German Wirehaired Pointer vs Deutsch Drahthaar: The Differences (With Pictures)

To many people, the German Wirehaired Pointer and the Deutsch Drahthaar are identical breeds and all that differentiates them is their name, but to others, it’s a huge determining factor that decides if they even want one of these dogs in the first place.

Like most things in life, the truth is somewhere in between, but unless you’re looking to hunt with your dog, there’s really very little difference between the two. But what are those differences, and should you care? The easiest way to decide if they matter to you is to learn about those differences for yourself.

Visual Differences

At a Glance

German Wirehaired Pointer Overview

The German Wirehaired Pointer is an outstanding hunting dog, which comes with various great traits but also a few notable drawbacks if you don’t have any land and don’t plan on hunting with them. They love having a task to complete and are extremely high-energy pups, but that’s really just scratching the surface of what these dogs have to offer.

Exercise

German Wirehaired Pointers are extremely high-energy dogs. While this is a great trait to have when you’re traversing all sorts of terrain while hunting, it can be quite a pain to keep up with if you’re not regularly outside with them.

We highly recommend having a fenced-in yard for them to run around in, and a dog run is a great idea too. You still need to take them out for one or two walks each day, but this alone won’t meet their daily exercise requirements unless you’re walking for hours on end.

Training

The German Wirehaired Pointer is an excellent hunting dog, but that doesn’t mean they come out of the womb well-trained and ready to go! Just like any other dog, you need to take the time to train them, but because they’re super eager to please, they can be easier to train than many other dog breeds.

Consistency and positive reinforcement are critical. Aim for one training session a day that lasts about 15 minutes, and ensure you meet all their exercise needs before starting; otherwise, you’ll find that your pup doesn’t want to listen!

Breeding

While it’s easier to get a German Wirehaired Pointer registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC) than it is to get them registered with the Verein Deutsch Drahthaar (VDD), that doesn’t mean you can register just any German Wirehaired Pointer.

Both parents still need to meet certain breed standards, including having both parents with a known lineage that meets AKC standards. But while it’s a lot of hoops to jump through, it’s nothing compared to the VDD.

Suitable For:

If you have plenty of land for these dogs to roam and want a hunting companion, the German Wirehaired Pointer might be the perfect choice. They usually get along with kids and other dogs, but only if you take the time to socialize them early on and continue to meet all their needs.

Overall, they’re great pups, but if you live in smaller quarters and don’t have enough space for them, they can quickly turn into a big headache.

Deutsch Drahthaar Overview

In many ways, the Deutsch Drahthaar is completely identical to the German Wirehaired Pointer, and simply by looking at them, you won’t be able to tell the difference. The only way to know for sure is to look at their paperwork. This might seem arbitrary, but it does mean they come from different genetic lineages.

Exercise

Like just about every German Wirehair, the Deutsch Drahthaar has insanely high exercise requirements. We highly recommend having a fenced-in yard for them to run around in, and they prefer having a task at hand to really wear them out.

These pups need at least 1.5 hours of exercise each day, and unless you’re constantly training for marathons, it can be very difficult to meet these exercise requirements without an outdoor space where you can let them run around.

You can also take your pup to a dog park to meet some of their exercise requirements, but because they don’t always get along the best with other dogs, you can’t count on this when you’re bringing one home.

Training

Deutsch Drahthaars can make amazing hunting dogs, but you’ll still need to take the time to train them just like any other dog. They are super eager to please though, so as long as you take the time to train them each day, there isn’t much they can’t do.

Stick with positive reinforcement, minimize distractions, and always ensure you meet their exercise requirements before you start training, or they’ll have too much pent-up energy to settle down and listen.

Breeding

If you’re looking to breed dogs, the Deutsch Drahthaar is likely not the dog you want. That’s because while you’ll likely be able to register them with the AKC to breed them as verified Deutsch Drahthaars, you need to have approval from the VDD, and it can be more challenging to get this permission in the United States.

It’s not impossible to breed Deutsch Drahthaars, but it is far more complicated and costly than breeding German Wirehaired Pointers.

Suitable For:

If you want a top-notch hunting dog, it’s really tough to find a better choice than a Deutsch Drahthaar. Not only does the breed excel at hunting, but in order to get the VDD clearance and approval, they have to be able to meet stringent performance testing standards.

Because of this additional and rigorous testing, they cost more than most German Wirehaired Pointers, but you know exactly what you’re getting every single time!

Which Breed Is Right for You?

The truth is that both the German Wirehaired Pointer and the Deutsch Drahthaar are phenomenal hunting dogs, and unless you’re a competitive hunter, both dogs should be more than enough to meet your needs.

In the end, the training you give them will play more of a role than the paperwork they come with, especially if you take the time to track down a reputable breeder.

See also:

• Puggle vs Pug: The Main Differences (With Pictures)
• Miniature Pinscher vs. Chihuahua: The Main Differences (With Pictures)

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Featured Image Credit: Left:(German Wirehaired Pointer) tsik, Shutterstock, Right: (Deutsch Drahthaar) Mountains Hunter, Shutterstock