Small Munsterlanders
Qualities and Origins of the
Small Munsterlander
Small Munsterlander
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The Small Munsterlander was known in early days by a variety of names. Hermann Löns called them "heathland
quail dog" or Heidewachtel. Some named them “The little Spy" or Spiönken after the characteristic fashion in which
their small hunting dogs worked in the field. Many clergy and teachers owned the dog so they were soon nicknamed
‘Little Master’s Dog’ or Magisterhündlein. But when a club was formed in 1912 the Small Munsterlander name was
chosen.
The Small Munsterlander is a long haired versatile dog that maintains the strong hunting qualities that were found in
them in the early 1900’s. Rudolf Löns described the Small Munsterlander in the following way “The little dog takes
up the staunchest, intense point when encountering all game holding tight, keeping the point until the hunter arrives
utmost skill".
quail dog" or Heidewachtel. Some named them “The little Spy" or Spiönken after the characteristic fashion in which
their small hunting dogs worked in the field. Many clergy and teachers owned the dog so they were soon nicknamed
‘Little Master’s Dog’ or Magisterhündlein. But when a club was formed in 1912 the Small Munsterlander name was
chosen.
The Small Munsterlander is a long haired versatile dog that maintains the strong hunting qualities that were found in
them in the early 1900’s. Rudolf Löns described the Small Munsterlander in the following way “The little dog takes
up the staunchest, intense point when encountering all game holding tight, keeping the point until the hunter arrives
utmost skill".
The Small Munsterlander also known as the Kleine Munsterlander is an elegant strong dog with much self-confidence. It is a versatile hunting
dog, that combines intelligence, desire, and devotion enabling him to quickly adapt to the varied terrain or game and its masters hunting style. It
is also a very clean dog that is most happy living in the home of its master.
Typical characteristice are deligent ingenuity during fieldwork, solid pointing instinct, meticulous tracking ability, great endurance-even under
difficult conditions. It has a great love for retrieving and enthusiasm for water work, voice on the trail and easy handling. Small Munsterlanders
can be used for agility trials , obedience, or confirmation
The SM is a cooperative dog that seeks to please. But they can also be intense and stubborn. When training it is important to be consistant, not
overly repetitious, and teach the dog what is expected of him. The stubbornness is a trait that can help make the dog a very persistent hunter.
The Small Munsterlander is intelligent and needs regular mental stimulation and adequate exercise. If left alone in a kennel or not trained a SM
can be bored and become destructive. The Small Munsterlander is many times slow to mature and usually reaches its full potential at about 2.5
years of age.
dog, that combines intelligence, desire, and devotion enabling him to quickly adapt to the varied terrain or game and its masters hunting style. It
is also a very clean dog that is most happy living in the home of its master.
Typical characteristice are deligent ingenuity during fieldwork, solid pointing instinct, meticulous tracking ability, great endurance-even under
difficult conditions. It has a great love for retrieving and enthusiasm for water work, voice on the trail and easy handling. Small Munsterlanders
can be used for agility trials , obedience, or confirmation
The SM is a cooperative dog that seeks to please. But they can also be intense and stubborn. When training it is important to be consistant, not
overly repetitious, and teach the dog what is expected of him. The stubbornness is a trait that can help make the dog a very persistent hunter.
The Small Munsterlander is intelligent and needs regular mental stimulation and adequate exercise. If left alone in a kennel or not trained a SM
can be bored and become destructive. The Small Munsterlander is many times slow to mature and usually reaches its full potential at about 2.5
years of age.
Origins of the Small Munsterlander
In the 17th century, German, Italian and Dutch artists included dogs
Nevertheless, the true origin of the dogs of that time is not exactly
proved.
For several hundred years these small, handsome dogs had been
the true companions of the hunters on the vast moors and bogs in
the northwestern part of Germany, mainly in Westphalia. In 1840
land reforms changed the viability of hunting as a trade, so Small
Munsterlanders gradually lost their popularity, and it appeared that
their extinction was inevitable. Only on remote farms on the moors
did the farmers keep the line pure by keeping just one bitch for
breeding and culling the rest of the females in the litters.
