Now, I am aware that the Large Munsterlander is an HPR breed. They are also used to hunt boars and foxes in Germany, so they have undergone some selective pressures that retrievers have not. They also point, which means they have a different sort of motor pattern added to their hunting motor patterns.
However, their movements and mannerisms remind me so much of my first working strain golden. Moderate in bone and feather and just as useful as a varmint dog as a retriever.
I’ve said that if the working strain goldens no longer have a viable gene pool, I’ll move onto this breed. However, I do plan on owning one of these dogs regardless of what happens.
As some of my readers know, I’m of German ancestry. I’ve always admired the native dogs of my ancestors’ country of origin, but I liked golden retrievers, which are where my other ancestors came from– Scotland.
Now, I’ve read that the Large Munsterlanders are derived from black and white Langhaars. Langhaars are liver or liver roan dogs. They are not black and white dogs. However, the other German HPRs, like the Drahthaar and the Kurzhaar, come with black and black and white coloration. Those fanciers who wanted black and white langhaars bred their own dogs and formed their own registry.
It’s not all that dissimilar to why golden retrievers split off the flat-coated retriever gene pool. The fancy preferred a certain color, and those who had the “wrong colors” split off and formed their own breed.
From what I’ve seen of the Large Munsterlander doing retriever work, I can say that I’m impressed. I like their conformation and running and swimming style. They are also well-known for their good noses and ability to retrieve game shot in heavy cover,and for their very high levels of trainability.
Of course, as soon as someone gets one, there will be all sorts of discussion with those who don’t know what they are. Are they like an English setter? Are they some kind of weird retriever?
Of course, I still love golden retrievers, but can’t I also admire non-retrievers, like Patterdales and Large Munsterlanders?
I’ve always liked Large Munsterlanders, they’re very pretty. =)
If I get one, I’m naming him “Herman.” Get it?
Münster is in ancient Westphalia, not far from where my ancestors originally lived before moving to Pomerania.
These do seem to be neat dogs. I’m not sure why they aren’t more popular. A breed that intrigues me that I really don’t know much about is the Blue Picardy Spaniel, of French origin, I think. I have to admit what first draws me too them is their looks, but they also seem like really neat dogs (I think their gene pool is fairly small though)
They are a cross between the Picardy Spaniel (Épagneul Picard) and blue belton English setters, which are relatives.
There is also a French spaniel (Epagneul Français), which is a close relative of the Small Munsterlander.