Canis lupus familiaris
English Pointer
Featured photoenglish-pointer.jpgThe English Pointer is a English bird-finding gundog developed from Spanish Pointer crosses. The English Pointer was developed in 17th- and 18th-century England by crossing Spanish Pointers with greyhound, foxhound, bloodhound, and setter blood to produce a fast, far-ranging gundog that locates game by scent and freezes in the characteristic 'pointing' stance.
Quick facts
- AKC group
- Sporting
- Origin country
- England
- Origin period
- 17th-18th century
- Coat type
- Short
- Coat colors
- Liver, Lemon, Black, Orange, with white
- Average lifespan
- 12-15 years
- Recognition
- AKC 1884 · FCI 1954 · UKC 1936 · Group 7 — Pointing Dogs (Section 2.1: British and Irish Pointers and Setters)
Origin
The breed traces to the early 17th century, when the Spanish Pointer (now extinct) was imported into England and crossed with greyhound, foxhound, bloodhound, and setter lines. The objective was a faster, more far-ranging dog that would freeze on the scent of game birds, allowing the hunter to walk up before flushing — a hunting style that suited the increasing use of the flintlock musket. The Pointer Club of England was founded in 1891 and the breed was the first to be registered with the AKC, in 1878.
Recognition
The American Kennel Club admitted the breed in 1884, the United Kennel Club followed in 1936, and the Federation Cynologique Internationale published the international standard (FCI No. 1) in 1954. The FCI assigns the breed to Group 7 — Pointing Dogs (Section 2.1: British and Irish Pointers and Setters).
Standard
The AKC and FCI standards describe a clean, alert dog of athletic build, with a long head set on a long muscular neck, and a fine, hard, smooth, evenly-distributed coat. Recognized colours are liver, lemon, black, and orange — solid or in combination with white; tricolour is faulted under the AKC standard. Males stand 64-71 cm at the withers, females 61-66 cm.
Sources & further reading (3)
- kennel-club-registry — accessed 2026-05-04
- encyclopedia — accessed 2026-05-04
- fci-standard — accessed 2026-05-04
Frequently asked questions
What is the English Pointer's AKC group?
The American Kennel Club places the English Pointer in the Sporting Group. The Sporting Group gathers pointers, setters, retrievers, and spaniels — breeds developed to assist hunters in locating, flushing, or retrieving game birds. The breed's foundation working role was as a English bird-finding gundog developed from Spanish Pointer crosses.
When was the English Pointer officially recognized?
The American Kennel Club admitted the breed in 1884; the United Kennel Club followed in 1936; the Federation Cynologique Internationale published the international standard (FCI No. 1) in 1954.
What is the average lifespan of a English Pointer?
Kennel-club longevity surveys place the English Pointer's average lifespan in the 12-15 years range. The figure here represents the spread reported by the major parent-club studies and the Kennel Club (UK) purebred-dog health surveys.
