Mary Allen
The Small Munsterlander is the smallest representative of the pointing dogs. But that doesn’t stop it from keeping up with its bigger colleagues.
The small hunting dog is extremely brave, hardworking, and obedient, making it a popular companion for many hunters. At the same time, the dog is becoming more and more popular as a family dog because of its beautiful appearance and gentle character.
In our breed portrait, you will get to know the hard-working Small Munsterlander: what it looks like, where it comes from, what you should consider when caring for it, and for whom the hunting dog is actually suitable.
What does a Small Munsterlander look like?
The body of the Small Munsterlander is strong and harmoniously built and is intended to express elegance and grace. The dogs have medium-length, dense fur that lies flat to wavy. A special feature is the so-called “feathers” on the front and rear legs, where the fur grows longer. The typical long fur on the Munsterlander’s tail is called “flag”.
Permissible coat colors in dogs are the basic colors of white or gray with brown or tan spots, patches, or markings. A lighter or even white coloring is common on the face at the end of the snout, the so-called “blaze”.
Incidentally, despite the same name and similar appearance, the Small Munsterlander and the Large Munsterlander are not dogs of the same breed of different sizes. Rather, both are considered to be separate breeds that have been bred from different breeding lines and crossed with different dog breeds. The naming probably goes back solely to the origin of both breeds in Munsterland.
How big is a Small Munsterlander?
The average height at the withers of the Münsterländer is between 52 cm and 56 cm for a male. In a bitch, it reaches between 50 cm and 54 cm. The dogs belong to medium-sized dog breeds.
How heavy is a Small Munsterlander?
The ideal weight for the dogs should be between 17 kg and 26 kg. Males usually weigh more than females.
How old does a Small Munsterlander get?
As with most breeds that were bred primarily as German pointers and hunting dogs, great importance is attached to robust and resilient health when breeding the Small Munsterlander. As a result, the dogs are now between 13 and 15 years old on average. With good care, some dogs can even live up to 17 years. This makes the breed one of the longest-lived dog breeds of all.
What is the character or nature of the Small Munsterlander?
The Small Munsterlander, along with its peers such as the German Shorthaired Pointer, the German Wirehaired Pointer, or the Weimaraner, is one of the German pointing dogs. Their abilities and characteristics were specially bred and optimized for hunting. The dogs are still primarily used today as hunting dogs. These characteristics include the Small Munsterlander, in particular, high intelligence, obedience, attentiveness, and courage.
The dogs are also socially friendly, open-hearted, and spirited. The dog generally has a very close bond with its reference person and its family and subordinates itself to them without any problems. He gets along well with children. With good socialization, he is also peaceful and easy-going with other pets and people within his home.
As a born hunting dog, the dog has a pronounced hunting instinct, which it also wants to live out. In the best-case scenario, the Small Munsterlander can do this as a clever companion when hunting. The dogs are true all-rounders and suitable for many different types of work in the field: tracking, retrieving, welding, or tracking down. In addition to the brain work, the dog is also a real sports cannon and he is particularly fond of swimming.
Where does the Small Munsterlander come from?
Searching for clues can also be easy: the Small Munsterlander comes from the Munsterland around the city of Munster. It has been proven that there have been so-called guard dogs in the region since the 1870s. Their job was to track down wild birds on the heath, scare them away and, after they were shot, bring them to the hunter. According to some sources, the ancestors of these guard dogs go back as far as the 13th century. Thus, today’s breed of the Small Munsterlander would be one of the oldest dog breeds in the world.
In 1902, the German forest ranger Edmund Löns, together with his brothers Hermann and Rudolf, began to breed the first pure breed of quail dogs. The men intended to save the dogs from extinction and to define smart, reliable, and capable hunting dogs, especially for bird hunting. To do this, they crossed existing breeding lines of Wachtelhunds, including the so-called “Dorstener Stamm” and the “Heitmann Stamm”.
Due to the long history, it is no longer possible to prove exactly which dog breeds the Wachtelhunds go back to. Theories suggest that today’s small pointer breed may have originated from crossing Flat Coated Retrievers or the Epagneul-Breton. In 1912 the first breed club was founded in Osnabrück and in 1934 the dog breed was officially named the Small Munsterlander and defined as the standard.
What is the character or nature of the Small Munsterlander?
The Small Munsterlander, along with its peers such as the German Shorthaired Pointer, the German Wirehaired Pointer, or the Weimaraner, is one of the German pointing dogs. Their abilities and characteristics were specially bred and optimized for hunting. The dogs are still primarily used today as hunting dogs. These characteristics include the Small Munsterlander, in particular, high intelligence, obedience, attentiveness, and courage.
The dogs are also socially friendly, open-hearted, and spirited. The dog generally has a very close bond with its reference person and its family and subordinates itself to them without any problems. He gets along well with children. With good socialization, he is also peaceful and easy-going with other pets and people within his home.
As a born hunting dog, the dog has a pronounced hunting instinct, which it also wants to live out. In the best-case scenario, the Small Munsterlander can do this as a clever companion when hunting. The dogs are true all-rounders and suitable for many different types of work in the field: tracking, retrieving, welding, or tracking down. In addition to the brain work, the dog is also a real sports cannon and he is particularly fond of swimming.
Where does the Small Munsterlander come from?
Searching for clues can also be easy: the Small Munsterlander comes from the Munsterland around the city of Munster. It has been proven that there have been so-called guard dogs in the region since the 1870s. Their job was to track down wild birds on the heath, scare them away and, after they were shot, bring them to the hunter. According to some sources, the ancestors of these guard dogs go back as far as the 13th century. Thus, today’s breed of the Small Munsterlander would be one of the oldest dog breeds in the world.
In 1902, the German forest ranger Edmund Löns, together with his brothers Hermann and Rudolf, began to breed the first pure breed of quail dogs. The men intended to save the dogs from extinction and to define smart, reliable, and capable hunting dogs, especially for bird hunting. To do this, they crossed existing breeding lines of Wachtelhunds, including the so-called “Dorstener Stamm” and the “Heitmann Stamm”.
Due to the long history, it is no longer possible to prove exactly which dog breeds the Wachtelhunds go back to. Theories suggest that today’s small pointer breed may have originated from crossing Flat Coated Retrievers or the Epagneul-Breton. In 1912 the first breed club was founded in Osnabrück and in 1934 the dog breed was officially named the Small Munsterlander and defined as the standard.
What care does the Small Munsterlander need?
The care of the fur is very easy due to the hair structure. A thorough brushing every few days is sufficient. It is important to regularly check fur, skin, and ears for parasites. In this way, you can prevent diseases and inflammation.
Optimal care also includes a balanced and healthy diet with a high proportion of meat. This is how you supply the sports cannons with enough energy.
What are the typical diseases of the Small Munsterlander?
Thanks to the very high standards, strict controls, and also the high sense of responsibility of the breeders in most clubs, the Small Munsterlander is one of the healthiest dog breeds today. Breed-specific diseases are rare and unlikely in dogs from reputable breeders.
In order to promote the health of puppies and growing dogs in the long term, however, optimal husbandry and care are also part of it. Dogs that are particularly under-challenged can develop stress-related diseases. In addition, the dogs can injure themselves on the hunt due to incorrect preparations.
How much does a Small Munsterlander cost?
Due to the high breeding costs, prices for Munsterlander puppies from a reputable breeder start at around 900 euros. Because of its nature as a hunting dog and the corresponding attitude, you have to take into account the dog sport and training costs in addition to the usual maintenance costs for the Small Munsterlander. Alone the training of hunting dogs for pointers from puppies to professionals can cost a four-digit sum, with plenty of room for improvement.