The development of the Small Munsterlander occurred in the middle
of the 19th century. After the change of the German hunting law,
with the increasing number of hunters and hunting enthusiasts and
the systematic cultivation of the game stock the breeding of new
German Pointing Dogs began. There are reports saying that around
1870 long coated “Wachtelhunds“(German Spaniels) were well
known in the Munsterland region. These dogs were firm or staunch
in pointing; they had enormous scenting abilities and were also able
to retrieve.
In 1906 the well known heath poet Hermann Löns placed a public
appeal into the magazine “Unser Wachtelhund” (Our Hunting Dog)
to give him a report on the still existing specimens of the red
Hanovarian Heath Hound or Hannover Bracke. However, instead of
that he and his brothers, Edmund and Rudolf Löns, discovered a
pointing Wachtelhund on the farms, that they called “Heidewachtel
“(heath quail dog) on the farms of Lower Saxony.
In 1906 the famous "heath poet" Hermann Löns in the magazine Our
Hunting Dog set forth a plea to consolidate the remainder of a local
breed known as the . His brothers Edmund and Rudolf Loens found
instead a dog, which they called "heath quail" or Heidewachtel, on
the farms of Lower Saxony. They proceeded together to look for a
basis for a breed.
In the 17th century, German, Italian and Dutch artists included dogs
Nevertheless, the true origin of the dogs of that time is not exactly
proved.
For several hundred years these small, handsome dogs had been
the true companions of the hunters on the vast moors and bogs in
the northwestern part of Germany, mainly in Westphalia. In 1840
land reforms changed the viability of hunting as a trade, so Small
Munsterlanders gradually lost their popularity, and it appeared that
their extinction was inevitable. Only on remote farms on the moors
did the farmers keep the line pure by keeping just one bitch for
breeding and culling the rest of the females in the litters.
The development of the Small Munsterlander occurred in the middle
of the 19th century. After the change of the German hunting law,
with the increasing number of hunters and hunting enthusiasts and
the systematic cultivation of the game stock the breeding of new
German Pointing Dogs began. There are reports saying that around
1870 long coated “Wachtelhunds“(German Spaniels) were well
known in the Munsterland region. These dogs were firm or staunch
in pointing; they had enormous scenting abilities and were also able
to retrieve.
In 1906 the well known heath poet Hermann Löns placed a public
appeal into the magazine “Unser Wachtelhund” (Our Hunting Dog)
to give him a report on the still existing specimens of the red
Hanovarian Heath Hound or Hannover Bracke. However, instead of
that he and his brothers, Edmund and Rudolf Löns, discovered a
pointing Wachtelhund on the farms, that they called “Heidewachtel
“(heath quail dog) on the farms of Lower Saxony.
In 1906 the famous "heath poet" Hermann Löns in the magazine Our
Hunting Dog set forth a plea to consolidate the remainder of a local
breed known as the . His brothers Edmund and Rudolf Loens found
instead a dog, which they called "heath quail" or Heidewachtel, on
the farms of Lower Saxony. They proceeded together to look for a
basis for a breed.
| Edmund Löns with with his dogs from left: Halli vd Sonnenau 813KlM, Sellman Löns 652KlM Frigg v Westerloy" 403KlM and Lony v Edewecht 208KlM |
improve the breed and they came in contact with schoolteacher
Clemens Heitmann from Steinfurt in 1907 and found in his dogs the
basis for a breeding program. For 40 years Heitman had been
breeding the same line, and was able to trace it as a purebreed for
nice looking dog, short in the back, long legged with a great gait,
plenty of smooth hair and with beautiful feathers on the tail. The head
was long, and the nose often showed a slight downward curve. The
mouth was strong, moderately full, but never short. The ears were
small, about middle-length, with good coat and they give the head a
refined expression; they were set high and at the bottom they become
too small, good closure and they gave the dog a pretty and trustworthy
expression. The height of the dogs was from 38 cm to 50 cm and none
of them showed a distinct forehead stop. They had excellent hunting
qualities, were dapper, easily handled, very social, and they bayed
when tracking.
