The Large Munsterlander
Information on Large Munsterlanders
The Large Munsterlander is a longhaired German Pointer which has its origin as a color variation of the German Longhaired Pointer. The LM is a Versatile Hunting dog whose major strength lies in his biddability, trainability and his ability as a versatile hunting dog with emphasis on the work after the shot.
The German Longhaired Pointer Fan's decided in 1908 to no longer register their black and white offspring. Subsequently the Large Munsterlander club was formed in 1919 by a group of people that intentionally pursued the breeding of the longhaired, large, black and white Munsterlander Pointer and in 1922 the Large Munsterlander Pointer (Grosser Muensterlaender Vorstehhund) breed registry was started with 83 dogs. Due to their abilitites and excellent temperament these dogs were mostly kept in the house or barn as hunting, companion and guard dogs rarely were they kept as kennel dogs.
The Hunters who decided to breed the Large Munsterlander valued its strength in thorny cover and it's unrelenting desire to track and retrieve. The Munsterland area of Germany was and is rich in small game (pheasants, hares) and the breed derives its name from the location where the breed was founded.
Large Munsterlanders are always black and white. Some dogs are white with black plates or ticking, also various versions of roan dogs from very white to dark. The head is black and can have a white snip. The coat is medium long and dense with feathering on the legs and tail. The Large Munsterlander should be close to square in terms of length and height with a shoulder height of 60 - 65 cm (23.6 - 25.6 inches) for males and 58 - 63 cm (22.8 - 24.8 inches) for females with a weight between 50 - 75 lbs.
Pointing is genetically imprinted as well as the search pattern and the good use of nose. The Large Munsterlander's coat together with its desire and stamina makes the Large Munsterlander an excellent water dog before and after the shot.
The Large Munsterlander's strong tracking ability also make him useful as a blood tracking dog. The Large Munsterlander can be used for all type of game and is used in Europe for bird hunting as well as large game hunts. The Large Munsterlander in Germany as well as North America is being bred by hunters for hunters. Aside from the Large Munsterlander's impressive abilities in the field, water and woods he is known as a great family and house dog.
Additional breed information for the Large Munsterlander can be found at the Large Munsterlander Club of North America.
