RE: Find story here
Gone,
Here is some information on the differences between the AKC Wirehair Pointer and the Deutch Drathaar that I copied from their website. Whether your dogs are AKC or not, I am sure they are great dogs that you will be happy with. Sorry for the rant.
Jason
Isn't a Drahthaar just what they call German Wirehaired Pointers to try to impress people?
Well, it does happen, but no, in reality the Drahthaar is a separate breed from their American derivative, the German Wirehaired Pointer. The Drahthaar is bred to a strict set of breed standards, which require testing in both ability and conformation before the dogs are allowed to be bred. The GWP, as registered by the AKC and the FDSB, don't have any controls on their breeding, so the breeds have begun to diverge, even though they are originally from the same stock. The most immediately noticable difference is in the coat- the Drahthaars tend to a more uniform, shorter coat, and are generally darker in color than are the GWPs.
Drahthaars are registered by the Verein Deutsch-Drahthaar. Any dog from a registry such as the AKC or FDSB is a German Wirehaired Pointer, no matter what the guy is trying to sell you. Ask, and if they aren't VDD pups, they aren't really Drahthaars. Every month I see ads in Gun Dog for 'Hunting Drahthaars' and so forth, and they aren't VDD pups. Those are the people who are misusing the name in an effort to impress the uninformed.
On a personal note, I've found that this particular question is not only the most asked question, but also the one that causes the most people to get mad at me. Many people don't believe my answer, and feel that it is an insult to them (or their GWPs) somehow. This is completely ridiculous, and in response, I've written an article that discusses this much more in depth.