Yesterday’s post caused me to ponder a very serious question – are my English Pointers normal?! I suspect they are but they do get up to the most hilarious antics and this causes me to shake my head, usually on a daily basis.
I can tell from the stats that many people land on this blog because they are searching for information on English Pointers. There are some common search questions, so I thought I’d take the opportunity in this post to answer them. Zeph is now 14 months old and Zsa Zsa 11 months – so I can tell you all about the difference between male and female Pointers.
Let’s start off with the number one question people seem to need information on.
How do I stop my English Pointer from roaming?
There’s good news and bad news here. Zeph is a male Pointer and males do indeed roam. Pointers were originally bred as gun dogs and they were bred to roam a good distance away from their owner in search of birds or rabbits. Our Pointers are not hunting dogs so that means we had to teach Zeph to have the freedom to roam but also return to us on command.
The most essential thing with male Pointers is to have a securely fenced property. Beyond this, we did two things with Zeph that seem to have worked very well. The first thing was to buy an invisible fence and remote dog collar. We went with Innotek, an American brand that is available in New Zealand. Basically, you lay out boundary wire either above or below ground – this establishes the perimeter your dog will be contained within. You also get a special collar. The collar emits a warning tone if the dog approaches the boundary area. Should the dog continue on, a mild electrical stimulus will be emitted.
The key thing is to train your dog when the invisible fence is installed. It takes 10 minutes a day over a one week period. Zeph learnt very quickly where the boundaries are. You also get a remote transmitter. I take this with me when Zeph is around the chickens or at the back of the property (both these areas are beyond the invisible fence). Should he decide to run after chickens, I can simply press a button and he hears the tone. I now don’t really have to use the remote because he has learnt what is and isn’t acceptable. You can read about the dog containment system here.
The second thing we did with Zeph (once he’s beyond the invisible fence) is to allow him to roam but keep an eye on him. Then call him back every five minutes. We gave him big cuddles and praise when he returned and he quickly started to associate our calling him with cuddle time. After a few weeks, we noticed that he automatically returned to either of us within a few minutes – it’s like he’s checking-in. Your Pointer will always know where you are.
Female Pointers don’t roam like the males. They will stick by your side and always keep you in eye contact. I often see Zsa Zsa playing in the front yard but constantly looking through the window to see where I am. Should I move out of her line of sight, I’ll quickly find her next to me. So we have not needed to use the special collar for her.
Because we had Zeph for four months before getting Zsa Zsa, and because he knew the boundaries, we found that he taught Zsa Zsa. Basically, where Zeph goes; Zsa Zsa goes but if one of us is out of sight, we always find Zsa Zsa quickly returning to us. Female Pointers are extremely loyal.
Why does my Pointer stare at moths and butterflies?
Your Pointer will spend many happy moments staring at and chasing little moths, butterflies and even bees. Don’t be alarmed – this is normal Pointer behaviour.
Why does my Pointer stare out the window?
Well, all dogs have a tendency to do this. Some are simply anticipating their owner’s arrival home. Others, like Zeph and Zsa Zsa, seem to enjoy just having a good old look out the window. Who knows what they’re looking at but it’s perfectly normal.
What should I feed my English Pointer?
You can listen to the vets and pet food industry and feed them processed, crap dry dog food. Or you can put in some effort and provide them with a diet that is as close as possible to their original diet. Pointers have a long and traceable history back to the middle of the 17th Century in England but their origins are in Spain where they enjoyed a diet of brown rice, vegetables and fruits, and raw meat such as rabbit or venison.
I’ve done a number of posts on what I feed Zeph and Zsa Zsa, as well as the herbal supplements they get. You can read them here, here, here and here. Both dogs get a varied and organic diet of raw meat, brown rice, couscous, yoghurt, fruits and vegetables, pasta and goat’s milk. Yes it takes a bit more time and effort to prepare their food but their health is your paramount concern.
How much exercise does my Pointer need?
One word – HEAPS. English Pointers are powerful, athletic dogs and they need plenty of space to exercise and run around like mad things. If you want a dog that will laze around most of the time, then the English Pointer is not for you. You cannot lock them up in an apartment whilst you go to work either.
Pointers love to run. I can often hear the thundering of Zeph running behind me as I walk around the property – and then he whooshes past me on his way to wherever. If you like to jog, your Pointer will be more than a match and will keep you company.
