Cesky Fousek 

     Origins   

The history of Cesky Fousek started way back in the Middle Ages in the Kingdom of Bohemia, on the territory of the present Czech Republic. We have a number of articles and books on CF in our possession, but some of the facts mentioned in these publications concerning the history of CF are not documented, though most probably true. We shall cite the documents we shall use in our article. There also exist ancient pictures of the Bohemian Wirehaired Pointer, but these are so far not in our possession. Let us start with the history from the ancient times up to the First World War (1914-1918). The Bohemian water dogs, as they were then called, existed already in the times of the Bohemian King and Emperor of the Roman Empire Charles IV (1316-1378). This means that the breed is older than the Charles' Bridge in Prague, which dates from that period. Vilem Zajic (1), who was the educator of the young Emperor, wrote a letter which was found in the archives of the Castle Karlstejn, which states: "In 1348, the Emperor Charles IV gave as present to Markgraaf Ludwig von Brandenburg a number of able hunting dogs called Canis Bohemicus It appears, from a number of other old documents, that in the times of the Emperor Charles IV, and also later, this Canis Bohemicus, or the Bohemian Wirehaired Pointer, was used primarily for hunting because of his swiftness, tenacity, power of endurance and sharpness. These dogs were easy to train and to use for hunting. Because of the above qualities, this breed was popular in all the European countries. There existed no other wirehaired hunting dogs in Europe in those times, so that we can assume that this Canis Bohemicus, named later Cesky Fousek, was used for breeding of other European wirehaired pointers, and is thus the originator of this canine family (1). In a treatise "The Perfect Hunter" (1724), Fleming (1) describes this Bohemian Wirehaired Waterdog. They were used for water-work because of their suitable coat. Fuchs (2) writes in his book, that a German breeder Hanus z Kadichu was sure that the wirehaired dogs originated in Bohemia. He adds, however, that some experts on Russian dogs claim that these wirehaired pointers originated in Caucasus mountains. The modern history of Cesky Fousek begins at the end of the First World War. It begins very sadly, for because of the difficult war years, Cesky Fousek became almost extinct. Remaining dogs, suitable for breeding, were scattered all over the young Czechoslovak Republic (1918). To rescue the breed, an Association for the Wirehaired Pointer Cesky Fousek (1), was set up in 1924. A breed standard was drawn up in 1931. In quite a short period of time, thanks to the enthusiasm and great effort of the breeders, the Cesky Fousek breeding stock has been rebuilt. The male and female dogs, specially selected, could be used for breeding only if all the requirements agreed upon were met. In the spring of each year, the hereditary (gundog) characteristics of each young dog were tested. The quality of the descendants was used to verify the breeding qualities of the parents. As a result of this policy, only those dogs who complied with the strict requirements, and who passed successfully a number of required hunting tests, could be used for breeding. In that period the selection was very important and taking of breeding decisions extremely rigorous. All the decisions and notes about the breeding dogs were being carefully noted down in a genealogical register. In that period, until 1958, wirehaired pointers of other breeds were used for breeding too, to strengthen and refine the hunting properties of Cesky Fousek. And so, when there were enough breeding lines (eight) in existence, a standard for Cesky Fousek was drawn up. This standard was approved by F.C.I. (Federation Cynologique Internationale) in 1958.

CARE REQUIRED ***   The condition of the coat determines how often the Cesky Fousek needs to have its hair hand-plucked: never, once a year, or more often.  The beard, moustache, and eyebrows are left alone during this process. Between plucking sessions, brush the coat occasionally and clip any excess hair between the pads of the feet.  Check for any hair growth in the ear passages and remove it.  

TRAINING ***   Because they are quick and eager pupils, the training of this breed is not particularly difficult.  Make sure, though, that there is plenty of variety because when they are made to do the same thing over and over they will protest.

SOCIAL BEHAVIOR ***  Cesky Fousek get on fine with other dogs and other household animals, although their  hunting instints can cause problems with cats, for example.  They are fine with children provided they are not pestered by them. 

EXERCISE ***   These through-and-through hunting dogs need lots of exercise to get rid of their energy.  If you are unable to hunt with the dog or do not wish to do so, then it is essential to let them trot alongside a bicycle regularly and to let them run and play off the leash.  This will keep the dog mentally as well as physically fit.  

Classification **   Pointing Dogs .       Size **  Large   Height . **   Males :  60-66 Cm    Females :  58-62 Cm.    Weight  **  Males : 28-34 Kg.     Females   22-28 Kg .   Grooming  **  Little.
Excercise  **  Considerable.
 

Faults  ** Any  departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

Note **  Male animals should  have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum

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