American Pointer

I always thought of these dogs as being strictly for the birds. I mean strictly for bird hunting, as pointers or locaters of the bird for the hunter. But it seems that there is more to these fellows than meets the eye. I've been told by several owners of this breed, that these dogs don't consider themselves to be dogs at all, but rather, humans. Or, at least members of the family, the human family that is caring for him.

They love working the field as a hunter but also love being pampered and doted over before a show. It seems that all pointers favor the comforts of the home as well as those who dwell there. They are extremely protective of their domain and will sound an alarm if anything seems to be unusual or out of place. They are excellent with children and will play with them all day long if allowed.

My perception of nothing but a down-to-business, serious, working dog is not totally accurate. Although they take their task seriously while working, this is not the total sum of who this dog is. When he's not working or in a show, he's a fun-loving and mischievous pup at heart. Sometimes he carries this to extremes and develops some bad habits that need to be rooted out if he is to retain his true value as a bird dog.

From all counts that have been conveyed to me, it appears that if a Pointer is to be a house pet, giving him some sort of obedience training would be most advisable. This training, along with developing social skills will help to develop his manners as he matures into a true member of the family.