I’ve found that Zeph and Zsa Zsa have a pattern, which is this:
- get up and have breakfast
- run around like mad things
- have a post-breakfast snooze
- spend the day roaming, running, sniffing, exploring
- interspersed with a midday and late afternoon nap
- dinner followed by vigorous running around
- crash around 8.30pm and sleep like babies until 6.00 or 7.00am.
How easy is it to groom and care for my Pointer?
Dead simple. Pointer coats are smooth and short-haired. There is very little dog fur left lying around. Just get a good grooming brush and groom twice a week. I also wipe them down with a chamois as this seems to make the coat shiny. And speaking of shiny coats – give your Pointer a daily fish oil capsule. I chuck it in their food.
Pointers are prone to shivering. This is natural but make sure your Pointer is always warm. You don’t want arthritis later in their life. Zeph and Zsa Zsa have special winter coats and I put these on when they’re out and about during Winter. The crates they sleep in have lots of soft blankets and cushions. Pointers seem to LOVE being wrapped up in warm blankets.
Does an English Pointer make a good family dog?
Yes, if your family has plenty of space to accommodate exercise requirements and if your family is pretty active. Pointers are not aggressive; they have a very even temperament. They LOVE being part of the family and when they’re not running around like mad things, like nothing better than snuggling up next to you on the couch.
What are the common health problems with English Pointers?
I’ve read that hip dysplasia is a common problem as well as skin conditions. Zeph has the latter. He gets red skin in the groin area and between the toes. You can get your vet to administer a cortisone shot but…read about the dangers of that here. I’m a great believer in alternative, natural remedies. The first thing you’ll need to do is eliminate any allergies. Are you feeding too much protein? Is your Pointer running through long grass?
I found the most simplest of solutions is to lay your hands on a huge tub of Zinc and Castor Oil and slap this all over the bits where your Pointer has skin problems. Perfectly safe. Zinc and castor oil ointment is used on baby’s butts after all.
Your Pointer will probably spend a lot of time doing this – staring out a window, into space.
Make sure your Pointer has plenty of dog toys. Even so, you will find they steal your shoes and socks.
Your Pointer will always have an innocent look on his or her face when questioned about what items they have stolen.
Your Pointer will spend a lot of time staring at (and chasing) moths, butterflies and even bees.
Up North 
My male English Pointer does not respond well to fence or shock collars. I sometimes put the shock collars on when my pointers roam using only the locator button to get them to return to me. The females return immediately as does the 3 year old male. The one year old male starts barking and going around in circles while scratching at the ground. He is very stubborn. Without the collar, the results are worse in that he will run away and rarely comes when called. Any helpful suggestions?
Difficult to say not seeing your dog first-hand or seeing the collar you’re using. Shock collars are only useful to create a boundary for the dog not to go beyond. To actually get them to return to you – shock collars won’t help. It’s a matter of training. Females respond naturally as they are more attached to the owners than males – they will rarely allow you to leave their line of sight.
In my experience, this situation can be addressed by focusing on excessive calling, pampering, rewarding (for returning to you) to create the bond. So your one-year old Pointer gets caressed and looks forward to coming back to you. Possibly some lead work needs to be done too (sit, stay, heel, walk etc). But in general, the male Pointer is ruled by his nose this is true.
Zeph does roam but will return quickly to me when I call him. This took time – training, rewarding, pampering and making a BIG fuss when he did come back to me. Try some intensive calling, rewarding, pampering – and let me know how it goes.
Thanks for the response. I am working on him!
Let us know how you go – for all of us who have English Pointers, it’s always great to hear other experiences.
Your Pointers are gorgeous! Seriously lovely markings! I have a 8 month old mixed breed English pointer and she does pretty much the same as yours do; staring out the window standing on the balcony barking at passers by etc! Pointers are very alert dogs and sometimes I think they are better guard dogs then they get credit for but when it comes down to it they wouldn’t hurt a fly. One quick question; my pointer is an 8 month old female who is mixed breed [not sure what her other half is] She was found by a friend of mine at the approx age of 2 weeks in a box dumped outside a hotel. She never really had proper nurishment other then powder milk and then puppy food since she was taken from he rmum at such a young age. Getting her to eat was a nightmare I mean an absolute roller coaster!! She was never interested in any food/dog brand etc and I fear it’s stunted her growth. At 8 months she’s 21 inches at the withers is this normal? I know she’s mixed and maybe one parent could have been small but I am concerned. She still eats very little but my vet said she’s fine and infact over weight she’s currently 23.6 Kg – 52 pounds though I don’t think she is. I know there are forums but I prefer to ask another Pointer owner. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much!
