The Small Munsterlander Pointer, the Ultimate Bird Dog.
The Small Munsterlander is one of the oldest hunting breeds and is considered a National Dog Breed in Germany. The beginnings of the Small Munsterlander dates back to the 13th or 14th century and they are depicted in tapestries and paintings hunting in conjunction with falcons. The breed further developed over the next few centuries for the market hunters. They demanded a dog that could do everything, from hunting the bogs, thickets, open fields, lakes, and streams to the forest and be capable of tackling any game up to deer and boar. In the late 17th and 18th centuries, the changing social and economic conditions almost caused the breeds extinction. The dog is named for the area that the breed was rediscovered in, Munster, by Edmond Lons around 1905. He and his brother, Rudolf, found two separate lines that were unknown each other but lived only a short distance apart. In an almost unheard of act of devotion both the Heitmann and the Dorsten lines of the Small Munsterlander were kept intact by “line breeding” with no mixing of similar breeds. Families who were devoted to this little dog and wanted to continue the breed did this back breeding. Mr. Lons realized that these two lines were the same breed and tracked down owners and breeding records and the intermixing of the lines was done on a limited basis. In 1912, a group of 68 owners began the “Verband für Kleine Münsterländer Vorstehhunde”, the German Breed Association for the Small Munsterlander that is still active today. In 1987, the Small Munsterlander Club of North America began and now has over 1200 dogs in its registry. I would estimate that fewer than 750 SMPs’ are currently in the U.S.
The Moonster has a smooth coat with some wave in white and various shades of brown with feathering on the legs along with the tail. The dog can have saddle patches, be caped and have ticking. The tail is a very important tool of expression for the dog and they signal with it. The SM is a versatile hunting dog that combines a great amount of self-confidence, desire and intelligence with retrieving, solid pointing and an ability to track by both aerial and ground scent. Some of the dogs will give voice while tracking and can be trained to voice differently on individual species.
The Kleine Munsterlander Vorstehund or Heidewachtel as they are known in Germany where they are a truly versatile hunting companion. My introduction to the SMP happened when I was in Germany in ’82. The friendly and outgoing Kleine Munsterlander was welcomed in every home and hunt. There, the breed is one of the most popular with hunters, and the breeding is tightly controlled; only the best are allowed to breed. Properly trained the dog will find, point, track and retrieve game animals and birds without equal. They would regularly outperform the other breeds in the field. Because of the smooth dense coat and their swimming ability, ducks and geese in the icy ponds and canals were retrieved with ease. Heavy brush and thickets proved no hindrance to their small frame and retrieving a 20+ pound hare was done regularly.
Munsterlanders are eager to please and do not respond well to heavy-handed training. If the dog thinks it’s being abused or treated unfairly they will become hard headed and being stubborn seems to be the norm. This coupled with maturing slowly will demand that the owner change their training habits to suit the dog. My 12 year old daughter Rachel is training Nickel and they are making wonderful progress. In the Arizona Outdoorsman Pheasant Challenge Puppy Class on March 5th, they placed third. In San Diego this April they also tested in the NAVHDA Natural Ability and prized with a III. With Positive reinforcement, repetition and stopping on a positive note does the trick. SM will usually show their full potential when they are 2 to 2 ½ years old. The stubbornness transforms into an intense and persistent hunter. These dogs are not kennel animals; they love children and happily interact with people and require regular physical exercise and mental stimulation. Moonsters are by nature a clean animal and usually do not have that “wet dog” smell. With regular grooming the shedding is kept under control.
You need to be aware of the dogs limitations in this area and bring twice as much water that you think you will need, something you should do anyway no mater what. I brought Arko back from Germany in 1985 and he transitioned to this climate without any problem. We enjoyed quail hunting for the next several years. After his death, it took several years to find another pup. My bitch Neila came from Canada and she has no problems with the heat. She is a tireless hunter and hunts quail and dove with out any problems. She will bust through the thickets that other dogs avoid. As an added bonus, this grooms her at the same time and she looks better after the hunt than before. Nickel is from South Dakota and is adapting well. Cactus doesn’t seem to bother them but this take the longest time to find and remove all the thorns. I learned to keep my dogs away from Cholla as those dry thorn clusters just seem to get between the pads, but this is true for all dogs. Of course, they love swimming in the pool, all year long.
If you are looking for a hunting companion and family pet, you could choose much worse than a Small Munsterlander.
Submitted by one of our readers, Erik Peters