Great Wirehaired Gryfenees -- Pyrenean Mountain Dog X Wire-Haired pointing griffon Korthals

		Great Wirehaired Gryfenees
		He is not recognized by the F.C.I.


Origin			France -> U.S.A.
Translation			Francis Vandersteen

A brief presentation of the Great Wirehaired Gryfenees

The Great Wirehaired Gryfenees is a specific cross between the Pyrenean Mountain Dog, a great protector employed as a sheep herder for three thousand years, and a Wire-Haired pointing griffon Korthals, and an excellent all-round hunting dog with the ability to track, point, flush and even retrieve game. This hybrid is generally active, but not overly active, and fairly easy to train, while being independent of relativity. They tend to do well with children and small animals within their own family, but are generally too noisy, energetic and large to make a good house pet.

History of the Great Wirehaired Gryfenees

The Great Wirehaired Gryfenees is a hybrid dog, a cross between a giant sheep herder, the Pyrenean Mountain Dog, and a versatile hunting dog, the Wire-Haired pointing griffon Korthals.

	A little of the Pyrenean Mountain Dog
	The Pyrenean Mountain Dog is an extremely ancient breed. They have shared the Pyrenean landscape with flocks of sheep and their protective shepherds for around three thousand years, although where they came from before living in the mountains whose name they bear remains a mystery. The most common theory is that these dogs are descendants of large white dogs that existed in Asia Minor ten to eleven thousand years ago. Pyrenean Mountain Dogs can be found in art, literature and historical documentation from France, usually in a guardian-type position. In the 1600s, this reliable dog became the royal dog of France, and many believe it was instrumental in the development of the Newfoundland and Landseer breeds we enjoy today.

	Standard of the Pyrenean Mountain Dog
	A little of the Wire-Haired pointing griffon Korthals
	The Wire-Haired pointing griffon Korthals is a relatively new breed, developed in the late 19th century by Eduard Karel Korthals, son of a banker and cattle breeder, and a keen sportsman. In 1874, he purchased a gray and white female with exceptional hunting and tracking skills on which to base his new breed, and for twenty-two years selectively bred Wire-Haired pointing griffon Korthals with the aim of developing the exceptional hunting dog we know today, with the ability to switch easily between tracking, pointing, flushing and retrieving game. Breeds said to have been involved in the development of the Wire-Haired pointing griffon Korthals include the small Musterlander, the European hunting dogs known simply as Griffons, the French Braque and various other Setters and Spaniels. These dogs were recognized by the American Kennel Club the same year they were first imported into the USA, in 1887.

	Standard of the Wire-Haired pointing griffon Korthals

Appearance of the Great Wirehaired Gryfenees

The Great Wirehaired Gryfenees is generally a rather large dog, giving a noble, elegant impression. There's a big difference in size between the two parent breeds, and the hybrid usually falls somewhere in between, smaller than the Pyrenean Mountain Dog, but larger than the medium-sized Wirehaired Gryfenees Korthals. They have a medium-width skull in proportion to their body, a medium-length, slightly square muzzle and eyes that can be elliptical or almond-shaped and can be any shade of yellow or brown and their rounded V-shape the ears can be carried high or low on the skull, depending on the dog's preferred parent breed. This crossbreed has a double coat, the undercoat being fine and thick with a woolly or downy texture with a medium-long, stiff coat or a thick layer of long, stiff hair covering it.

Temperament of the Great Wirehaired Gryfenees

The Pyrenean Mountain Dog is a strong-willed, independent animal that can sometimes be difficult to train, but has excellent protective instincts, while the Wirehaired Gryfenees Korthals is very people-oriented and fairly easy to train, but has an extremely gentle disposition. Both parent breeds can be reserved for strangers, so this hybrid needs to be well socialized when they're young to prevent caution turning into shyness or aggression. Interactions between dogs and children should always be monitored, however, Great Wirehaired Gryfenees should get on well with most children, although they can be a little too energetic for the very young, especially when the dogs are still in their teens. Although they are generally gentle and easy-going with their own families, some Great Wirehaired Gryfenees can inherit the guarding tendencies of the Pyrenean Mountain Dog and become somewhat overprotective of children or other animals in their herd.

Needs and activities of the Great Wirehaired Gryfenees

Although the Great Wirehaired Gryfenees is known to be an extremely energetic dog, Pyrenean Mountain Dogs tend to be a little more easygoing, the combination of the two creating a dog that can be an enthusiastic exercise partner when needed, but doesn't require as much vigorous exercise a day to keep fit as the purebred Great Wirehaired Gryfenees. As a general rule, this crossbreed will settle for at least an hour's activity a day, which is usually enough, although an hour and a half or more is probably appreciated. These dogs are generally a little too noisy and energetic to be satisfied living in an apartment, and are much happier in a home with plenty of space and a yard.

Maintenance of the Great Wirehaired Gryfenees

Grooming requirements for this dog are simpler than they seem, even though they inherit the thicker double coat of the Pyrenean Mountain Dogs. Both parent breeds have coats that are naturally resistant to water and dirt, so this dog generally only needs to bathe infrequently. While it's possible to get a Great Wirehaired Gryfenees that has the lower coat of the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Korthals, you're just as likely to get the heavily shedding Pyrenean coat. Their ears hang down a little, which makes them a little more prone to ear infections, so their ears need to be inspected and cleaned several times a month to prevent problems arising.