The breeds · gun dog · versatile

AKC Foundation Stock Service · UKC Gun Dog · FCI standard 118

Large Munsterlander.

Versatile gundog: 'In accordance with his hunting requirements as a versatile gundog the Large Munsterlander has to meet all the necessary challenges and has to be able to work in the field, in the forest and in the water before and after the shot.' FCI Group 7 Section 1.2 Continental Pointing Dogs, spaniel type, with working trial; temperament 'tractable and easily taught, dependable for use as a gundog, in particular after the shot'.

Breed sets the odds. The parents set the dog. Every number here shows its source, its spread and how sure we are. Nothing on this page is a prediction about one dog.

14.1YRMedian lifespanmeasured on real dogs.

25 / 24INHeightdogs 24.6, bitches 23.8. An ideal from the standard, not a range.

66–66LBWeight, all linesbreed 66 lb.

2.5+ HRSExercise, every dayMore than 2 hours per day. The constraint most homes get wrong.

The body

What the breed is built like. Registry standards give an ideal, not a range.

Height at the shoulder

dogs 24.6 in (23.6 to 25.6) · bitches 23.8 in (22.8 to 24.8)

Breed clubFederation Cynologique Internationale, 2013

Converted; midpoint.

Weight

66 lb

Breed clubFederation Cynologique Internationale, 2013

Converted from kilograms. The UK club's 2022 survey found a median owner-reported weight of 30 kg (range 16-40 kg), matching the standard.

Coat

Long, dense, sleek, not curly or stand-off; specially long and dense feathering on the backs of the legs and on the tail; long fringes on the ears; short smooth hair on the head. White with black patches and spots, blue roan, or pure black; head always black, a white snip or blaze allowed

Breed clubFederation Cynologique Internationale, 2013

The LMAA: 'coat color is highly variable, ranging from predominantly white to predominantly black'; the 2022 UK survey found 76.8% black and white. The AKC breed page carries no coat-type band for the breed.

Shedding

Sheds; AKC breed page shedding level 3 of 5, RKC 'Sheds: yes'

Breed clubAKC

Heat tolerance

2 of 5 · 'Hair: Long and dense, yet sleek and not curly or stand off ... Typical long-hair', with the coat 'specially long and dense' on the backs of the legs and the tail

DerivedFederation Cynologique Internationale, 2013

Derived by the coat rule (2 = heavy or long). The LMAA says it outright: 'Shorthaired breeds may be better suited for upland hunting in the hot South'. Not a measurement.

How long they live, and what they cost

Measured on real dogs, with the sample and the spread. Never a guess.

Median lifespan

14.1 years

MeasuredMcMillan KM, 2024

McMillan et al. 2024 method, but a small sample: 26 deaths. The table prints the upper confidence limit as NA, so high is left blank. The UK club surveys report lower medians from owner-reported deaths: 11 years 2.5 months (2022, 122 deceased dogs) and 11 years (2025). RKC band: over 10 years; AKC breed page 12-14. Not in Teng 2022, so life_expectancy_yr is omitted.

The dog at home

What the breed asks of a day. The first thing most homes get wrong.

Exercise need

More than 2 hours per day

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

RKC exercise band. AKC breed page energy level 4 of 5. The 2022 UK survey: 46% of owners called their dog highly active and 47% moderately active; hunting was the most reported high-intensity exercise.

Exercise need

More than 2 hours per day

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

Energy

AKC breed page energy level 4 of 5; 'Lively temperament without being nervous' (FCI); 'characteristically calm, gentle and intelligent' in the home but with 'strong hunting instincts' that frustrate in a non-hunting home (LMAA)

Breed clubAKC

RKC: more than 2 hours of exercise a day.

Grooming load

3 of 5 · More than once a week (RKC grooming band); coat length medium

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

The AKC breed page scores grooming frequency 1 of 5; the RKC band is recorded per the rule and the disagreement noted. The FCI standard asks for a long, dense but sleek coat with heavy feathering on legs, tail and ears.

Grooming

More than once a week

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

The work

What it was built to do in the field, and what a test or trial asks of it.