Clemens Heitmann from Steinfurt in 1907 and found in his dogs the
basis for a breeding program. For 40 years Heitman had been
breeding the same line, and was able to trace it as a purebreed for
nice looking dog, short in the back, long legged with a great gait,
plenty of smooth hair and with beautiful feathers on the tail. The head
was long, and the nose often showed a slight downward curve. The
mouth was strong, moderately full, but never short. The ears were
small, about middle-length, with good coat and they give the head a
refined expression; they were set high and at the bottom they become
too small, good closure and they gave the dog a pretty and trustworthy
expression. The height of the dogs was from 38 cm to 50 cm and none
of them showed a distinct forehead stop. They had excellent hunting
qualities, were dapper, easily handled, very social, and they bayed
when tracking.
Flora v Westerberg 5KlM
In 1911 Löns discovered another breed family, the so-called
"Dorstener Schlag", which was bred near Velen, Reeken and
Coesfeld. The Dorsten line was an excellent looking dog with a
and the height was slightly taller than the Heitmann dogs often a
little more pointed. They had beautiful brown eyes, well-formed
ears, a good coat, a beautiful tail with feathers, was an excellent
expressive bird dog and they had in opposition to the Heitmann
"Dorstener Schlag", which was bred near Velen, Reeken and
Coesfeld. The Dorsten line was an excellent looking dog with a
and the height was slightly taller than the Heitmann dogs often a
little more pointed. They had beautiful brown eyes, well-formed
ears, a good coat, a beautiful tail with feathers, was an excellent
expressive bird dog and they had in opposition to the Heitmann
| Edmund Löns (1880-1964) |
History of the Small Munsterlander
The Small Munsterlander breed standard was fixed in 1921 by Friedrich
Jungklaus and covered 12 points. The breed standard was revised in 1957
and was announced in 1964 with the FCI. Since 1968 the Small
Munsterlander (Kleine Munsterlander) has been one of the FCI recognized
hunting dog breeds covered by the JGHV . The current version of the
standard is F.C.I. Standard: N° 102 / 06.12.2004. The focus of the
standard, which specifies body forms and appearance, is to guarantee work
capability in field, forest and water.
The Small Munsterlander breed standard was fixed in 1921 by Friedrich
Jungklaus and covered 12 points. The breed standard was revised in 1957
and was announced in 1964 with the FCI. Since 1968 the Small
Munsterlander (Kleine Munsterlander) has been one of the FCI recognized
hunting dog breeds covered by the JGHV . The current version of the
standard is F.C.I. Standard: N° 102 / 06.12.2004. The focus of the
standard, which specifies body forms and appearance, is to guarantee work
capability in field, forest and water.
A typical Dorsten type dog:
Caro (Wolberg Hervest)
Caro (Wolberg Hervest)
On March 17, 1912 a group of 68 local hunters met in Osnabrueck and formed the “Verband für Kleine Münsterländer Vorstehhunde“(Club for
Small Munsterlander Pointing Dogs). At that time this Club expressed its aims as follows: The Club pursues the purpose to promote the purity
and the true breeding of the long coated small pointing dog that has been bred in the Munsterland for many decades. There, the club
statutes, the breed search rules and the establishment of a breed book were agreed upon.
The lack of the fixed breed characteristics at that time inhibited the breeding activities as well as the Club activities. In 1921 the breeders finally
followed the breed standard published by Mr. Friedrich Jungklaus on behalf of the club a scientific work on Small Munsterlanders and their
breed characteristics.
Small Munsterlander Pointing Dogs). At that time this Club expressed its aims as follows: The Club pursues the purpose to promote the purity
and the true breeding of the long coated small pointing dog that has been bred in the Munsterland for many decades. There, the club
statutes, the breed search rules and the establishment of a breed book were agreed upon.
The lack of the fixed breed characteristics at that time inhibited the breeding activities as well as the Club activities. In 1921 the breeders finally
followed the breed standard published by Mr. Friedrich Jungklaus on behalf of the club a scientific work on Small Munsterlanders and their
breed characteristics.
