Mary Allen
The Small Munsterlander Pointer is a fairly young dog breed that was only developed from old hunting and pointing dog breeds at the beginning of the 20th century. The breed standard, which was first written in 1921, is run by the FCI under number 102 in Group 7: Pointers, Section 1.2: Continental Pointers, Long-Haired Type (Epagneul), with a working test.
Small Munsterlander Dog Breed Information
Size: 48-58cm
Weight: 18-27kg
FCI group: 7: pointing dogs
Section: 1.2: Continental Pointers
Country of origin: Germany
Colors: brown-white, brown-reddish-grey, white-brown, gray
Life expectancy: 12-13 years
Suitable as: hunting, family, and companion dog
Sports: agility, fetch
Personality: Happy, Intelligent, Affectionate, Strong-willed, Alert, Trainable
Leaving requirements: high
Drooling Potential: –
The thickness of hair: –
Maintenance effort: rather low
Coat structure: dense, medium-long, smooth to slightly wavy, close-fitting, and water-repellent
Child friendly: yes
Family dog: yes
Social: yes
Origin and Breed History
As the name suggests, the “Small Munsterlander” breed originally came from the North Rhine-Westphalian Munsterland. At least a first breeding club was founded here in 1912. In fact, it is thanks to the efforts of the forester Edmund Löns and his brother Rudolf that this new breed was created through targeted breeding from old hunting dogs, which were already used for bird hunting in the Middle Ages. At the beginning of the 20th century, Löns was looking for representatives of these old guard dogs, which had the best qualities in pointing and retrieving birds and small game. But they were thought to be almost extinct. So Löns found what he was looking for on farms and with hunters, especially in the Münster area and in Lower Saxony. He began breeding and since he worked as a forester in the Lüneburg Heath, he initially called his new breed “Heidewachtel”. These dogs were smaller, lighter, and therefore more agile than the original Spaniels. In addition, they quickly found enthusiastic followers among hunters and farmers.
After the “Association for Small Munsterlanders (Heidewachtel)” was founded in 1912, it took nine years until 1921. Friedrich Jungklaus set an official breed standard on behalf of the association. The main features of this are still valid today, even if the association even split up temporarily in the Third Reich due to differing views on breeding goals.
Nature & Temperament of the Small Munsterlander
This smallest representative of the German pointer breeds is a very temperamental, active dog who is also very teachable due to his high intelligence and alert nature. He develops a close relationship with his handler and attentively awaits his instructions. Puppies and young dogs in particular need clear and consistent training in order to steer their innate hunting instinct and game sharpness in the right direction. This makes it suitable for locating and displaying games as well as for working after the shot. He has strong nerves and is very focused here. Retrieving is in his blood, which, combined with his fun in and around the water, makes him particularly well suited to hunting waterfowl.
If the Small Munsterlander is allowed to let off steam sufficiently to exercise his urge to move and his willingness to work, he is a very balanced, pleasant companion at home and within the family. His love of playing and fetching makes him a great and friendly companion for the children in the household. He is very philanthropic and open-hearted. He also usually gets along very well with other dogs or animals living in the household if he gets used to them from the start.
But the Small Munsterlander is only in his element when he is really allowed to live out his innate passion for hunting. If you cannot offer this, you should not keep this breed to avoid dissatisfaction and frustration on both sides.
Is a Small Munsterlander a Hunting Dog?
The Small Munsterlander is bred for hunting small and feathered games and is a very passionate, active hunting dog that should also be kept as such.
The Appearance of the Small Munsterlander
With a shoulder height of 48 to 58 centimeters and a weight between 17 and 25 kilograms, the Small Munsterlander is the smallest German pointing dog breed. His strong, muscular physique appears elegant, harmonious, and well proportioned. The noble head with the high-set, tapering floppy ears and the attentive, brown eyes sits on a muscular neck. The medium-length tail is carried lower or when moving, following the line of the back roughly horizontally.
Its dense, medium-length, straight to slightly wavy coat is water-repellent and even protects the Small Munsterlander from injuries caused by thorns and undergrowth when working in the forest. If the front legs are only lightly feathered, there is long fur on the hind legs and tail, the so-called “trousers” and the “flag”. The color of the fur is two-tone white-brown. There is the variant white with brown patches, spots or a coat, and brown roan, also with spots or patches. The tip of the tail should always be white, and a white pallor on the head is also permitted. Some Small Munsterlanders also show tan markings on the muzzle, above the eyes, and below the tail. These are also called “Jungklaus’sche badges” after the founder of the breed standard.
