The profuse, wiry beard of the German wirehaired pointer protects delicate lip tissue as the dog retrieves downed birds in the field. (dogcare.dailypuppy.com)
Retrievers have been used for centuries to retrieve downed birds from cold lakes despite dipping temperatures. (notinthedoghouse.com)
For example, certain strains of Golden Retrievers are now being bred as service dogs, a far cry from their original job of retrieving downed birds. (aspca.org)