The Pointer is said to have originated in Spain, but he has undoubtedly become a truly English breed over the last two or three centuries. During this time he has been employed in his traditional role of indicating the presence and position of sitting game.

He combines a distinctive elegance with a sleek muscularity, which enables him to cover great areas of ground at considerable speed. His movement, though specifically not that of a hackney, is distinguished by his habit of carrying his head reasonably high as he tests the air, until it is lowered to the characteristic point as he indicates his quarry.

His smooth, hard coat should have a definite sheen and be either lemon, orange, liver or black, all with white. Possibly his most distinguishing feature is the slight concavity on the top of his muzzle, giving his nose a tip-tilted appearance.

A clean dog, of even temperament, he is capable of fitting into a family circle but is clearly most at home on the moors, where he in his true element. To be good, the Pointer needs super scenting powers, speed over the ground and steadiness on point, a quality that was vital in the days of the slow-loading flintlock weapons, when having found game, the Pointer had to hold it until the hunter and his gun could catch up.