In 1912, fearing loss of pigmentation and eye color, the Germans outcrossed to the solid black Arkwright Pointers. It is from this cross to the magnificent solid black Pointers done in Prussia that we get the black dogs of today. Carried for some time in a separate Prussian Kurzhaar Stud Book these dogs have for generations been recognized as Kurzhaars in Germany. Because black is a dominant gene one of the parents of every black Kurzhaar had to have been black.  Some of the great German dogs of the past generation trace directly back to this influx of pure pointer genes.

Inside Germany the Kurzhaar underwent tremendous consolidation following WWI, with breed development reaching a crescendo of incredible progress by the 1930s.  The German National Dog had finally arrived and it started to draw the interest of sportsmen from around the world.  The German breeders were ecstatic that people who had been importing dogs from England, Ireland and France for years were finally interested in their dog.  Their response was to put their best foot forward and send some of their very best blood to the United States, Denmark and England.  Interestingly they sent no blacks and only a few solid brown dogs to the US and a large number of really nice white and liver dogs to Denmark.

It was from the dogs originally sent to Dr Thorton of Wyoming as early as 1925 as well as Jack Shattuck of Minnesota, Joseph Burkhart of Wisconsin and Walter Mangold of Nebraska in the 1930s that our breed standard was written.  Which is why black and tri-color were expressly excluded from the AKC breed standard even though they were clearly being registered in Germany at the time.  From these original imports the old American lines like Columbia River, Pheasant Lane, Big Island, Schwarenburg, Waldwinkle, Strauss, Oak-Crest, etc. were developed.  All of which are gone today - having been absorbed into and forming the basis for other lines.

And then it happened - World War II.  Hitler invaded Poland virtually overnight.  Although the first part of World War II went very well, Germany would eventually suffer the devastation of being over run by Allied Forces.  Knowing that they were going to be over run, the Nazis hid all of their most precious treasures. The Germans hid their gold, their diamonds, their artwork, their Lipizzaner Stallions and their Kurzhaars.

Germans transported their very best dogs to Yugoslavia where they would be safe.  Unfortunately for the breed Yugoslavia ended up being behind the Iron Curtain after WWII - leaving what became West Germany without access to the best dogs.  In addition, as the Allied forces overran Germany most breeders were forced to throw open their kennel doors and let the remaining dogs run so they would have a chance at saving themselves during the invasion.