From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Large Munsterlander
Large Munsterlander in Germany |
| Other names |
Großer Münsterländer
Großer Münsterländer Vorstehhund |
| Country of origin |
Germany |
|
|
|
|
| Notes |
| The UKC does not have an official breed
standard |
The Large Munsterlander (or Großer
Münsterländer) is a breed of gun dog originally from the Münster region in Germany.
The Kennel
Club (KC) in England recognized the breed in 1919 and
established the breed standard in 1921.
Appearance
Ten week old Large Munsterlander puppy
The Large Munsterlander should be athletic, intelligent, noble,
and elegant in appearance. Its body should be the same length as
its height at the withers.
The dog should be muscular without being bulky. Its gait should be
fluid and elastic.
Size
Large Munsterlander should be 60 - 65 cm at the withers for
males, 58 - 63 cm for females. It should weigh approximateley 30
kg.
Coat and
Colour
The LM is black and white with hair of medium length. This dog
has been bred for many decades for hunting and not show. Hence coat
color is highly variable, ranging from predominantly white to
predominantly black. Markings occur as solid white patches, or
ticked or roan regions. The coat is dense, but should be firm and
sleek.
Breed
Standard
[Courtesy of The UK Kennel Club]
- General Appearance
- Alert and energetic, with strong muscular body, having good
movement with drive.
- Characteristics
- Multi-purpose gundog, ideal for the rough shooter. Excellent
nose, staying power, and works equally well on land and in water. A
keen worker, easily taught.
- Temperament
- Loyal, affectionate and trustworthy.
- Head and Skull
- Well proportioned to body, elongated. Skull sufficiently broad,
slightly rounded, with no pronounced occiput. Strong jaw muscles,
well formed black nose, wide soft nostrils, slight rise from the
nasal bone to the forehead but no pronounced stop. Lips slightly
rounded, and well fitting.
- Eyes
- Intelligent, medium size, dark brown, not deep-set or
protruding. No haw showing.
- Ears
- Broad and set high, lying flat and close to the head, with a
rounded tip. Hair on the ears should be long, extending beyond the
tip.
- Mouth
- Strong and sound, with well developed teeth, with a perfect,
regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely
overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
- Neck
- Strong, muscular, slightly arched, joining the shoulder and
chest smoothly.
- Forequarters
- Chest, wide and with good depth of brisket. Shoulders laid well
back, forelegs straight, pasterns strong.
- Body
- Firm, strong back, short coupled, slightly higher at the
withers, sloping smoothly towards the croup and tail. Wide,
well-muscled loin, wide croup, ribs well sprung, deep and reaching
well up to the loin. Taut abdomen, slightly tucked up. Length of
body, measured from point of shoulder to point of buttock should,
ideally, be equal to height at withers, but may exceed height at
withers by 2cm.
- Hindquarters
- Hips broad. Well muscled thighs, well turned stifles, hocks
well let down. Dewclaws should be removed.
- Feet
- Tight, moderately rounded and well knuckled with dense hair
between the toes, well padded. Strong nails.
- Tail
- Docked: Previously, docking of tip of tail was
optional; Undocked: Well set on, in line with the back.
Base thick, tapering evenly towards the tip, well feathered. It
should be carried horizontally or curved slightly upwards.
- Gait/Movement
- Free, long-striding, springy gait.
- Coat
- Hair long and dense, but not curly or coarse. Well feathered on
front and hindlegs and on tail, more so in dogs than in bitches.
Hair must lie short and smooth on the head.
- Colour
- Head solid black, white blaze, snip or star allowed. Body white
or blue roan with black patches, flecked, ticked, or combination of
these.
- Size
- Height: dogs 60–65 cm (231⁄2–251⁄2
in.); bitches 58–63 cms (23–25 in.).
- Faults
- Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a
fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded
should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the
health and welfare of the dog.
- Note
- Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully
descended into the scrotum.
History
The Large Munsterlander is one of several continental breeds of
versatile hunting dogs. Although the LM is one of the last of the
German breeds to gain official representation by a separate breed
club, the LM was recognized as a color variant of the German
Longhaired Pointer prior to that time. The LM first gained official
recognition in the Munsterland of northwestern Germany in the early
1900s. However, the forerunner of the modern LM can be recognized
in artist's representations of hunting scenes as far back as the
Middle Ages. The Large Munsterlander was introduced to North
America by Kurt von Kleist in 1966. By August 14, 2003, at least 56
dogs have been imported from Europe and 1039 pups have been
registered in North America.
Field
ability
This field dog characteristically is calm, gentle with children
and well adjusted to living in the master's dwelling. The versatile
characteristics of the LM provide for a reliable companion for all
facets of hunting. A recent comparison of the scores of 82 LMs with
104 other versatile breeds entered in North
American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA) tests
showed that the Large Munsterlander is a versatile dog with a
difference. On average, LMs work closer and are more responsive to
the handler than other breeds although the LM's pointing instinct
matures later. The LM displayed greater cooperation than other
breeds and an excellent concentration in the tracking and recovery
of crippled game birds. During search for game, most LMs range
50-150 yd, depending on cover. Their long and thick coat protects
them against cold and allows them to search dense cover
thoroughly.
External
links
References
Wikis
Quiz
Map
Search
