The first cross of the Pudel and an English Pointer to establish the new breed took place in Germany in 1881. The sire was "Tell", an English Pointer belonging to Kaiser Frederick III, the dam was a German Hunting Pudel bitch "Molly", owned by Hegewald, a famous Teutonic author on the subject of hunting dogs.

The original purpose for this crossing was to combine the intelligence, water love, retrieving instinct, easy trainability and willingness to please, wrapped into the protective coat of the Pudel with the unending desire to hunt, birdiness, pointing instinct, field nose and endurance of the English Pointer.

During the first 30 years, only 11 Pudels were used against well over 80 Pointers. From then on, only occasional re-introductions of Pointers were undertaken, especially after the two World Wars severely depleted the breeding stock.

The Pudelpointer in its home country Germany, has always ranked among the finest performers in tests and in the field, and is sought by those who enjoy and value a dog with desire and drive. The breed is medium sized, between 22 and 26 inches at the shoulder and weighs anywhere from 45 to 70 lbs. Pudelpointers are predominantly solid in color, from dark brown to the color of autumn leaves, and occasionally black. The ideal coat is harsh, wiry and dense.

The Pudelpointer should be 22-25 inches all and weigh between 45-70 pounds. Their color can be variations of liver, although some of them are black, others are light brown or fawn. White markings on the cest and paws are permitted.

The ideal Pudelpointer coat is harsh, wiry and dense but all kinds of variations are possible. Some specimens are almost smooth coated and others have a rather long and woolly coat, but all Pudelpointers should have pronounced eyebrows and whiskered muzzles. The tail is docked leaving approximately two thirds of its original length.

The Pudelpointer Club of North America was formed early in 1972 by men and women who not only wanted to advance the breed in North America, but also to protect it from the fate of many another dog of the sporting breeds - deterioration on the show bench.

The Pudelpointer Club does not seek recognition by AKC. An initially optional registration with the Field Dog Stud Book of American Field was eliminated. Clearly there was a great need for better approaches to breeding and developing of quality versatile breeds and dogs.

The PCNA now maintains its own stud book and produces its own pedigrees. The club has strict requirements for members.

A litter will be registered only if the breeding was approved in advance by our breeding committee. Basic requirements for approval of a breeding are as follows:

Dam and sire must be excellent specimens of the breed.
Absence of hereditary defects including extreme deviations of desired coat standards.
Certified free of hip dysplasia by OFA, Berlin, or the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
Qualification in a NAVHDA Ability or Utility Test.