The Small Münsterlander: A Good-Natured and Versatile Hunter

The Small Münsterlander: A Good-Natured and Versatile Hunter

“The little dog has a beautiful intense point for all sitting game which it keeps until the hunter reaches the dog,
the game is flushed, the dead game retrieved, the crippled game tracked and retrieved—all with great assuredness.”

—Rudolph Lons

This is how Rudolph Lons, an early breeder of Small Münsterlander Pointers, described the little pointing versatile dogs in his 1921 book. Affectionately known as “The Little Spy” for their tendency to closely watch their owner from their kennel or bed across the room for any sign that the owner may need them, Small Münsterlanders are elegant and energetic, medium-sized dogs with a strong confidence only outweighed by their loyalty to and cooperation with their handler. They are versatile dogs that combine intelligence, desire, and fidelity. They quickly adapt to multiple types of game, climate, and terrain. Tireless in the field and good-natured in the home, they are solid pointers, meticulous trackers, disciplined retrievers, and enthusiastic swimmers.

Although there are arguments for a much longer history, perhaps back to the 1500s, official documentation of the Small Münsterlander dates back to the mid-1800s and names two storied lines: the smaller Heitmann line and the sturdier Wölberg line. These lines, managed by a teacher and a gamekeeper respectively, originated in the Münster region of Germany. It wasn’t until fifty years later that the breed was well-established with German hunters, and the breed club “Association for Kleine Münsterlander Vorstehhunde” was founded and a studbook and registry were created.

Until 1927, only brown and white dogs were recognized within the breed. That year, Edmund Lons, an early ambassador of the breed, was so impressed with the temperament and hunting aptitude of a roan female that he incorporated her into his breeding kennel. This color prevailed, and due to its genetic dominance, roughly half of today’s small Münsterlanders are roan.

Through the two World Wars, the breed was nearly devastated. We believe that by the end of World War II there were, once again, only two small Münsterlander kennels in Germany. Thanks to the persistence of the two kennel masters, dozens of individual dogs owned by priests and hunters were found and breeding stock was selected. Kennels across all of Germany were reunited after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1990.

Small Münsterlanders were probably imported into the United States in the 1950s, but they remained largely unknown until Paul Jensen and his wife, Vibeke, imported their first Münster in 1973. The couple imported several Danish Small Münsterlanders and began breeding them under the Jaegerbakken kennel name. Paul was instrumental in establishing the Small Münsterlander Club of North America in 1993, which ultimately became the Small Münsterlander Club of America (SMCA) in 2020. The SMCA is the parent club of the breed and sets the Breed Standard within the American Kennel Club.

The post-World War II German Small (Kleine) Münsterlander Club, the Verband fur Kleine Münsterlander, set out to repopulate the breed by breeding for “health, performance, character, and form.” It’s important to note that with these small, versatile dogs, form follows function; they were, and are, hunting dogs first and always. Uncommon with other sporting dogs in Europe before and after the war, but common with Small Münsterlanders, was that farmers had their dogs with them in the home. While many sporting dogs are described to have an “off button,” an ability to settle down in the home after the hunt, Small Münsterlanders are known to have an “on button.” By selectively breeding for temperament, early German breeders developed a versatile dog that is regularly relaxed in the home, good-natured with other pets, good with children, and an excellent watchdog.

The SMCA encourages all breeders to withhold breeding rights from puppy buyers until the puppy can be fully evaluated for temperament, hunting aptitude, conformation, and health. Often, this takes approximately two years, as dogs cannot be fully evaluated for conformation until they have reached their adult size.

As a highly heritable trait, temperament is of utmost importance when evaluating a Small Münsterlander for breeding. It is the author’s experience and opinion that just fewer than half of the puppies will closely mirror the sire’s temperament, roughly the same will be very similar to the dam, and the remainder will be a random mix of the pair. Therefore, it is paramount that neither parent show aggression to people or dogs, shyness to gun or game, or fearfulness. These qualities are evaluated as a part of hunt tests and the results are shared with the breed council prior to breeding approval.

The Small Münsterlander was developed as a versatile hunting dog, and it is important to the quality and utility of the breed that a strong hunting aptitude is maintained. All Münsters must be capable of finding and pointing game, tracking, and retrieving over land and water. Prospective owners are encouraged to test their dogs for hunting aptitude in either AKC Pointing Breed Hunt Tests, North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA) hunt tests, or the Jagdgebrauchshundverein (JGV) hunt tests, commonly used for dogs with FCI pedigrees.

