In 1999, when we got our first German Wirehaired Pointer, we lived in Idaho, so we decided to call our kennel "Idawire" for Idaho German Wirehaired Pointers. Since then, we've lived in South Dakota, Wyoming, Washington, and now Texas! Tom has hunted Idawire GWPs extensively in all of the states we've lived in, as well as making hunting trips to a number of other states, including New Mexico, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Nevada, Nebraska, Kansas and Arkansas.
When we got our first German Wirehaired Pointer in 1999, Tom wanted a good hunting dog, but Jodi wanted a dog she could show. We looked at the different sporting breeds and German Wirehaired Pointers were one of the few breeds that could still be competitive in the show ring and the field. So, we started our search for a good GWP from "dual" lines. And, that is how we ended up with our first German Wirehaired Pointer--Cruiser.
Tom spent the first year with Cruiser hunting the sagebrush desert of Southwestern Idaho, and decided he hadn't had enough fun with Cruiser, so started competing in field trials and hunt tests in the spring. We also decided that we loved the breed, and got our second GWP, a female named Zoie. Cruiser and Zoie both eventually became Dual Champions (show and field champions) and these two outstanding dogs were our start in German Wirehaired Pointers.
All Idawire GWPs go back to either Cruiser or Zoie, and many have both Cruiser and Zoie in their pedigrees. Jodi still competes with GWPs at dog shows, and Tom still hunts, so when we breed a litter, it is important to us that the pups have the potential to be great hunting dogs and great show dogs. Tom still judges field trials and hunt tests and this experience is very valuable in evaluating hunting dogs. We have had some very pretty dogs Tom declined because they didn’t perform at a very high level while hunting. Jodi has rejected some excellent hunting dogs that didn’t measure up in the ring. A beautiful show dog that doesn't hunt, or a super hunting dog that doesn't look like a GWP will not be part of our breeding program.
We also expect any dog bred by us to have a solid, stable temperament--neither shy or aggressive dogs are allowed. A GWP should be confident in the field and the show ring, AND in the home, where most of our dogs spend the majority of their time. A dog that doesn't meet our standards for hunting ability, temperament and conformation will not be included in our breeding program.
