We got our first German Wirehaired Pointer, Cruiser, in 1999 while living in Idaho. Our kennel name, Idawire, stands for Idaho Wirehairs. Tom wanted a hunting dog, while Jodi sought a show dog. That first season, Tom and Cruiser spent hundreds of hours hunting upland game and waterfowl in southern Idaho, even blood tracking for Tom’s archery antelope.
After the first hunting season, Tom decided to compete in field trials, and Jodi began showing Cruiser. Jodi has successfully finished the show championships of over 75 Idawire-bred dogs. In the early 2000s, Tom competed in field trials with Cruiser and our second dog, Zoie, both of whom he trained and handled. Cruiser became a dual champion (DC) and an Amateur Field Champion (AFC), while Zoie earned her dual champion title and became a master hunter (MH). These two dogs form the foundation of our breeding program. Although Cruiser was competitive in field trials, Tom prioritized hunting over trials, enjoying it more. From 2003 to 2013, he focused on hunting, occasionally competing in field trials and judging.
In 2013, Tom returned to the German Wirehaired Pointer Club of America (GWPCA) National field trial, training Idawire dogs to numerous first-place wins and placements in junior stakes and winning the National Championship twice. In addition to National success, Tom has handled an Idawire-bred dog to placements in 23 states, winning the blue ribbon in 19 different states! Now that we live in the Southeast, we look forward to competing in even more states.
In the past 25 years, we’ve lived in seven states, experiencing diverse public land hunting, with Idawire dogs adapting to every situation. As a semi-retired finish carpenter, Tom can spend over 100 days annually hunting, some years taking the dogs out almost 200 days! Since 2001, he has judged field trials and hunt tests alongside 40 different judges in 13 states, and he has hunted our wirehairs in 22 states and counting. This extensive hunting and judging experience has given Tom a unique perspective on evaluating our breeding stock.
Temperament is crucial to us shy or aggressive dogs are not considered for breeding. A German Wirehaired Pointer should be confident in the field, show ring, and home, where they spend most of their time. Dogs that don’t meet our standards for hunting ability, temperament, and conformation are excluded from our breeding program. Most of our clients use their dogs for hunting and companionship, with some competing in field trials or hunting tests. Ultimately, our goal is to provide solid-tempered companions that can thrive for 12-15 years. Idawire dogs consistently excel as both hunting dogs and beloved companions.
