Few specifics are known about the early development of many of the continental pointing breeds. But when it comes to the wirehaired pointing griffon a surprising amount of information is available about the breed and its creator, a young Dutch sportsman named Eduard Karel Korthals.   References to griffin-like dogs can be found as far back as the mid-16th century, but development of the wirehaired pointing griffon began in the Netherlands in the 1870s when Korthals set his sights on creating an all-purpose breed of gundog. ​ The son of a wealthy Dutchman, Korthals developed a strong interest in the art and science of breeding livestock while growing up near Haarlem in the Netherlands. Korthals dreamed of creating a gundog that possessed the best qualities of English setters and English pointers, a keen desire for retrieving on land and in water, as well as an excellent ability to track wounded game. He was not alone in this desire; others had similar goals and were also attempting to create their own versions of a rough-haired, all- around hunting dog. Eventually, by judicious crosses of those dogs and many others, he developed his own strain of wire-haired pointing dog that would eventually make him famous around the world.   In 1888 a club was formed for the wirehaired pointing griffon. It was international in scope with German, French, Dutch and Belgian members. Throughout the 1880s and into the 1890s, Korthals continued to develop his breed and helped to establish the first formal testing system for versatile hunting dogs. His dogs proved to be outstanding performers in these tests and soon gained an enthusiastic following in Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands.     Today the wirehaired pointing griffon remains much as it was when Korthals first developed it: a robust, all-around bird dog, well adapted to hunting in the field, forest and water. The breed enjoys a loyal following among hunters throughout much of Europe and North America. In terms of numbers, France is home to the largest population.  ​ Source: Project Upland Magazine 2023