Hi Bette Thank your for your comment. Zeph and Zsa Zsa also thank you for saying they are gorgeous (which, of course, they agree with!). Please know that I’m not a vet and I note your vet says your female Pointer is okay. But…what I’ve learnt from showing my two Pointers is this – in terms of general appearance, the length of the body is roughly equal to the height at the withers. And the distance from the withers to the elbow is roughly equal to the distance from the elbow to the ground. This is the correct proportion for a Pointer. But your Pointer is mixed-breed so that could affect things.
Her weight – I wouldn’t say she’s overweight but true to say Pointers have a very lean appearance. Zsa Zsa weighs 25 kg; Zeph 28kg. Pointers can be notoriously fussy with their food….Zeph takes ages to eat his dinner, after having inspected it for 5 minutes and sometimes doesn’t eat everything. Zsa Zsa can’t get enough food. So your Pointer might be a fussy eater.
Have you tried cooking for your Pointer? I have a number of recipes on this blog as I cook for Zeph and Zsa Zsa – tasty treats, dog casseroles and so on. This might spark up your dog’s appetite. Feel free to ask anymore questions.
Good morning,
Thank you for replying! I’m glad Zeph & Zsa Zsa agree with me 🙂 I’m sure they hear how lovely they are all the time! Thank you for the precise measurement explanation it has helped a lot and puts things into perspective for me. I think Gertie is okay, she might be a bit on the small side but she is 8 months and still growing….I think.
If Zsa Zsa is 25 kg as an adult then I’m sure Gert will level out to approx the same when fully mature which I think is pretty standard for female pointers. The other genes might keep her shorter though.
Has Zeph always been a fussy eater? Even as a puupy? Didn’t you worry it would stunt his growth if he skipped meals? Gertie was fine until we gave her human food and that was it she would go days on end with nothing. I managed to get her back on Royal Canin and occasionaly raw meat and raw bones but my senseless dad still gives her food from the table after I have told him repeatedly not to….no wonder she won’t eat her dog food….argggggggg.
Yes I have cooked for her and she enjoyed it a lot but I was worried that she wasn’t getting enough calcium in her diet so provided raw bones. I have seen your recipes and will definately give them a go! They look nutritionally balanced and a good source of vitamins/minerals. Considering she eats so little she has boundless energy so I know she is in great shape. Albeit she eats a lot of grass and vomits too often for my liking, again my vet says this is normal….mmmmmmmmmmm not so sure.
Thank you for the information once again it’s always nice to get another opinion and I would rather ask you then the vet to be honest.
Have a great week ahead and look forward from you.
Bette
Hi again Bette I don’t think you should be too worried. Again, I’m no vet or expert – just someone who’s had 8 dogs before Zeph and ZZ (and 2.5 years now with Pointers). Both Zeph and ZZ go to their breeder’s regularly (for puppy day care or when we go away on holidays) and from this and the Pointer shows I’ve entered Zeph into – I know it’s a tough balance getting things right. But….main thing to remember is that the canine diet must be at least 60-75% protein. Dogs require far more protein than humans. Protein is of course beef, chicken, lamb, turkey, pork, fish, eggs and dairy products. But not raw pork – too much salt and raw pork could contain Trichinosis (but not if you freeze the pork for a few weeks before consumption). So stick within these boundaries and also maybe give Gertie goat milk (my Pointers LOVE goat milk). You might also want to try giving Gertie a teaspoon of organic extra virgin Coconut Oil – this will make Gertie’s coat glossy and sustain good internal health. Read my post here: https://dailyoxford.wordpress.com/2013/01/26/gone-coconuts/ My Pointers can’t get enough coconut oil and lick it off the spoon or I put it into their food.
From a puppy, Zeph was Mr Fussypot. He would sniff his food, walk off, maybe come back to it. The rule the breeder told me is if his food wasn’t eaten within 5 mins, take it away from him. So he sometimes didn’t get a meal but he has turned into a very healthy, strong dog. He’s still a fussy eater whereas ZZ is a little guts – I have a hard time keeping her weight down!!
Try to feed as little processed dog food as possible – it’s better for your Pointer to be a raw meat diet, raw bones.
