Information we have published here is from various resources from the United States and abroad and is used with permission and correct to the best of our knowledge.
The Small Munsterlander is a long haired versatile hunting dog that uses both air scent for pointing and ground scent for tracking. It has a great love for retrieving and enthusiasm for water work, tenacity and voice (bark or bay when chasing furred game) on the track. In Europe the SM is bred to find, point, track, and retrieve upland birds, waterfowl, and fur-bearing animals such as hare, boar, blood-tracking and varmint dispatching. In the U.S. they are mainly used for upland and waterfowl hunting for the foot hunter. The Small Munsterlanders elegance, intelligence, desire and devotion make them a wonderful hunting partner and home companion. The SM is for the most part easy to train and makes a great family companion. However this is a very active hunter and intelligent breed so it will require adequate exercise and mental stimulation "every day".
The Small Munsterlander, known as the Kleine Munsterlander Vorstehhunde in Germany, originated in the Munster region of Northern Germany.The breed is very cooperative & intelligent. Their calm & cooperative demeanor in addition to their hunting ability is what first attracted us to this breed over 20 years ago.
The systematic breeding of Kleine Munsterlander began in the middle of the 19th Century. Two breeders are documented, who regularly bred Kleine Münsterländer in their kennels: a school teacher named Heitmann from Burgsteinfurt in the Münsterland and the gamekeeper Wolberg from Dorsten in the Münsterland. In the blood of their KlM flowed the blood of north German tracking and pointing dogs hundreds of years older. It is likely also that their blood lines where intermingled with Belgian and French Epagneuls and Spaniels. Both of these breeding lines, the more delicate Heitmann line and the sturdier Wolberg line, formed the foundation of the “Kleine Münsterländer Vorstehhunde” breed. The sibling pair “Boncoeur” and “Herta von Lohburg” from the Heitmann line, as well as “Rino-Hervest” and “Mirza I-Hervest” from the Wolberg (Dorsten) line, are documented. The Kleine Münsterländer Vorstehhunde were medium-sized, long-haired, intelligent, and worked tirelessly in the field, water and forest. As hunters, they were passionate tracking dogs and dependable retrievers. But it still took another 50 years until the breed had established sufficiently itself with hunters, before a breed club named “Association for Kleine Münsterländer Vorstehhunde (Heidewachtel)” was founded in the year 1912, and that a studbook could be created.
Edmund Löns, a breederof the Kleine Münsterländer, helped to make the breed known by publishing numerous articles in German and international publications. In the middle of the 19th century there were changes in the German hunting laws, so an increasing number of hunters and hunting enthusiasts began breeding dogs looking for the perfect versatile hunting dog. There are reports saying that around 1870 longcoated "Wachtelhunds“ (German Spaniels) were well known in the Munsterland region. These dogs were firm in pointing, they had enormous scenting abilities and were also able to retrieve. In the year 1906 Hermann Löns discovered a pointing Wachtelhund on the farms, that they called "Heidewachtel“. Up until 1927 the association only recognized brown and white dogs and Edmund Löns is the one who introduced brown roan to the breed. This color was was eventually recognized by the association as an approved color. In Europe today nearly half of all Kleine Münsterländer are roan.
By 1921, Edmund Löns and Dr. Friedrich Jungklaus had created the breed characteristics of the Kleine Münsterländer but the breed characteristics and the performance requirements were not finalized by the association until 1936.
Since the end of the 19th Century (1899) an organization of German hunters have developed the test regulations for versatile hunting dogs in Germany: the “JGHV” (Jagdgebrauchshundverband). With this organization the performance requirements of the various hunting dog breeds were defined and they could systematically and comparably be evaluated for their hunting and breeding traits.
Since 1936, the JGHV test regulations have been used for the breeding of the Kleine Münsterländer in Germany. A successfully completed VJP (natural ability test) in the Spring and a successful HZP (advanced natural ability test) in the Fall are the prerequisites for breeding in Germany. This is why Robingun Kennels chooses to test our potential breeding stock in not only the NAVHDA Natural Ability test (comparable to the VJP test) but also the UPT (comparable to the HZP test) or UT test at a young age. We are the ONLY current breeder in the United States who has tested and passed ALL of their dogs used for breeding in at least two levels of the NAVHDA testing system. Two of our current dogs used for breeding (Zandor and Branka) passed two levels of the NAVHDA tests before they were 21 months of age.