Role

Breed clubFederation Cynologique Internationale, 2013

A NAVHDA recognized breed (LM). Split from the German Longhaired Pointer when that club excluded black in 1909; planned breeding from 1922 on a foundation list of 83 dogs (FCI history). In the US, 'bred for over a century for hunting and not the show ring' and placed 'only in hunting homes' (LMAA).

Primary game

Birds found and pointed before the shot and retrieved after it, on land and water: 'LMs excel as bird finders before and after the shot'; 'well suited for a variety of game, including the tracking of big game'

Breed clubLarge Munsterlander Association of America

NAVHDA tests the breed on upland birds in the field and ducks in the water; the FCI names field, forest and water work.

Range

Medium: beyond gun range in open country, shortened in dense cover, always responsive to the handler

Breed clubLarge Munsterlander Association of America

The LMAA's words; no yardage given. Fewer than three sources behind this value.

Search pattern

'LMs are adept at adjusting their search pattern relative to the cover conditions at hand, performing well outside of gun range in open country and reducing their range in dense cover. Under all circumstances, they remain responsive to the handler and not independent' ... 'a purposeful searching style emphasizing thoughtful coverage rather than speed'

Breed clubLarge Munsterlander Association of America

The LMAA adds that many point with intensity from puppyhood and many honor naturally, while steadiness 'needs to be encouraged through training' given the retrieving drive.

Field trial standard

Tested, not trialed, and tested as a condition of breeding: every LMAA sire and dam must pass a field evaluation of heritable hunting traits, normally before 16 months: NAVHDA Natural Ability Prize I-III, VHDF Hunting Aptitude Evaluation (5 in every category, 50 total), NAVHDA Utility Preparatory or Utility Prize I-III at any age, VHDF Advanced HAE, or a JGHV test. About 42% of approved sires and dams have passed above the NAT/HAE level and eight LMs are NAVHDA Versatile Champions. In the AKC system the breed is an FSS breed approved for pointing-breed hunting tests (Junior, Senior, Master), not field trials

Breed clubLarge Munsterlander Association of America

AKC hunting test eligibility from akc_ht_eligible and akc_ht_rules; NAVHDA test content (field search, pointing, steadiness, retrieve of shot bird, search for a duck, retrieve of duck) from navhda_rules.

Water work

Water is in the standard's purpose clause ('in the field, in the forest and in the water before and after the shot') and in every test the LMAA accepts, which must include 'searching, pointing, tracking and retrieving elements on both land and in water'; NAVHDA judges the search for a duck and the retrieve of a duck

Breed clubFederation Cynologique Internationale, 2013

LMAA test criteria from lmaa_performance; NAVHDA water group from navhda_rules.

Cold water

3 of 5 · 'Large Munsterlanders are strong in the water, their long thick coat affords protection from the cold ... Even so, their coat is a compromise well-suited for temperate climates ... the oily and dense coats of retrieving specialists make them better suited for prolonged water work late-season in the far North'

DerivedLarge Munsterlander Association of America

Derived from the LMAA's own description and the FCI utilization clause (work in water before and after the shot). Not a measurement.

How common the problems are

Evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock; the numbers are still the best there are.

Hip dysplasia

9.1% · 187 OFA hip evaluations on file under 'Large Munsterlander' (all evaluations on file, read Oct 2026; the service prints no start year): 90.9% normal (27.3% excellent, 56.7% good, 7.0% fair), 9.1% dysplastic (3.2% mild, 5.9% moderate, 0.0% severe); rank 142 of the breeds listed

MeasuredOrthopedic Foundation for Animals

Voluntary registry skewed toward breeding stock, and a small sample; every LMAA sire and dam is certified free of hip dysplasia, so the evaluated dogs are the breeding pool. The service also carries a separate 'Munsterlander' row (283 evaluations, 12.4% dysplastic) that does not say which of the two Munsterlander breeds it holds; it is not merged in. In the UK, the club asks that all Large Munsterlanders be hip scored under the BVA scheme; the UK breed mean score was not found on a primary page.

