Breeds / Large
Slovakian Wirehaired Pointer puppies
Calm, obedient and closely bonded to its handler, the Slovakian Wirehaired Pointer is a versatile hunting dog that points, tracks and retrieves, and it needs a job to be settled at home.
The facts
- Size class Large
- Country of origin Slovakia
- Adult weight 22.7 to 29.5 kg
- Adult weight in pounds 50 to 65 lb
- Adult height 57 to 67 cm
- Energy level High
- Grooming Low
- Coat type Short wiry
- Typical lifespan 12 to 15 years
- Good with children Fine with supervision
- Good with other dogs Usually good
Where these come from:
About the Slovakian Wirehaired Pointer
The Slovakian Wirehaired Pointer was assembled in Slovakia after the Second World War from Weimaraner, German Wirehaired Pointer and Cesky Fousek stock, so that a hunter could keep one dog that pointed game, followed a blood trail and retrieved from water. It is a lean, leggy gundog of 57 to 67 cm and 22.7 to 29.5 kg, with a harsh grey coat, a beard and heavy eyebrows. Indoors it is calm and quiet; in the field it is serious and tireless.
This is a working gundog and it behaves like one. It wants an hour or more of real activity daily, ideally running in a secure field, and it will invent jobs if you give it none. The wiry coat needs only a wipe down and a strip of dead hair in shedding season. Training is easy, since the breed scores at the top for trainability, but the hunting instinct is strong enough that off lead freedom near livestock or game is a bad idea. Owners underestimate how badly one takes being left alone.
What to expect at eight weeks
At eight weeks a Slovakian Wirehaired Pointer puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A large breed puppy at eight weeks looks deceptively normal sized and will roughly double every few weeks for a while. Keep exercise short and low impact, the growth plates are wide open. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and it will need a job to do long before it needs long walks. Grooming is straightforward, but start handling the coat, feet and ears in week one anyway so it is never a fight later. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.
Health worth knowing about
Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.
- Hip and elbow dysplasia, which breeding stock should be x-rayed and scored for
- Progressive retinal atrophy, detectable by DNA test on both parents
- Cataracts, found by an annual ophthalmologist eye examination
- Ear infections, common in drop eared gundogs and caught by weekly ear checks
From Slovakian Wirehaired Pointer breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/slovakian-wirehaired-pointer/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.
Your Slovakian Wirehaired Pointer puppy's first six months
- Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
- Worming and parasite schedule.
- Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Large for a Slovakian Wirehaired Pointer.
- Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 22.7 to 29.5 kg adult range.
- Puppy names and the first week checklist.
Other large breeds
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Not veterinary advice. Breed information is general. Your own dog, and your own vet, always win.