The political division of Germany led to the creation in the GDR in 1952 of the “Special Breed Association KlM” under the leadership of Otto Capsius. In 1990, this group, which had professionally maintained the breed of the Kleine Münsterländer Vorstehhunde in Eastern Germany for two decades, was also joined and integrated with the original founding association.
GENERAL APPEARANCE :
Strong and harmonious build of medium size, showing balanced proportions with a lot of quality and elegance. Distinguished head. In upright posture the dog displays flowing outlines
with horizontally carried tail. Its front legs are well feathered, the hind legs with breeches, the
tail has a distinct flag. Its glossy coat should be straight or slightly wavy, dense and not too
long. Its movement is harmonious and far reaching.
BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : The Small Munsterlander is intelligent and capable of learning, full of temperament but even,
with steady character; its attitude towards people is alert and friendly (suitable for family life),
with good social behaviour and keeps close contact with his master (team spirit); with
passionate, persevering predatory instinct, versatile hunting aptitudes and strong nerves and
keenness for game.
The SMCNA, established in 1993, is the original Small Munsterlander Breed Club in North America. The original twenty three SMCNA charter members, included our mentor, Tom McDonald, along with Paul Jensen, the first SMCNA Registrar, had the foresight to create a breed Club that was performance based and required prior approval for any dog to be used for breeding. This ensured that both the dam and sire had demonstrated their hunting abilities through approved hunting tests, and they meet health, temperament, and conformation standard. The SMCNA is dedicated to preserving the versatility of our breed true to the F.C.I. Small Munsterlander Standard of the breed as set forth by the German Verband for Kleine Munsterlander and adopted by the FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale). The SMCNA Club has over 450 members who are dedicated to the hunting abilities, health, welfare and promotion of our breed in the United States and Canada.
The Small Munsterlander is a long haired versatile hunting dog that uses both air scent for pointing and ground scent for tracking. It has a great love for retrieving and enthusiasm for water work, tenacity and voice (bark or bay when chasing furred game) on the track. In Europe the SM is bred to find, point, track, and retrieve upland birds, waterfowl, and fur-bearing animals such as hare, boar, blood-tracking and varmint dispatching. In the U.S. they are mainly used for upland and waterfowl hunting for the foot hunter. The Small Munsterlanders elegance, intelligence, desire and devotion make them a wonderful hunting partner and home companion. The SM is for the most part easy to train and makes a great family companion. However this is a very active hunter and intelligent breed so it will require adequate exercise and mental stimulation "every day".
The Small Munsterlander, known as the Kleine Munsterlander Vorstehhunde in Germany, originated in the Munster region of Northern Germany.The breed is very cooperative & intelligent. Their calm & cooperative demeanor in addition to their hunting ability is what first attracted us to this breed over 20 years ago.
The systematic breeding of Kleine Munsterlander began in the middle of the 19th Century. Two breeders are documented, who regularly bred Kleine Münsterländer in their kennels: a school teacher named Heitmann from Burgsteinfurt in the Münsterland and the gamekeeper Wolberg from Dorsten in the Münsterland. In the blood of their KlM flowed the blood of north German tracking and pointing dogs hundreds of years older. It is likely also that their blood lines where intermingled with Belgian and French Epagneuls and Spaniels. Both of these breeding lines, the more delicate Heitmann line and the sturdier Wolberg line, formed the foundation of the “Kleine Münsterländer Vorstehhunde” breed. The sibling pair “Boncoeur” and “Herta von Lohburg” from the Heitmann line, as well as “Rino-Hervest” and “Mirza I-Hervest” from the Wolberg (Dorsten) line, are documented. The Kleine Münsterländer Vorstehhunde were medium-sized, long-haired, intelligent, and worked tirelessly in the field, water and forest. As hunters, they were passionate tracking dogs and dependable retrievers. But it still took another 50 years until the breed had established sufficiently itself with hunters, before a breed club named “Association for Kleine Münsterländer Vorstehhunde (Heidewachtel)” was founded in the year 1912, and that a studbook could be created.
