What is a Versatile Hunting Dog?


The Versatile Hunting Dog
A “Versatile hunting dog” is a pointing breed dog that has been bred and trained to reliably hunt and point game, to retrieve on land and water, and to track wounded game, both large and small. The versatile breeds as we know them today are products of Europe, where they were developed to satisfy the needs of the individual hunter who needed a single dog to “do it all”. While some breeds are specialists (for instance Pointers, Retrievers and the various tracking hounds), the versatile hunting dog has the utility of the Swiss Army knife, possessing a toolkit for anything that comes their way!
Often referred to in this country as “HPRs”, the versatile hunting dog is more than just a “pointer-retriever”, as most people tend to think of them. They are certainly more than just a “bird dog”, which is common terminology used by some for any pointing or retrieving breed. The versatile hunting dog should be able to do a capable day’s hunting on any and all types of game, including the blood tracking of wounded game as needed. One of the most important characteristics of the versatile hunting dog is the ability to switch gears – and this is not just training – it is an inherent combination of characteristics that is bred into these dogs. Cooperation, intelligence, nose, and desire to work are most important, though certainly not the only factors.
Many generations of selective breeding, training and testing, regardless of breed, has produced the wonderful versatile hunting dogs that we have today!
The Versatile Breeds
- Bracco Italiano
- Braque D’auvergne
- Brittany
- Cesky Fousek
- Deutsch Drahthaar
- Deutsch Kurzhaar
- German Longhaired Pointer
- German Shorthaired Pointer
- German Wirehaired Pointing Dog
- Large Munsterlander
- Longhaired Weimaraner
- Pudelpointer
- Slovakian Wirehaired Pointer
- Small Munsterlander
- Spinone (Italian)
- Vizsla
- Weimaraner
- Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
- Wirehaired Vizsla
Though not commonly considered Versatile breeds, the British breeds may do these tests…
- English Setter
- Gordon Setter
- Irish Red &White Setter
- Irish Setter





