In the late 1800s, English Pointers were enjoying great popularity across Europe and were well regarded for their tremendous speed and passion in the field. But what were the Pudels, Königspudels and Polish Waterdogs that Hegewald wrote about? Today, no one seems to know much about them. But in Hegewald’s time, everyone knew what they were. In fact, as far back as 1621, Englishman Gervase Markham wrote that:

The dogs Markham describes were probably the descendants of herding dogs that had long, thick coats to protect them from the elements and the strength and agility to work in the toughest conditions, including cold water. Everywhere they were found, they were crossed with other breeds, some of them short-haired. Hans Friedrich von Fleming gives us further details in the 1719 book Der Vollkommene Teutsche Jäger (The Complete German Hunter).

Rough-coated water dogs went by different names in different regions. They were often said to come from Russia, Poland or Bohemia. In all likelihood, they didn’t develop in just one region since they were found across much of the continent. The names they were given were probably based more on stereotypes than the dogs’ actual origins. Jean Castaing suggests that the English called them Russian for the same reason the Germans called them Polish; because they had a rough, unkempt appearance that was considered typical of Eastern European people at the time.

Here is an excerpt from the "my view" section of the chapter:

Compared to many other breeds of gundogs, Pudelpointers are rare. Yet Lisa and I have seen them in Germany, France, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, the US and Canada. We’ve even hunted over a few right here in our home province of Manitoba.

Our frequent contacts with the breed are due to the fact that when we travel to photograph dogs or to hunt, we tend to meet people that are just as passionate about hunting as we are. Since the breed is and always has been in the hands of hunters, it stands to reason that we would come across more Pudelpointers in a couple of seasons than the average dog walker at a local park would see in a lifetime.

I’ve seen North American-bred and German Pudelpointers. I’ve run my dogs in fun trials and training sessions with an excellent Pudelpointer owned by one of the guys in our local pointing dog club. And I remember a fantastic photo shoot in Ontario with Pudelpointers that hit the water like Labs. In all of these encounters, I never felt the least bit intimidated by any of the dogs. Every Pudelpointer I have ever met has been an easygoing, friendly dog whether it was in the house, in a camper or staked out beside a truck. In the field, they all hunted hard. Sure, some were faster and bigger-running than others. Some were also better looking than others—I can confirm the variation in coat quality in the breed—but not a single one of them left me with any doubt about their hunting desire.

For me, the bottom line on Pudelpointers is this: they are the real deal; they are dynamic hunting dogs bred by and for hard-core hunters.