Griffon history dates back to 1545, but development of the current day Korthals Griffon (Wirehaired Pointing Griffon in America) began in earnest in the Netherlands with Eduard Karel Korthals who had a passion for breeding.

He set out to develop what he considered to be the ideal dog.  He began with seven Griffons of any type, wire-haired woolly hair, and a German half-bred with a short hair pointer.

Pitiless in his methodology, such was his passion that out of 600 dogs he kept just 62 for his stud book – not something that would be socially acceptable today.  He made them work in different terrains and on all types of game. In less than 20 years he had developed the Korthals Griffon.

 

He started with ‘Mouche’, a woolly coat type, then came Juno who was the short coated bitch, and over the next four years he added three rough coated ones, a Barbet type and a Boulet type.  Vesta, the last of the rough coated ones, six years later, is sometimes included in the Patriarchs, sometimes excluded depending on the source.

 

He gained sufficient respect with his peers that he persuaded 16 other breeders to agree his initial breed standard that was adopted when the first club was formed.

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The Griffs, as they are often called, were of such quality that they astonished the specialists in Germany, Belgium, in the Netherlands, in France and elsewhere in Europe.  Particularly noted was their ability hunting including their speed, their good sense of smell and their versatility.

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Korthals was awarded a 'special medal' by the Kaiser, for recognition and his success in breeding an all-round hunt, point, retrieve sporting dog.

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In 1887, Eduard wrote the standard of the Korthals Griffon (Wirehaired Pointing Griffons); it has never been modified.