orhunter wrote:I think what the WPGCA did was more of lack of patience which resulted in a knee jerk reaction to do something. There were a few good dogs in N. America and those few dogs that didn't go under the control of the WPGCA laid the groundwork for today's Griff. Over time, those breeders were able to reach out for foreign Griff blood to expand this genetic base. In theory, it did not involve crossbreeding but it reality it probably did because at least a small number of those dogs originated from the French cheating at their own game. The only difference was, one was by accident, the other by design. Today's American Wirehaired Pointing Griffon in its finest form, is probably pretty close to a very refined version of the original Korthals dogs. Pretty sure Eduard would smile at the results.
I was a member of the WPGCA for almost 30 years. When I was looking to replace my shorthair, and considering several wirehaired breeds, I was struck by how honest the WPGCA was. When I contacted the GWP club, the secretary was effusive with her praise of the breed. She said there were lots of breeders, they produced great hunters, and I would be very happy if I got a GWP. She may have been right, but I figured if that was true,
everyone would have a GWP. In contrast, the WPGCA secretary told me there were a few good griffons, and quite a few that weren't so great. She said the club's goal was to improve the breed, and outlined the steps they were taking to reach that goal. She suggested I come to a nearby test and see for myself, which I did. I was impressed with the quality of the judging, and the fact that the test results, good and bad, were announced over supper that night and later published in the club newsletter. Some of those dogs did very well and a very few (IMO) were a waste of dog food. Some of the owners grumbled that their dog was better than the test scores revealed, and they were going to breed it even though it didn't perform well in either Natural Ability or Intermediate level tests. That's when I realized how important it was to have third party judging and eliminate kennel blindness. You and I may think our dogs are fantastic, but what does a qualified judge have to say?
I concluded these folks knew what they were doing, and joined. I've been to numerous WPGCA tests and seen and evaluated a lot of Griffs; most of which were probably from litters not approved by the breeding committee as there were usually more litters from breedings not recommended by the club's breeding committee. While anyone who had a griffon could breed it without permission from the club's breeding committee, there were four to seven approved breedings each year. Whe researching what pup to get, I reviewed all the test results of parents and offspring. It was clear from my research that one breeding stood out from all the rest, and I was fortunate to get a pup from that litter, which had been approved by the committee. According to the club secretary, Joan Bailey, he was the best WPG in North America. While there were some very good dogs, too many had soft coats, temperament issues, poor (may I say terrible?) conformation, or other problems. The Europeans enjoyed a broader genetic base, but were having similar problems and weren't able to help much since they wanted to keep their best dogs. Who could blame them? Several European, mostly German, some French, and I believe one Dutch WPG were brought to the U.S. and used for breeding. The WPGCA was able to have all the females from one German litter shipped to the U.S. One of them was matched to my dog. She was oversize, had a soft, wooly coat, and while in my care, was hyper. Getting dogs from Europe is no guarantee that you are going to get a superior dog. The WPGCA recognized the problems facing the breed and, through their approved breeding program, over a number of decades were sucessful in greatly improving the breed. However, there just weren't enough good dogs to sustain the progress that had been made. It definitely wasn't a lack of patience, a failure to capitalize on good breeding oportunities, or a snap judgement that led them to outcross. It was reality.
Those who felt the WPGCA shouldn't outcross, left and formed their own club. Within a few generations, the crossbred griffons were performing better overall than their ancestors had on hunting tests. Unfortunately, Joan Bailey retired and people who lacked her vision failed IMO to keep improving the breed the main focus of the club.
Not knowing what standard Korthals had in mind, it's difficult to say what he might think about today's WPG. I'm sure there are lots of them that make good hunters. But how well do they conform to the standard? Can they pass on their positive characteristics to their offspring without the negative ones interferring with their performance? I've seen an 80 pound griff that was so hyper it was all his handler could do to hold onto him. I've seen a female whose chest was so narrow it would be difficult to slide two fingers between her front legs. I've seen several that wouldn't enter the water. I've seen one who repeatedly walked right over a bob white quail without ever recognizing it was there. And I've seen many whose coat was so soft it would be a burr magnent if their owners didn't shave them before hunting season. In Kansas a few years ago, I met a hunter who thought his griffon was great, and it might have been a really good hunter. But it was waaay oversize, had a narrow chest and soft coat, and was much taller than it was long (not square). IMO, getting a WPG today is more of a crap shoot than with some other versative wirehaired breeds
I've had several really good dogs, but none were perfect. Neither am I, so keep that in mind!