In the early 19th century there were several varieties of rough-haired pointers found throughout Germany, with few attempts at standardising them as breeds. At some point in the development of the German Roughhaired Pointer,
old German shepherd dog blood was introduced; the word stichelhaariger in the breed name translates to rough-haired, reflective of this blood. Nearly extinct by the middle of the century, the Roughhaired Pointer was saved through the efforts of a single breeder, and in the second half of the century serious attempts were made to standardise the type. By the end of the century it was accepted as a district breed. The German Roughhaired Pointer has never been as popular as the other German pointer breeds and is rarely if ever seen outside of Germany. == Description ==