As for the grass eating – my experience is that dogs eat grass to ease a stomach problem but some dogs just eat a lot of grass (this is known as “pica”). It can also be a sign of nutritional deficiency or boredom especially in younger dogs. I’ve also been told it could be due to the dog’s need to get more fibre. I would be playing around with Gerte’s food a bit – see what you can get her to really like. Try brown rice and minced lamb; some organic plain yoghurt; veges in with her food; raw bones; raw meat; give her some duck or venison. This is what I had to do with Zeph and it took about 1.5 years before I really understood what he likes and doesn’t like. Also, these dog muffins that I bake for them – Zeph woofs them down so maybe Gertie might like some. You could mess around with my basic recipe to see what works for her https://dailyoxford.wordpress.com/?s=dog+muffins
Best of luck!
We just adopted a pure bred english pointer from our local shelter. she is about 2 years old and quite thin (hips and ribs protruding).
She also has a cold so we are keeping her quiet and isolated. She does nicely on lead and in a crate and is very affectionate. We have noticed that she does a lot of spinning in circles. She does not chase her tail, just spins in circles. For instance when we let her out of her crate and go to walk outside, she does at least 4-5 spins on her way to the door. Is she just excited or is this an ocd type of behavior? If so should we try to correct it through a trainer? She has only been with us for a few days and is stressed of course, but I want to make sure there isnt anything wrong with her neurologically.
Don’t worry Cynthia. In my experience, this is normal female English Pointer behaviour. Zsa Zsa spins so much she must be constantly dizzy! She spins in circles when she knows I’m preparing their food; when she wants to play with Zeph; or when she walks with me in a paddock. I’d say she is settling in and is happy – so enjoy your new English Pointer 🙂
Hi! I just stumbled upon your blog annd love it. About a month ago my sister brought a pointer mix puppy to our house and we are all in love with her, she’s a delight to train and learns very quickly, she’s about 3-4 months. The only concern I have with her is that she bites a lot, I’ve tried everything to get her to stop and she xontrols herself a little bit with me, but I live with my parents, my aister, my brother and my grandmother and we get visitors all the time and she bites them non stop and pretty hard and it worries me that she kight become aggresive. I can’t take her out to exercise yet because she is missing some shots and I don’t know how to help her get enough activity without going crazy biting. Thanks for your help!
Hello! Great to hear you have a new Pointer mix pup. There’s a theory about puppy biting – that during play with other pups, the dog learns to bite softly, not causing damage. The theory extends to the human pack – pups playing with humans learn that human skin is easy to damage, so the puppy learns “soft biting”. Puppies learn to control the intensity of their biting through play with humans or other dogs. So what I did with Zeph and Zsa Zsa is to pretend to be a dog during play. If the pup bites too hard, you give a yelp like another dog and let your hand go limp (usually the hands are what get bitten during human/dog play). The puppy will learn that he/she has gone too far. You could also try a chew or dog toy – allow the pup to chew on this to learn. I also think it’s wise to try other games with pups to discourage the mouthing/biting thing – play fetch with your dog or tug-of-war with a rope. Once your pup has the required vaccinations, take your pup to socialise with other dogs ASAP because this is how dogs learn acceptable behaviour. I made the decision early on to always take Zeph and Zsa Zsa back to the breeders (once a week) for puppy play day. I also followed the suggestions above to minimise any possibility of a dog that might be aggressive or bite. Take your pup to dog training also. All of this will result in a well-behaved and respectful dog. Hope this helps!
I have just inherited an 2-3 year English pointer male who has never been handled or anything. He is not treat rewarded how can I train him to come when I call? Any suggestions I’m at wits in?
Hi Christy – When you say not been handled, does he accept pats and closeness with you? I’d say he’s apprehensive about approaching – do you know his background? A dog is never too old to be trained so I would try this – get a long leash (around 15ft or 450cm) and pop your dog on the leash. Get a treat and throw it say 20 feet away from you and the dog. Your Pointer will want to go get the treat but first must listen to your “Come” command. Back up a a bit whilst giving the leash a slight tug and commanding him to come…you are encouraging the dog to listen and come to you. When your dog does come to you whilst on the leash, praise him and then let him off the leash to go get the treat. Do this several times with a variety of different treats. You need to use the leash to start off with since your Pointer has not been trained. Basically, male Pointers like to roam, sniff and explore. They need freedom BUT also need to be obedient. He needs to start associating the Come command with praise and reward. Try this training exercise and let me know how it goes (there are other exercises to try).
Hi, first time puppy owner and on the whole I think we have got an easy pooch to have as a new family member. He’s a English Pointer x lab, 4mths now and we have only had him 2 weeks but he’s learnt (and grown) so much.
But every night at 8-9pm he just explodes and goes nuts! Stealing anything he can bite, sprinting around the lounge, nipping, barking and leaping over us. Has anyo e else had this and do you know how to stop it?