How Old Does a Small Munsterlander Get?
Life expectancy for a healthy Small Munsterlander is around 12-14 years.
Upbringing and Husbandry of the Small Munsterlander – This is Important to Note
This intelligent and inquisitive dog is very eager to learn, but needs loving but very consistent training, especially in the puppy and young dog phase. The clever dog quickly recognizes unclear, contradictory instructions or a weak leadership style and likes to use this to his advantage. In other words: He then dances on his human’s nose! Due to his innate passion for hunting and game sharpness, he is not a dog for beginners and should actually be primarily trained and guided by a specialist.
If this cannot be offered to him, the spirited and active dog needs an adequate balance, for example in dog sports or in training as a tracker and sniffer dog. If with a lot of patience and empathy, you manage to keep him busy with such activities and direct his interest in them, the hunting instinct can perhaps also be kept in check.
In order to give him enough exercise and exercise, daily long walks in wind and weather are obligatory for the owner. The Small Munsterlander likes being kept in the house with close family ties, and he also likes to run around in the (escape-proof!) garden. Well-trained, he is a pleasant and very well-balanced family dog, but above all follows his master or mistress attentively and faithfully.
Is Small Munsterlanders Difficult to Train?
Although these intelligent dogs are very eager to learn, they require very consistent training. Due to its innate passion for hunting, the Small Munsterlander is not a dog for beginners and should actually be trained and handled primarily by a specialist.
Diet of the Small Munsterlander
A high-quality dog food, the main components of which are meat and animal products, is the best nutritional basis for the Small Munsterlander. This breed is also suitable for biologically appropriate raw feeding (= BARF). However, the owner should have sufficient experience in keeping and feeding dogs to ensure a balanced feed mix and avoid deficiency symptoms.
Depending on a dog’s age, activity level, and health status, the ration calculation for their food will vary. Dogs the size of the Small Münsterländer should ideally receive their daily food ration divided into two meals in order to avoid stomach overload and to prevent life-threatening stomach torsion. After eating, there must always be a resting phase. Access to fresh drinking water must be ensured at all times.
Healthy – Life Expectancy & Common Diseases
Since the breeding club for Kleine Münsterländer attaches great importance to health, this breed has so far been largely spared from hereditary diseases. One aspect when selecting the parent animals is, for example, the x-ray examination of the hip joints in order to rule out the inheritance of hip dysplasia (HD) as far as possible. Some representatives of the breed are prone to skin diseases, which can have different underlying causes. On the one hand, bacteria can penetrate the skin through the smallest wounds and lead to localized or even large-scale inflammation. On the other hand, there is atopic dermatitis, which is caused by allergic reactions to various environmental stimuli. Since the coat of the Small Munsterlander is extremely dense and close-fitting, the skin is not well ventilated, which means that such diseases can spread more easily.
Special attention must also be paid to the dog’s ears: the densely hairy floppy ears prevent good air circulation in the ear so that infections can also easily form here, especially if dirt or a foreign body has gotten into the inside of the ear. If the dog scratches its head more often, if it shakes it frequently or if there is an unpleasant smell from its ears, a veterinary clarification must be carried out.
However, a well-exercised, healthily bred and well-fed Small Munsterlander has a high life expectancy of around 12-14 years.
Care of the Small Munsterlander
The medium-length coat of the Small Munsterlander is very easy to care for and only needs a good brushing from time to time. After extensive stalking in the forest, the coarsest dirt on the lower abdomen and legs can be rinsed off with water, then a large towel is enough to rub the dog dry and clean again. If he gets used to these care measures from an early age, he willingly endures the procedure.
The densely hairy floppy ears should be checked regularly for cleanliness to avoid a possible ear infection. Even minor skin injuries, which the dog can easily incur when rummaging in the undergrowth, should be treated in good time before skin inflammation can form.
Small Munsterlander – Activities and Training
The primary purpose of this breed is hunting – and this is where the dog feels in its element. He wants to rummage through the woods, work with his handler in search of a game and retrieve the game he has killed, on land or from the water. Thus, the Small Munsterlander is best kept in the hands of a hunter, with daily extensive stalking in the area.