Edmund Löns, a breederof the Kleine Münsterländer, helped to make the breed known by publishing numerous articles in German and international publications. In the middle of the 19th century there were changes in the German hunting laws, so an increasing number of hunters and hunting enthusiasts began breeding dogs looking for the perfect versatile hunting dog. There are reports saying that around 1870 longcoated "Wachtelhunds“ (German Spaniels) were well known in the Munsterland region. These dogs were firm in pointing, they had enormous scenting abilities and were also able to retrieve. In the year 1906 Hermann Löns discovered a pointing Wachtelhund on the farms, that they called "Heidewachtel“. Up until 1927 the association only recognized brown and white dogs and Edmund Löns is the one who introduced brown roan to the breed. This color was was eventually recognized by the association as an approved color. In Europe today nearly half of all Kleine Münsterländer are roan.
By 1921, Edmund Löns and Dr. Friedrich Jungklaus had created the breed characteristics of the Kleine Münsterländer but the breed characteristics and the performance requirements were not finalized by the association until 1936.
Since the end of the 19th Century (1899) an organization of German hunters have developed the test regulations for versatile hunting dogs in Germany: the “JGHV” (Jagdgebrauchshundverband). With this organization the performance requirements of the various hunting dog breeds were defined and they could systematically and comparably be evaluated for their hunting and breeding traits.
Since 1936, the JGHV test regulations have been used for the breeding of the Kleine Münsterländer in Germany. A successfully completed VJP (natural ability test) in the Spring and a successful HZP (advanced natural ability test) in the Fall are the prerequisites for breeding in Germany. This is why Robingun Kennels chooses to test our potential breeding stock in not only the NAVHDA Natural Ability test (comparable to the VJP test) but also the UPT (comparable to the HZP test) or UT test at a young age. We are the ONLY current breeder in the United States who has tested and passed ALL of their dogs used for breeding in at least two levels of the NAVHDA testing system. Two of our current dogs used for breeding (Zandor and Branka) passed two levels of the NAVHDA tests before they were 21 months of age.
The political division of Germany led to the creation in the GDR in 1952 of the “Special Breed Association KlM” under the leadership of Otto Capsius. In 1990, this group, which had professionally maintained the breed of the Kleine Münsterländer Vorstehhunde in Eastern Germany for two decades, was also joined and integrated with the original founding association.
GENERAL APPEARANCE :
Strong and harmonious build of medium size, showing balanced proportions with a lot of quality and elegance. Distinguished head. In upright posture the dog displays flowing outlines
with horizontally carried tail. Its front legs are well feathered, the hind legs with breeches, the
tail has a distinct flag. Its glossy coat should be straight or slightly wavy, dense and not too
long. Its movement is harmonious and far reaching.
BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : The Small Munsterlander is intelligent and capable of learning, full of temperament but even,
with steady character; its attitude towards people is alert and friendly (suitable for family life),
with good social behaviour and keeps close contact with his master (team spirit); with
passionate, persevering predatory instinct, versatile hunting aptitudes and strong nerves and
keenness for game.
The SMCNA, established in 1993, is the original Small Munsterlander Breed Club in North America. The original twenty three SMCNA charter members, included our mentor, Tom McDonald, along with Paul Jensen, the first SMCNA Registrar, had the foresight to create a breed Club that was performance based and required prior approval for any dog to be used for breeding. This ensured that both the dam and sire had demonstrated their hunting abilities through approved hunting tests, and they meet health, temperament, and conformation standard. The SMCNA is dedicated to preserving the versatility of our breed true to the F.C.I. Small Munsterlander Standard of the breed as set forth by the German Verband for Kleine Munsterlander and adopted by the FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale). The SMCNA Club has over 450 members who are dedicated to the hunting abilities, health, welfare and promotion of our breed in the United States and Canada.
The Small Munsterlander is a long haired versatile hunting dog that uses both air scent for pointing and ground scent for tracking. It has a great love for retrieving and enthusiasm for water work, tenacity and voice (bark or bay when chasing furred game) on the track. In Europe the SM is bred to find, point, track, and retrieve upland birds, waterfowl, and fur-bearing animals such as hare, boar, blood-tracking and varmint dispatching. In the U.S. they are mainly used for upland and waterfowl hunting for the foot hunter. The Small Munsterlanders elegance, intelligence, desire and devotion make them a wonderful hunting partner and home companion. The SM is for the most part easy to train and makes a great family companion. However this is a very active hunter and intelligent breed so it will require adequate exercise and mental stimulation "every day".
