14 March 2024 | Elegant and versatile: The eager to work Large Münsterländer has a lot in common with the German Longhaired Pointer, because it was originally a colour variant of this breed. Find out here what else makes these talented hunting dogs stand out.
Large Münsterländer
© DoraZett / stock.adobe.com
The Large Münsterländer is considered an excellent companion for hunting.
Table of contents
- Appearance of the Large Münsterländer
- Large Münsterländer
- Character: The Large Münsterländer is an alert hunting companion
- Housing: Ideally in a household of hunters
- Activity: Large Münsterländers for hunting
- A healthy pointer dog
- History: Descent from gun dogs
- Present-day breeding of the Large Münsterländer
- Conclusion: Likeable hunting assistant
Appearance of the Large Münsterländer
According to the FCI standard, the Large Münsterländer is a strong, muscular dog with a ‘racy general impression’. Although it has different ancestors, it looks very similar to the Small Münsterländer, although is a few centimetres taller.
The body is muscular with a straight, short back and broad chest seen from the front. The croup slopes only slightly. The body length should match the shoulder height, but may exceed it by two centimetres.
The head is elongated and noble with a clever look, black nose and strong, long muzzle. The eyes should be as dark as possible.
The Large Münsterländer’s tail is horizontal or slightly upright without a kink.
In action, it has a springy gait and lively canter that leaves no doubt that this is a dynamic working dog.
How big does a Large Münsterländer get?
The height of males is 60 to 65 centimetres. Females reach between 58 and 63 centimetres in shoulder height. The weight is about 30 kilograms.
Fur texture and colour
The Large Münsterländer has long, thick fur, which should be particularly pronounced on the back of the legs as well as on the tail. The ears should also be fringed, i.e. have longer hair. The fur on the head is short compared to the rest of the coat.
This breed is found with versions of black and white fur: white with black patches and spots as well as mottled black. The head is black and a white blaze is permitted. There are dogs with brown fur, but they are excluded from breeding.
Large Münsterländer
© © Harald / stock.adobe.com
Character: The Large Münsterländer is an alert hunting companion
The Large Münsterländer has long, thick fur, which should be particularly pronounced on the back of the legs as well as on the tail. The ears should also be fringed, i.e. have longer hair. The fur on the head is short compared to the rest of the coat.
This breed is found with versions of black and white fur: white with black patches and spots as well as mottled black. The head is black and a white blaze is permitted. There are dogs with brown fur, but they are excluded from breeding.
Large Münsterländers are found in different black and white varieties; the head is mostly black with a white blaze.
Hunting training is best
The Large Münsterländer should undergo professional hunting training, because this way it learns to act out its natural hunting behaviour in a controlled manner. Barking also requires consistent leadership so that your dog doesn’t turn into a yapper.
The Large Münsterländer likes to learn and does so quickly. It is easy to lead, which means that it likes working together with its owners. Hence, training this dog breed is usually easy to manage, although you should show plenty of patience and consistency.
The Large Münsterländer is only a suitable dog for first-time owners with plenty of expert guidance.
Read here how you can wean your dog off excessive and uncontrolled barking with anti-barking training.
Housing: Ideally in a household of hunters
The Large Münsterländer Pointer is best suited to a household of hunters where it has plenty of contact with its human pack.
Here are some more housing tips:
Grooming the Large Münsterländer
The Large Münsterländer’s long fur with an abundant undercoat must not be too demanding for hunting. After all, these canines are still supposed to succeed in their territory, in woods and meadows, thorny bushes, heaths and moors. Nevertheless, it makes sense to brush them every two days.
Check the fur for burrs and awns after every walk in the woods and remove ticks if you find these little pests. Make sure as well to undertake thorough tick prevention measures in order to protect your Münsterländer from ailments like Lyme disease. You should regularly check and clean the long ears. Lop ears are prone to inflammation particularly in dogs that spend a lot of time in water.
Find out more about grooming dogs in the zooplus magazine.
For whom is a Large Münsterländer suitable?
Only people who can offer sufficient stimulation, exercise and species-appropriate activity should take on these hunting dogs. Very active professional or recreational hunters who are looking for a versatile dog will hit the mark with these charming pointers.
Is the Large Münsterländer a family dog?
The Large Münsterländer needs family contact at home and is friendly to children. This hunting companion is no city dog and feels happiest in a house with an escape-proof garden. You should ideally give it the opportunity to guard its property.
It’s better for cats and other small pets not to live in the new home. Integration with cats can be successful if the Large Münsterländer has already got accustomed to them as a puppy. But always bear in mind that in case of doubt, pointers can be dangerous for cats. You should never leave them unsupervised with small pets such as rabbits and the like.
Activity: Large Münsterländers for hunting
If we ask ourselves how we can best keep a Large Münsterländer occupied, the clear answer is with professional hunting. It has been bred for this for centuries and can indulge in its many talents. It is primarily popular as a post-shooting dog. It is often deployed for searching for lost game or flushing, i.e. searching for wounded game. It is renowned for thorough and persistent searches.
The Large Münsterländer also makes an excellent flushing dog in water. Many falconers also opt for the Large Münsterländer’s good sense of smell and willingness to work. This breed is also suitable for dog sports like man-trailing or dummy training.
A healthy pointer dog
Like the German Longhaired Pointer, a Large Münsterländer from a reputable breed is considered healthy and robust. But like all larger breeds, it can also be affected by hip dysplasia. However, examining males and females before deploying them for breeding and a species-appropriate diet keep the risk factor very low.
Careful ear hygiene prevents ear infections, to which this breed can be prone.
How old does a Large Münsterländer get?
A Large Münsterländer in good health can remain agile into old age. The average life expectancy is 11 to 13 years.
History: Descent from gun dogs
The history of the Large Münsterländer is closely related to the German Longhaired Pointer. Both dog breeds originate from medieval long-haired gun dogs. For a long time, they were two colourings of one and the same breed, although the authoritative German Longhaired Pointer Breeders’ Association excluded black dogs from the breeding process in 1908.
Ten years later, fans of these black and white dogs founded a new association called the Pedigree Breeding Association for Longhair Black and White Münsterländer Pointers. The new breed was based on an original list with 83 black and white German Longhaired Pointers, many of which came from the German region of Münsterland in North Rhine-Westphalia. The breed was recognised as independent in 1922.
Present-day breeding of the Large Münsterländer
How much does a Large Münsterländer cost?
A Large Münsterländer from a reputable breed generally costs between 1,500 and 2,000 Pounds.
Always keep fully informed before buying a puppy: Questions for Dog Breeders.
Alternative dog breeds
In terms of character and type of dog, the Large Münsterländer Pointer has most in common with the German Longhaired Pointer. After all, they both belonged to the same breed until around 100 years ago and have been deployed similarly for hunting since then.
Other pointers like the German Wire-haired Pointer, German Shorthaired Pointer or French hunting dogs like the larger Picardy Spaniel or French Spaniel also show many parallels to the Large Münsterländer.
The Small Münsterländer can be traced back to other ancestors, but is also an intelligent hunter that forms a close bond with its human family.
Conclusion: Likeable hunting assistant
This breed is charming, attractive, intelligent and a likeable family dog. Nevertheless, it is only suitable for dog lovers who can meet its high demands for exercise and activity. It’s difficult to fully stimulate this breed with dog sport alone. As a result, the Large Münsterländer will be happiest of all with hunters.
Here are some purchase proposals curated by the zooplus editorial team
The products featured have been carefully selected by our editorial staff and are available at the zooplus online pet shop. The selection does not constitute advertising for the mentioned brands.
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