Small and Large Münsterländer Dog Breed - Facts and Information

It might sound, that the Small and Large Münsterländers are varieties of the same breed, the opposite is true. Even though, they share a lot of similarities, those are two completely separate breeds. In this video i will tell you all you need to know about the Small and the Large Münsterländer.

According to the offficial FCI breed standard, both breeds belong to the longhaired German Pointing Dogs. The Small Munsterlanders ancestors are skilled Falconers’ bird dogs. The breeding of this breed has been documented since around 1870 in the German region Munsterland, but it is believed that this dog breed is older than that.

On the other hand, the Large Munsterlander is basicly the same breed as the famous German Longhaired Pointer, lets say that it is its offshoot and color variety. How is it possible?

When the breed standard for the German longhair pointer was developed in 1909, it was that only the liver and white coloration was acceptable. Because of that, the black and white German Longhaired Pointers was not accepted, but they still possesed the great hunting abilites, which is why some people decided to ignore this standard and bred them anyway.

It is only logical, since those dogs were never bred for appearance, but rather for performance, even though, i have to say, their appearance is stunning. After a while, in 1919, the club for the pure breeding of the black and white Münsterland Pointers was found and took over the breeding.

So as you can see, both breeds were developed separately, but they belong to the same family, the longhaired German pointing dogs. And indeed, they both have long hair, they are both from Germany and they are both great at pointing. But not only that, especially the Large Munsterlander is extremely versatile hunter. They are so called HPR Gundogs, which means, Hunt, Point and Retriever gundogs. They can perform all the general duties in the field.

The Small Munsterlander is more closely specialized and they have have excellent close searching and pointing drive. And what about their temperament? They are both extremely intelligent and trainable. They are also very lively and active and have high exercise needs. They also make great family companions with their affectionate, friendly and loyal temperament.

Because of their high intelligence, these dogs require plenty of mental stimulation, for example task oriented playtimes or longer regular training sessions. Otherwise, they might become very vocal or destructive.

It is said, that the Small Munsterlander is little bit more independent and stubborn than its large cousin. But the difference should not be very large. And now lets look at the appearance.

The name large and small Munsterlander suggest that there is quite a difference in their size, right? But it actually is not that big difference, just look at these numbers. Officially, the Large Munsterlander should be between 58-65 cm tall and It should weigh approximately 30 kg. On the other hand the Small Munsterlander height is between 50-56 cm and weight is between 17-26 kg.

The real difference is in their legs. The Large Munsterlander has longer legs and shorter bodies. Length of body and height at withers should, as near as possible, be equal. The Small Munsterlander length of the body should exceed the height at the withers. But again, the difference is very small and almost impossible to spot if you are not a breeder or big fan of the breed.

If we are not talking about the exercise, than this is fairly easy to maintain breed. Their long coat require regular brushing to keep it in good condition and you should regularly check their ears, eyes and nails and clip them or clean them if needed. These dogs are also usually very healthy, they can ocassionally suffer from hip dysplasia, allergies or ear infections. The average lifespan of Large Munsterlander is between 12-13 years, the Small Munsterlander lifespan is similar, between 12-14 years.