Rare Breed
The WPG is a relatively rare breed among sporting dogs. Only 410 were registered with the AKC in 2005 and while this is up about 40 registrations from the previous year, finding a WPG pup is not an easy task. Even with the "population increase" last year, a total of only 88 litters were registered in the entire country in 2005.

Buddy (VC Ch. Alibi's Montana Gold MH), Pat Loomis' WPG, winds a bird and hits a point.

This is definitely a walking hunter's breed, a fact that endears it to Hank Brandes. "A griff makes an ideal gun dog for those of us in the 'senior set.' I'm just shy of 72 and my griffs have slowed down for me so I can still keep up and hunt with them," Brandes notes. "I started hunting behind griffs that were owned by my brother and his friends in Iowa some 25-plus years ago," Brandes continues.

"They also had German shorthairs and my brother had an English setter. One problem I noted with these dogs was that while they worked hard, fast and furious, they burned themselves out in about two to three hours, whereas the griffs, being slower and more methodical in their work, worked all day and were ready to go the next day and the day after that and the day after that.

"Furthermore, they were pointing just as many birds as the fast workers. They're also very biddable and do not require a lot of training other than putting birds in front of them if your interest is limited to simply going out and getting pheasants."

Training A WPG
If your desire is for something more, however, the training can be a bit more complicated.

Like her namesake, Jon Pease's WPG, Ch. Alibi's Pin Up Girl Greta Garbo JH NA1 ("Greta") has a memorable face indeed.

"The WPG is not the easiest dog to train to the highest levels," says Philippe Roca, who currently serves as vice president of the American Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Association. "When you run into folks who tell you that the breed is easy to train, you should ask how many they have trained to the UT1 or the Master Hunter level. Griffons are difficult to train to these levels because they are too smart and too soft, particularly if you have not done the right things with them.

"They have tons of natural ability and they always figure a way out," continues Roca. "I have trained several breeds besides griffons and griffons require a totally different approach. The average pro trainer does not want to mess with them, and as a result there are only a couple in the country who are having good results with them in competitive events. "The problem is the time factor," Roca continues. "You simply cannot rush a griffon.

They do things on their own schedule...maybe. But when you get a good one, you need nothing but a gun and some shells. Of course, you also need to be a respectable wingshooter because they won't hesitate to give you dirty looks if you miss."

Jon Pease, the president of the AWPGA, agreed that the breed is not the easiest to train. "The griff is difficult to train but actually no harder than any of the versatile breeds," he says. "You have to understand the temperament of this breed. If you push them too hard, you scrap the dog. They are a thinking breed, not a charging breed.