breed of sporting dog known as the modern prototype of all European pointing hunting dogs, which began to appear all over Europe in around 1650; coat is short, dense, and smoothly glossy and may be solid black, orange, yellow, or liver or these colors in combination with white markings; ears are wide and set at eye level and droop close to the skull to just below the lower jaw; tail is medium-length, thin, and tapering to a point; eyes are large and dark; adult stands 23–28 in. (58–71 cm) tall at shoulders and weighs 45–75 lbs (20–34 kg); also called English pointer; possesses ample stamina and courage; relatively quiet and prefers warm weather to cold; shuns water; originated in Great Britain and first used to hunt hare; later used to flush out game birds; then used to hunt birds as a gun dog,