While conformation is important as a strong contributor to the dog’s “type,” its evaluation is solely used to ensure the dog’s utility in the woods, water, and field well into old age. As is stated in the Breed Standard: “Structure of the ideal Small Münsterlander should indicate an anatomy that enables the dog to do its work searching, retrieving, and swimming in an effortless, efficient way.” They should have a “strong, harmonious build,” be of medium size and with balanced proportions. Adults should have well-feathered front legs, breeches, and a flagged tail. Coats should be dense and straight or slightly wavy, and of medium length.

Proportional balance is of prime importance. Small Münsterlanders should be approximately ten percent longer than they are tall. Overly long dogs will lose agility in the field, while shorter dogs will lack reach, drive, and freedom of movement. Males should be 20.5-22 inches tall; females 20-21 inches. Dogs should have a strong, driving rear with good reach in the front and equal angulation in the front and rear.

Bone structure should be medium to strong. The dog should be light enough to support effortless work in the field but strong enough to promote the dog’s propensity to jump over, duck under, or in some cases, push through obstacles. It is the opinion of the author, and many other breeders, that males should look strong and masculine and females should be agile and feminine without being frail.

“The expression of the head is part of the type.” The physical traits found on the dog’s head should support the typical Small Münsterlander’s demeanor. The dog should appear keen, yet soft, with a relatively flat skull, recognizable stop, powerful and straight muzzle, tight lips, powerful jaws, and strong cheeks (to promote a solid retrieve), medium-sized eyes, colored as dark as possible, and broad, high-set ears. The nose and lips should be solid brown. Many Münsters have a solid brown head, although some have “spaniel markings,” or full or partial white blazes.

The neck should be in balance with the body, with enough length to show some arch without being overly long. Breeders have noticed that dogs with a well-inclined shoulder, which absorbs front-end impact, will typically have a slightly longer neck than dogs with a steep shoulder. Münster breeders are encouraged to improve the breed’s front shoulder angulation as this will lead to longevity in the field. The topline should be straight and slightly sloping to the rear, with pronounced withers, a well-muscled back, long and slightly sloping croup, deep (not overly broad) chest, lightly tucked belly, and high-set tail which is carried horizontally and approximately level with the topline and then slightly curving upwards.

As previously stated, breeders are attempting to improve shoulder angulation, striving for a near-perfect 110 degrees as measured between the shoulder and upper arm. This is a challenge across the breed, with many dogs lacking good shoulder angulation. Münsters should be well muscled in the fore-end, with tight-lying shoulder blades and elbows turning true to the direction of travel. Elbows should be directly between the withers and the ground, and all four feet should be tight and round with tough, robust pads and strong nails. Feet should maintain parallel in both stance and in movement. Excessive hair and hare-like feet are both undesirable. A dog with poor feet cannot do his work properly.

As the motor behind the suspension, the hindquarters of the Small Münsterlander should be proportional to the front. Münsters will have to search wide, retrieve, and swim strongly during work. This requires powerful muscles in the upper and lower thighs and good angulation in the stifle and pelvis.

The Small Münsterlander’s coat serves to protect it against weather, vegetation, and terrain. It is the author’s opinion that there is no dog more beautiful than a well-furnished Münster with a dark brown head and cape and strongly contrasted white tail, belly, and legs with moderate ticking. However, an overly furnished dog will tend to collect every briar, burr, and bramble in the forest and will prove to be incredibly high-maintenance in the field. Besides, a properly utilized dog will likely lose at least half of its furnishings and feathering in a typical hunting season anyway. The coat can be colored brown-white or brown roan with brown mantle or ticking.

The Small Münsterlander is a generally healthy breed. Some health conditions, while uncommon, are considered disqualifying traits by the breed club, including epilepsy, history of seizures, and hip dysplasia. German Kleine Münsterlanders are further tested for ectopic ureter, a condition found to be extremely rare in our North American dogs due to strict breeding guidelines.

As a very active sporting breed, Small Münsterlanders need daily mental and physical exercise. These dogs are bred to hunt, and they are hunting every time they are running free whether the owner knows it or not. A happy Münster is able to spend at least 15 minutes every day running off-leash in a safe environment where he can explore. This satisfies the body and the brain, and will likely keep the active dog out of trouble in the home! As such, they are a best fit for homes with a large, safe yard or homes where the owner can regularly and safely exercise the dog off-leash. Practically all Small Münsterlander breeders prefer to pair puppies with hunting homes, and some sell to hunters exclusively.

Small Münsterlanders are the little dog that can do it all. As a relatively rare breed, they’re yet to be evolved into field and show lines. With the right breed stewardship, Münster owners and handlers can have their cake and eat it too.