Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Breed Standard
(American Kennel Club)
Sporting Group
General Appearance
Medium sized, with a noble, square-shaped head, strong of limb, bred to cover all terrain encountered by the walking hunter. Movement showing an easy catlike gracefulness. Excels equally as a pointer in the field, or a retriever in the water. Coat is hard and coarse, never curly or woolly, with a thick undercoat of fine hair, giving an unkempt appearance. His easy trainability, devotion to family, and friendly temperament endear him to all. The nickname of "supreme gundog" is well earned.
Size, Proportion, Substance
Size--22 to 24 inches for males, 20 to 22 inches for females. Correct size is important. Oversize to be severely penalized. Proportion--Slightly longer than tall, in a ratio of 10 to 9. Height from withers to ground; length from point of shoulder to point of buttocks. The Griffon must not evolve towards a square conformation. Substance medium, reflecting his work as an all-terrain hunting dog.
Head
The head is to be in proportion to the overall dog. The skull is of medium width with equal length from nose to stop and from stop to occiput. The skull is slightly rounded on top, but from the side the muzzle and head are square. The stop and occiput are only slightly pronounced. The required abundant mustache and eyebrows contribute to the friendly expression. The eyes are large and well open, more rounded than elliptical. They have an alert, friendly, and intelligent expression. Eye color ranges in all shades of yellow and brown. Haws should not show nor should there be protruding eyes. The ears should be of medium size, lying flat and close to the head, set high, at the height of the eye line. Nose--Well open nostrils are essential. Nose color is always brown. Any other color is a disqualification. Bite scissors. Overshot or undershot bite is a serious fault.
Neck, Topline, Body
Neck-- rather long, slightly arched, no dewlap. Topline-- The back is strong and firm, descending in a gentle slope from the slightly higher withers to the base of the tail. Body-Chest-- The chest must descend to the level of the elbow, with a moderate spring of rib. The chest must neither be too wide nor too narrow, but of medium width to allow freedom of movement. The loin is strong and well developed, being of medium length. The croup and rump are stoutly made with adequate length to favor speed. The tail extends from the back in a continuation of the topline. It may be carried straight or raised slightly. It is docked by one-third to one-half length.
Forequarters
Shoulders are long, with good angulation, and well laid back. The forelegs are straight and vertical from the front and set well under the shoulder from the side. Pasterns are slightly sloping. Dewclaws should be removed. Feet are round, firm, with tightly closed webbed toes. Pads are thick.
Hindquarters
The thighs are long and well muscled. Angulation in balance with the front. The legs are vertical with the hocks turning neither in nor out. The stifle and hock joints are strong and well angulated. Feet as in front.
Coat
The coat is one of the distinguishing features of the breed. It is a double coat. The outer coat is medium length, straight and wiry, never curly or woolly. The harsh texture provides protection in rough cover. The obligatory undercoat consists of a fine, thick down, which provides insulation as well as water resistance. The undercoat is more or less abundant, depending upon the season, climate, and hormone cycle of the dog. It is usually lighter in color. The head is furnished with a prominent mustache and eyebrows. These required features are extensions of the undercoat, which gives the Griffon a somewhat untidy appearance. The hair covering the ears is fairly short and soft, mixed with longer harsh hair from the coat. The overall feel is much less wiry than the body. The legs, both front and rear, are covered with denser, shorter, and less coarse hair. The coat on the tail is the same as the body; any type of plume is prohibited. The breed should be exhibited in full body coat, not stripped short in pattern. Trimming and stripping are only allowed around the ears, top of head, cheeks and feet.
Color
Preferably steel gray with brown markings, frequently chestnut brown, or roan, white and brown; white and orange also acceptable. A uniformly brown coat, all white coat, or white and orange are less desirable. A black coat disqualifies.
Gait
Although close working, the Griffon should cover ground in an efficient, tireless manner. He is a medium-speed dog with perfect coordination between front and rear legs. At a trot, both front and rear legs tend to converge toward the center line of gravity. He shows good extension both front and rear. Viewed from the side, the topline is firm and parallel to the line of motion. A smooth, powerful ground-covering ability can be seen.
Temperament
The Griffon has a quick and intelligent mind and is easily trained. He is outgoing, shows a tremendous willingness to please and is trustworthy. He makes an excellent family dog as well as a meticulous hunting companion.
Disqualifications
Nose any color other than brown.
Black coat.
Approved October 8, 1991
Effective November 28, 1991
Korthals Griffon Breed Standard
(The Kennel Club, United Kingdom)
02-Jul-08
General Appearance: A vigorous, robust dog, of workmanlike, natural appearance and medium size with a harsh coat. Well developed moustache and beard giving characteristic expression of firmness and assurance.
Characteristics: A versatile hunting, pointing bird dog, of griffon type. Also used for tracking large, wounded game.
Temperament: Gentle, proud and very loyal, neither timid nor aggressive.
Head and Skull: Large and long but not too broad, with moderate stop. Covered with harsh hair, which is thick but not too long; the moustache, beard and eyebrows should be well developed. The muzzle is long, square and of equal length to the skull. The top lines of skull and muzzle are parallel. Nose, slightly convex at the tip and always brown.
Eyes: Dark yellow or brown. Large and rounded. Surmounted, but not covered by the eyebrows, conveying a very intelligent expression.
Ears: Of medium size, flat, not curled inwards, set on a level with the eyes. The hair covering should be short mixed with longer strands. The length of the ear should reach midway along the muzzle.
Mouth: Teeth and jaws strong, with perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws with full dentition.
Neck: Moderately long, without dewlap.
Forequarters: Chest: deep, not too wide, with ribs slightly sprung. Forelegs: straight, strong and covered in thick hair. Shoulders should be well set on, oblique and quite long with good length of upper arm.
Body: The body length from point of shoulder to point of buttock should be slightly greater that the height at the withers with the proportions of 11 to 10.
Hindquarters: Thighs long, well muscled, with moderate turn of stifle. Hocks turning neither in nor out.
Feet: Round, strong with tight, arched toes.
Tail: Covered with thick hair, without fringing. Carried horizontally or with the tip slightly raised. Docking previously optional when no more than one quarter to one third was to be removed.
Gait/Movement: Ground covering and driving from behind. Front and rear action is parallel, with good length of stride.
Coat: Harsh and coarse with fine, dense undercoat. Never curly or woolly.
Colour: Steel grey with liver brown patches; Solid liver brown; Liver roan; Liver brown with white hairs; White and brown. Undercoat brown in all colours.
Size: Height at withers: Dogs 55-60 cms (21 ¾ – 23 ½ ins). Bitches 50-55 cms (19 ¾ - 21 ¾ ins).
Faults: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.
Note: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
Last updated - July 2008