Portuguese Pointers of Great Britain - Portuguese Pointers of Great Britain

Welcome to the website to find out all you need to know about Portuguese Pointers

Heritage

The Portuguese Pointer can be traced back to the 12th century and is thought to have arose from Iberian hunting dogs. They were bred specifically to hunt small game birds, especially partridge. In the 16th century the breed was renamed Perdigueiro Portuguese (perdiz is the common Portuguese name for partridge).

During the 16th century new hunting laws in Portugal were introduced making it illegal to hunt with pointing dogs and the breed unfortunately declined.

In the eighteenth century many English families had settled in the area around Porto to produce wine. Some of these families then took Portuguese Pointers back to the UK and it is believed they played a part in the origin of the English Pointer.

In the 1920’s the few breeders left in Portugal made an effort to salvage the breed by locating some of the ancient Portuguese dogs. The Portuguese pedigree book was established in 1932 and the breed standard in 1938.

They are the smallest of the Pointer breed and fall into the hunt, point, retrieve category.

More details can be found in the links below –

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portuguese_Pointer

https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/search/breeds-a-to-z/breeds/gundog/portuguese-pointer-imp/

Pets

Portuguese Pointers make excellent pets. They are extremely affectionate, sometimes overly so, and after being out for a walk, their second favourite place is on your lap.

If brought up with children they make excellent family pets. They are patient, gentle, loyal and willing to please.

They are relatively easy to train (compared to other breeds) and pick up the basics quickly. They have an overwhelming desire to please and respond best with gentle training using positive reinforcement methods. Whistle training is very beneficial as although some websites state that they like to stay close to their owners, many have found that they like to range quite far.

Make you you read the FAQ page for further information.

Working

Portuguese Pointers fall into the category of hunt, point, retrieve (HPR). They are obsessed with birds and small mammals (squirrels being a particular favourite!). They were originally used to hunt partridge in Portugal, and indeed are used still, much more than here in the UK.

Portuguese Pointers enter and compete in Working Trials and Field Trials.

Activities

Portuguese Pointers enjoy various activities including agility, scent training, search and rescue and CaniCross

Showing

The Portuguese Pointer is in the Gundog Group, Import Register. Much effort is being made to promote the breed so that one day it can stand in its own class.