Old Danish Pointer
Encyclopedia
The Old Danish Pointer is a medium-sized breed
of dog
, white with brown markings, originally used as a pointing dog in Denmark
.
The name has nothing to do with temperament, but refers to its ability to point out birds of the order Galliformes
and specifically birds belonging to the family Phasianidae
. Commonly referred to in Danish as Hen birds/Chicken birds. The often used English name, "Old Danish Chicken Dog" is therefore incorrect or at best badly translated.
This is a friendly family dog, as long as it gets its exercise. It is fast and active outdoors and quiet indoors, but is not suitable for apartments or small yards.
The origin of the breed can be traced back to about the year 1710 when a man named Morten Bak, living in Glenstrup near the towns of Randers
and Hobro
, crossed gypsy dogs through 8 generations with local farmdogs and in this way established a pure breed of piebald
white and brown dogs called Bakhounds or Old Danish Pointers. The local farmers called their farmdogs Bloodhound
s, but it seems more likely that these hounds were offspring from the Squire’s scent hounds, which in turn were descended primarily from St. Hubert Hounds. Likewise it is probable that the gypsy dogs generally descended from Spanish Pointing Dogs and other breeds of scent hounds, so in many ways St.Hubert Hounds have contributed to the Old Danish Pointer.
Dog breed
Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock....
of dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
, white with brown markings, originally used as a pointing dog in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
.
Appearance
Old Danish Pointers (Danish: gammel dansk hønsehund, translated "Old Danish Hen Dog")are strongly built. One of the most charming features of the breed is the great difference between male and female. While the dog is powerful and substantial, the bitch is characterized by being lighter, more spirited, and capricious.- Height at the withersWithersThe withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of a four-legged animal. In many species it is the tallest point of the body, and in horses and dogs it is the standard place to measure the animal's height .-Horses:The withers in horses are formed by the dorsal spinal processes of roughly the...
:- Male 54–60 cm (21-23.5 in) , above 56 cm (22 in) preferred.
- Female 50–56 cm (19.5–22 in), above 52 cm (20 in) preferred.
- Weight:
- Male 30–35 kg (66-77 lb)
- Female 26–31 kg (57-68 lb)
Temperament
Conveys the impression of a quiet and stable dog showing determination and courage. During the hunt, the dog progresses rather slowly, always maintaining contact with the hunter and accomplishing its task as a pointing dog without creating unnecessary disturbance of the ground. The breed is suited for small as well as large hunting grounds.The name has nothing to do with temperament, but refers to its ability to point out birds of the order Galliformes
Galliformes
Galliformes are an order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding domestic or game bird, containing turkey, grouse, chicken, New and Old World Quail, ptarmigan, partridge, pheasant, and the Cracidae. Common names are gamefowl or gamebirds, landfowl, gallinaceous birds or galliforms...
and specifically birds belonging to the family Phasianidae
Phasianidae
The Phasianidae is a family of birds which consists of the pheasants and partridges, including the junglefowl , Old World Quail, francolins, monals and peafowl. The family is a large one, and is occasionally broken up into two subfamilies, the Phasianinae, and the Perdicinae...
. Commonly referred to in Danish as Hen birds/Chicken birds. The often used English name, "Old Danish Chicken Dog" is therefore incorrect or at best badly translated.
This is a friendly family dog, as long as it gets its exercise. It is fast and active outdoors and quiet indoors, but is not suitable for apartments or small yards.
- Old Towser from One Hundred and One DalmatiansOne Hundred and One DalmatiansOne Hundred and One Dalmatians, often abbreviated as 101 Dalmatians, is a 1961 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and based on the novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith...
is a Brown Old Danish Pointer.
History
Randers
Randers is a city in Randers municipality on the Jutland peninsula in central Denmark. It is Denmark's sixth-largest city, with a population of 60,656 . Randers city is the main town of the municipality and the site of its municipal council.-Overview:Randers municipality has 94,750 inhabitants...
and Hobro
Hobro
Hobro with a population of 11,635 - is a town in Mariagerfjord municipality in Region Nordjylland on the Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark....
, crossed gypsy dogs through 8 generations with local farmdogs and in this way established a pure breed of piebald
Piebald
A piebald or pied animal is one that has a spotting pattern of large unpigmented, usually white, areas of hair, feathers, or scales and normally pigmented patches, generally black. The colour of the animal's skin underneath its coat is also pigmented under the dark patches and unpigmented under...
white and brown dogs called Bakhounds or Old Danish Pointers. The local farmers called their farmdogs Bloodhound
Bloodhound
The Bloodhound is a large breed of dog which, while originally bred to hunt deer and wild boar, was later bred specifically to track human beings. It is a scenthound, tracking by smell, as opposed to a sighthound, which tracks using vision. It is famed for its ability to discern human odors even...
s, but it seems more likely that these hounds were offspring from the Squire’s scent hounds, which in turn were descended primarily from St. Hubert Hounds. Likewise it is probable that the gypsy dogs generally descended from Spanish Pointing Dogs and other breeds of scent hounds, so in many ways St.Hubert Hounds have contributed to the Old Danish Pointer.