The Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Summer Guide: A Water Dog's Favorite Season

If dogs got to vote on seasons, the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon would elect summer by a landslide: this shaggy, harsh-coated gundog — nicknamed the "supreme gundog" by its devotees — was designed for marsh and water work, and the season of lakes, rivers, and long mornings afield is when the whole design makes sense. The owner's role is simple to state and daily in practice: supply water access, protect the cool hours, and keep the scruffy athlete's enthusiasm inside safe lines.

We're Bocce's Bakery — small-batch, limited-ingredient treats, baked in the USA — and the Griff might be our favorite kind of customer: hardworking, food-motivated, and permanently disheveled. Here's the summer program.

Why is summer the Griffon's season?

Start with the coat. The Griff wears a harsh, medium-length wire jacket over a fine, insulating undercoat — a system Eduard Korthals engineered in the 1870s specifically for swampy, wet, rough terrain. It repels water, shrugs off brush, and (kept properly stripped of dead undercoat) breathes reasonably well in warmth. The steel-gray-and-brown coloring doesn't bake in the sun the way a black coat does, and the moderate 35-to-70-pound frame splits the difference between agility and endurance.

Then there's the water affinity. Griffs point upland birds, but they also retrieve from water with genuine relish — webbed-footed, methodical, deliberate swimmers rather than splashy sprinters. A breed that can spend its exercise budget swimming is a breed with a built-in summer cooling plan.

The honest caveat: that undercoat still insulates, and the Griffon work ethic — eager, thorough, tireless — doesn't file heat complaints. Our grade: one of the better summer breeds we've covered, provided the human manages timing on dry-land days.

What are the best summer activities for a Griff?

Real swimming, as often as possible

This is the headline. Lake retrieves, river wades, dock sessions — water work gives a Griffon everything at once: exercise, cooling, and a job. Build up a young or novice swimmer patiently in calm shallows (the AKC's swim introduction maps the steps), keep a life jacket on for boats and moving water, and end sessions before fatigue does. After the swim, squeeze water from the coat, towel the furnishings, and dry inside the ears — a Griff that swims weekly should have its ears checked at routine vet visits, since trapped moisture bothers some floppy-eared swimmers.

Dawn field work and hiking

On non-swim days, give the pointing half of the résumé its due: early trail hikes, long-line runs through open cover, or structured quartering games in a big field. Griffs work closer to their handler than many pointing breeds — a trait bred in deliberately — which makes them unusually pleasant hiking partners, but wildlife is wildlife, so keep the long line handy where rabbits outnumber people. Cap warm-morning outings around an hour and water the dog every twenty to thirty minutes; Cornell's summer heat tips are a sensible scheduling reference.

Camp games and canoe copiloting

Griffs make superb camping and paddling companions — calm in a canoe once trained, thrilled by every portage. Teach a rock-solid "settle on your mat" for camp downtime, play find-the-treat games around the site during hot afternoons, and let evening swims replace evening walks. Life jacket in the boat, always; even excellent swimmers benefit when a canoe flips a mile from the takeout.

Heat safety notes for the supreme gundog

• Strip the undercoat seasonally. A Griff's summer comfort depends on grooming: hand-stripping or thoroughly raking out dead undercoat lets the wire jacket ventilate as designed. Skip the clippers — shaving compromises the coat's protective texture, sometimes lastingly. A groomer experienced with wire coats is a worthwhile ally.
• Dry land changes the math. A Griffon swimming is nearly heat-proof; a Griffon quartering a sunny field in August is just another insulated working dog. Apply full sporting-breed caution on land: cool hours, shade routes, mandatory breaks.
• Recognize trouble early. Nonstop heavy panting, thick drool, deep-red gums, unsteady movement, or vomiting call for immediate cooling — water on the belly, groin, and paws — and an emergency vet visit. Review the AAHA heatstroke guide before the season, not during the crisis.
• Beard and furnishing patrol. The Griff's mustache collects pond water, seeds, and mystery debris. Rinse after swims in questionable water and check eyebrows, armpits, and toes for burrs and awns after field time.
• Watch the waterline weight. Griffs are cheerful eaters, and a fluffy coat hides creeping pounds that make heat harder. Ask your veterinarian to demonstrate body-condition scoring so you can audit at home between visits.

Puppies and older Griffs need scaled-down versions of all of this — growth and age both argue for shorter sessions, set with veterinary input.

Treats on the go: keeping the crew motivated

A Griffon's summer is full of trainable moments, and we pack for them like a supply officer. In the pouch: Soft & Chewy training treats, sized for the constant small payments that keep recalls sharp and canoe manners polished. In the dry bag: a proper reward from our jerky and chews collection for the end of a working morning. In the freezer at home: Froyo-style treats, because a cold dessert after a hot adventure is a tradition worth institutionalizing.

Ration like a professional: treats around 10% of daily calories, trimmed on rest days. Everything we bake is all-natural with a deliberately short ingredient list — the full catalog is at Shop All Dog — and if you're unsure how treat calories fit your dog's diet, that's a fine question for your next vet appointment.

Wirehaired Pointing Griffon summer FAQ

Are Wirehaired Pointing Griffons good swimmers?

Excellent ones — water retrieving is core to the breed's purpose, and most Griffs swim with calm, efficient competence once introduced. Build confidence gradually, use a life jacket around boats and current, and dry the ears afterward. If your Griffon hesitates at first, short positive sessions in warm shallow water usually flip the switch within a few visits.

Does the Griffon coat make summer harder?

Less than you'd expect, if you groom for it. The wire outer coat is protective rather than heavily insulating, and stripping out dead undercoat before and during summer keeps air moving to the skin. The mistake to avoid is shaving, which trades the coat's briar-and-sun protection for little real cooling benefit.

How much exercise does a Griff need in summer?

An hour or two daily, and the composition matters more than the total: swims deliver the biggest return per degree of heat, with hikes and field games slotted into dawn and dusk. A Griffon short on work becomes a very creative unsupervised contractor. As always, calibrate for age and health with your veterinarian's help.

Can a Griffon come on a multi-day camping or canoe trip?

Few breeds are better suited. Pack a life jacket, long line, mat for settle training, more water than you planned, and vet-recommended tick prevention for your region. Griffs bond hard to their people, so a trip where the dog is included in everything is basically the breed's holiday brochure.

What summer health issues should Griffon owners watch?

The practical ones for an active water dog: ear moisture after swims, seed awns and burrs in the furnishings, cut pads on rocky shores, ticks in tall grass, and ordinary overheating on dry-land workdays. None are reasons to stay home — all are reasons for the two-minute post-adventure body check and a good relationship with your vet.

A Griffon summer smells like lake water and campfire, and honestly, so will your car. Embrace it — and keep the treat pouch dry.