If you can’t offer him that, you should really think twice about getting this breed. A second-best alternative, at best, to challenge and exercise a Small Munsterlander intellectually and physically is active participation in dog sports such as agility and dog dancing, or targeted tracking work in mantrailing and in rescue dog training. Mind you, this is really just a stopgap measure for this breed.
How Much Exercise Does a Small Munsterlander Need?
This breed is very spirited and loves to move, so a Small Munsterlander really needs a lot of exercises, every day, regardless of the weather.
Good to Know: Peculiarities of the Small Munsterlander
The “inventor” of this breed, the district forester Edmund Löns, was a brother of the famous poet Hermann Löns.
The Small Munsterlander even has its own four-part fanfare, which is blown on hunting horns.
There is no direct relationship to the Large Munsterlander – although this is also a hunting dog, it has its own history of origin in terms of breeding.
Although the Small Munsterlander originated in Germany, it is now more widespread in Scandinavia and France than in Germany. This is mainly due to its excellent suitability as a hunting assistant in large forest areas.
Cons of the Small Munsterlander
Since this breed is still bred for hunting use as a scavenger and pointing dog, the Small Munsterlander is not well suited to being kept without hunting use. He has a strong will to work and is best kept in the hands of an experienced hunter or forester
r educates him professionally and uses and encourages him according to his passion. At the very least, the Small Munsterlander needs an adequate replacement for its passion for hunting, which it could find in targeted training as a search dog for very specific aromas due to its pronounced sense of smell. For example, there are representatives of this breed who can sniff out a hidden fungal infestation on trees (wood pathogen sniffer dogs).
Is the Small Munsterlander Right for Me?
Before you decide to buy a Small Munsterlander, you should ask yourself a few basic questions:
Am I a hunter and want to use my dog for searching and pointing?
Do I have enough time to take care of the dog, train it properly and keep it busy?
Do all family members agree to a Small Munsterlander moving in?
Who takes care of the dog if I can’t?
Am I ready to organize my holiday with the dog as well?
Do I have sufficient financial resources to cover not only the purchase price for the puppy of around $1200 or more and the initial equipment with a leash, collar, dog bowl, and dog bed but also the running costs for high-quality food, visits to the vet, vaccinations, and medication, dog school, dog tax and liability insurance to pay? After all, a dog costs about the same as a small car over the course of its lifetime!
If you have finally thought everything through and decided to bring in a Small Munsterlander as a new family member, you should first look for a reputable breeder. Important criteria for the fact that the breeder is really serious about breeding dogs are, for example, a manageable number of breeding animals and litters and the keeping of bitches and puppies within the family and with close contact to reference persons. A good breeder will ask questions of the prospect about how and where their puppies will be kept and, if necessary, will refuse to sell a dog if the prospect’s answers are not satisfactory. In fact, most reputable breeders only sell a Small Munsterlander to hunters. Recommendations for feeding, information on veterinary treatments such as initial vaccinations and deworming, and the offer to contact you after the purchase should be a matter of course for a good breeder. It is best to visit the breeder before you finally buy the puppy and take a look around.
You should never buy a puppy from a pet market or from the trunk of a shady dog dealer! Although these dogs are usually cheaper than a reputable breeder, there is almost always unscrupulous and cruel animal cruelty behind them! The mother animals are kept under terrible conditions as pure “litter machines”, the puppies are neither vaccinated nor otherwise veterinary treated, often suffer from acute, in the worst case fatal illnesses soon after purchase or remain a lifelong case for the vet – and that is under much more expensive than the puppy from a reputable and responsible breeder!
In addition to purchasing from a breeder, it may also be worth going to the local animal shelter – purebred dogs like the Small Munsterlander are always waiting to find a new and beautiful home here. Various animal protection organizations have also dedicated themselves to helping the Small Munsterlander who are in need and are looking for suitable, loving owners for such dogs. Just ask.
So if you are looking for a loyal, passionate hunting dog that will tirelessly accompany you on your stalks in the woods and fields, attentively waiting for your instructions in order to then carry them out exactly and with strong nerves, then the Small Munsterlander is the right choice for you! And if you come home after hours of nature, he is a very pleasant, well-balanced, and friendly family dog who still has enough power to play happily with your children – the main thing is that he is always there!
How Much Does a Small Munsterlander Cost?
Puppies of this breed cost around $1200 or more from a responsible breeder.