Most common disorders

UK club survey with the Kennel Club, 2022 (774 responses): top condition categories muscle/bone/joint 26.3%, skin and coat 19.4%, digestive 15.6%, cancer or mass 15.2%, ear 14.3%; most reported specific conditions environmental allergies (52 cases), arthritis (45), infrequent ear infections (41), elbow dysplasia (27), food allergy or intolerance (27), sensitive stomach (27), dermatitis (26), frequent ear infections (25), lipoma (23). Deaths (140 reported causes): cancer 25.7%, old age 20.0%, neurological or spinal 12.1%, musculoskeletal 7.9%, heart 7.1%; median age at death 11 years 2.5 months. The 2025 survey (273 dogs) again put arthritis, ear infections and environmental allergies first, cancers first among body systems, and a median age at death of 11 years

Breed clubThe Large Munsterlander Club (UK) with The Kennel Club

Owner-reported club surveys, not veterinary-record prevalence; the 2022 percentages are of dogs answering each section. No VetCompass paper or Kennel Club 2014 survey breed row exists (not in the Wiles 2017 prevalence file; Lewis 2018 counted 19 deaths without a breed row). The UK club lists hyperuricosuria (DNA test, mandatory for club members' matings) and hereditary cataracts (annual BVA eye test) as the breed's tested conditions.

akc bands

AKC breed page trait scores (1-5): Energy Level 4; Mental Stimulation Needs 4; Trainability Level 5; Barking Level 2; Watchdog/Protective Nature 3; Good With Young Children 4; Openness To Strangers 4; Good With Other Dogs 3; Shedding Level 3; Coat Grooming Frequency 1; Drooling Level 2; Affectionate With Family 4; Playfulness Level 3; Adaptability Level 3.

Breed clubAKC

Fourteen AKC bands in one row; the selector reads each by name. Breed-club ratings: a tendency, never a measurement.

What to ask a breeder for

The health clearances the breed’s own club and registry name. Reference only: what to ask for, never a statement about any dog’s health.

USField evaluation of heritable hunting traits, passed before breeding (NAVHDA NA, VHDF HAE, NAVHDA UPT/UT, VHDF AHAE or JGHV)NAVHDA / VHDF / JGHV · Large Munsterlander Association of America, Breeding for Performance (field testing required of every LMAA sire and dam; NAVHDA, VHDF and JGHV passing criteria)
USHip evaluation, certified free of hip dysplasia (required of every LMAA sire and dam)OFA · Large Munsterlander Association of America, Find Your LM (pups placed only in hunting homes; all sires and dams field-tested and certified free of hip dysplasia)

UKEye testing for hereditary cataracts, yearly while breeding (Best Practice)BVA/KC/ISDS · The Royal Kennel Club, Breeds A to Z: Large Munsterlander (breed characteristics, pre-breeding health screening)
UKHyperuricosuria (HUU) DNA test (Best Practice; imported dogs and foreign stud dogs must be tested; mandatory for club members' matings)DNA · The Royal Kennel Club, Breeds A to Z: Large Munsterlander (breed characteristics, pre-breeding health screening)
UKElbow grading (Good Practice; the club asks for all dogs born after January 1, 2008)BVA/KC · The Royal Kennel Club, Breeds A to Z: Large Munsterlander (breed characteristics, pre-breeding health screening)
UKHip scoring (Good Practice; the club asks for all dogs)BVA/KC · The Royal Kennel Club, Breeds A to Z: Large Munsterlander (breed characteristics, pre-breeding health screening)

No KENAI kennel lists the Large Munsterlander yet. If you breed them, list your kennel free: it shows on this page and in the hunting dog breed finder, under every handler whose answers land on the breed.

How to read this page

Every value carries a label. Measured means peer-reviewed data on many dogs. Studied means peer-reviewed, smaller or indirect. Breed club means a club or registry states it. Editorial means expert opinion with no measurement behind it. Where two good sources disagree, both are shown and neither is averaged.

Published when the entry rests on the best information available from no fewer than three independent sources, checked by a second pass that did not write it. 9 sources on this page. Found something wrong? Tell us and the correction is logged with its date.

Also called: Grosser Munsterlander Vorstehhund, Grosser Munsterlander, LM

Every breed, read the same way.

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