He’s getting lots of exercise and attention so do t think its something missing in his life!
Any advice greatly welcomed.
Thanks Jonathan
Hi Jonathan – other people might be able to help but, from my experience with two active Pointers, this is par for the course. What time are you feeding him dinner? I’ve learnt to feed mine at around 4.30 or 5.00pm as they get super active straight after dinner. Do you have lots of dog toys for him to play with? Our lounge room often looks like an indoor dog play room LOL – lots of toys to chew on. You want to stop that nipping though – look at this http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/pets/dog-behavior/puppy-nipping I found this technique very useful and it worked with Zeph and Zsa Zsa. The English Pointer requires a TON of exercise – so you might want to up the exercise a bit, go to the park one more time or play chasings with your pup.
Just found your blog and have found it very interesting, I have two gsp’s, Ruger who is a 4 year old male who is completely mental and an eating machine, and Lottie a 11month old bitch which butter wouldn’t melt after just eating the sofa! We love them both immensely and they are a big part of the family. Our problem though is Ruger, he will chase anything that moves and has twice found himself in a field of sheep, we got him back with no incidents but I am scared to death he’ll end up getting shot by a angry farmer. He is a big loveable lump with not a viscious bone in his body. Is there any advice you could give me to help me keep him healthy and everyone happy. – thanks bekki
Bekki, yes you will need to get hold of Ruger’s behaviour before some farmer catches up with him! Have you looked into invisible fences? That’s how we trained Zeph and he is totally contained in our 30 acre property. The information about invisible fences and the collar Zeph wears is contained in the post I think you read https://dailyoxford.wordpress.com/2012/01/11/is-my-english-pointer-normal/
I am not talking about shock collars. You train your dog to understand that the invisible fence (which is basically wires you bury in the ground) is his boundary. During training, you have a special remote that will give your dog a very mild sound (from the collar) and the dog knows that this is the limit of the boundary.
After training, your dog doesn’t need to wear the collar. Zeph is six years old now and has never roamed off the property. I highly recommend the brand we went with, which is Innotek.
Hi!
I have a beautiful English pointer bitch, 11 weeks old. She has had all her jabs and has had a lot of socialisation already
, pre and post vaccinations.
How much exercise can I give her? She seems to already need loads but I am conscious of not overdoing it for her joints?!
Hello Helen. Thanks for your question. Did you get your Pointer from a breeder? If so, I would have a chat with her. For an 11 week-old Pointer, I limited Zeph and Zsa Zsa’s exercise to around 10-15 minutes. You have to build up their stamina. Take your girl out for a walk and if she starts to sit down, you know it’s a bit too much for her. Don’t walk briskly or on hard surfaces. I’d start with a gentle 5-7 minute walk and build up from there. You don’t want to damage growing joints. There’s a lot of play you can do other than walking – to stimulate the mind, which is what puppies need. I used to play a game of where is the treat? I’d pop a treat under a flower pot and have empty flower pots too. Get your puppy to sniff out the treat and have fun at the same time.
I have a six month old english pointer Brandy and found it easy to train her to come by giving her tiny bits of cheese which has a strong smell. When she is hunting in the bush or on the rivers I can now call her back with the dog whistle because she is conditioned to recall because of the cheese training. I think also she returns because she just wants to.
Sandie
That’s a nice idea Sandie and thanks for sharing. Zeph is a cheese connoisseur – loves his cheese!! But he only discovered cheese at around 3 years old.
Hi there I have an 8 month old English pointer a male.
He’s adorable,has lots of exercise and socialisation with other dogs.my one difficulty at the moment is however long his walk is during the day between the hours of 6 pm ad 9pm,he becomes an absolute monster biting chewing anything,also try’s to nip me,he gets v hyper.
Have tried everything,he certainly is pushing the boundaries.
From brain games to tug games to gongs lucky mats with peanut butter
He tends to sleep after his walk from about 4 pm until 5 30 pm.
It’s talk in the UK by 4pm at the moment so he on gets a tiny walk in the garden before bedtime
He’s amazing at night sleeps from 10 30 until 8 am
And then like you mentioned has breakfast has a wee and poo goes back to sleep and wakes up about 11am when we go for our 2 hour walk mainly off lead in woods.
His recall is excellent.
Would appreciate your thoughts
Got him from a local breeder whom I know at 8 weeks old,she’s very helpful and has given some advise but it hasn’t worked
Thank you