General Appearance: The German Wirehaired Pointer is a well muscled, medium sized dog of distinctive appearance. Balanced in size and sturdily built, the breed's most distinguishing characteristics are is weather resistant, wire-like coat and facial furnishings. Typically pointer in character and style, the GWP is an intelligent, energetic and determined hunter.
Size, Proportion, Substance: The height of males should be between 24-26 inches at the withers. Bitches are smaller, but not under 22 inches. The body is a little longer than it is high. The GWP is a versatile hunter built for agility and endurance in the field. Correct size and balance is essential to high performance.
Head: The head is moderately long, eyes are brown, medium in size, oval in contour, bright and clear and overhung with medium length eyebrows. Yellow eyes are not desirable. The ears are rounded, but not broad and hang close to the head. The skull is broad and stop is medium. The muzzle is fairly long and the nasal bone is straight. The nose is dark brown with nostrils wide open. A spotted or flesh-colored nose is to be penalized. The jaws are strong with a full compliment of evenly set and properly intermeshing teeth. The incisors meet in a true scissor bite.
Neck, Topline, Body: The neck is of medium length, slightly arched and devoid of dewlap. The entire backline showing a perceptible slope down from the withers to the croup. The skin throughout is tight to the body. The chest is deep and capacious with ribs well-sprung. The tuck up apparent, The back short, straight and strong. Loins are taut and slender. Hips are broad and croup nicely rounded. The tail is set high, carried at or above the horizontal.
Forequarters: Shoulders are well laid back. Forelegs are straight with the elbows close. Dewclaws are normally removed. Feet are round in outlive and toes are webbed, high arched, toes close, pads thick and hard. nails strong and heavy.
Hindquarters: The angles of the hindquarters balance that of the forequarters. The thighs are strong and muscular. The hind legs are parallel when viewed from the rear. The hocks are short, straight and parallel turning neither in nor out. Feet the same as forequarters.
Coat: The functional wire coat is the breed's most distinctive feature. A dog must have a correct coat to be of correct type. The coat is weather resistant and to some extent, water-repellant. The undercoat is dense enough in winter to insulate against cold, but thin enough in summer to be almost invisible. The distinctive outer coat is straight, harsh, wiry, and flat lying, also one to two inches in length. The outer coat is long enough to protect against harsh weather, but not long enough to hide the outline. Eyebrows are of strong, straight hair, beard and whiskers are of medium length. A short smooth coat, a soft woolly coat or excessively long coat is undesirable and should be penalized. Grooming should appear natural and overgrooming should be penalized.
Color: The coat is liver and white, usually either liver and white spotted, liver roan, ticked or solid liver. The head is liver, sometimes with a blaze. The ears are liver, and black in the coat is to be penalized.
Gait: The dog should be evaluated at a moderate gait. The movement is free and smooth with good reach in the forequarters and good driving power in the hindquarters. The dog carries a firm back and exhibits a long, ground-covering stride.
Temperament: Of sound, reliable temperament, the GWP is at times aloof but not unfriendly towards strangers. A loyal and affectionate companion who is eager to please and enthusiastic to learn.
