge to a center line. Remember, this dog must be able to move in an efficient, tireless manner. He must search, freeze when he finds his quarry, carry everything from a grouse to a goose to his owner, and start all over again. He must be able to do this all day, perhaps six or seven days in a row!

So now we come to the question of breed type. And type, to me, is as much a matter of the eye as it is a summation of parts of the Standard. It is a concept that is on the one hand concrete and on the other hand defies description. The good Griffon has beautiful bone and substance. He is not a “reedy” looking dog. He has an iron-hard level topline, a level tailset, and is beautifully, powerfully balanced, front and rear, with a harsh coat. You should see a beautiful headpiece and neck. He is noble of bearing and sound of mind. These are the points on paper.

The part that defies description is in the eye of the beholder! With some people, it is a gift they are born with—that indescribable something. A gift that enables one to spot the “ideal.” With others, it is a marvelous ability to study a Standard and project it onto every dog in front of them in the ring. However you arrive at it, “Type” truly is a concept of all that is correct.

Hopefully, this discussion will leave you with a better understanding and appreciation of the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon.