English pointer dogs aren’t in large supply in Shepparton but Hank happens to be one of them.
Owner Marty Bunning says that because they’re not that common, people tend to confuse Hank with other dogs.
“A lot of German shorthaired pointers are in Shepp and everyone assumes he’s that because an English pointer is not that common at all.
“He’s got the same face and his body shape is very similar but they tend to be pure brown with thicker hair whereas he’s got that thinner black and white hair ... as far as I know there’s only one other English pointer and it’s in Kialla,” he said.
Only one and a half years old, Hank has been living with Marty and his partner Ami and stepdaughter Vihana since he was a pup.
Full of energy, he happily runs up to greet anyone who arrives, begging for attention and someone to play with him.
Hank was bought as a companion for Vihana, aged nine, but it didn’t take long for him to become a part of the family, Marty said, referring to Vihana as Hank’s sister.
“The two of them love each other so much ... they’re like siblings ... he’s like a little human here,” he said.
Hank was bought through a work colleague whose dog was giving birth to pure-bred English pointers.
“I asked (the colleague) what are they like and she said they’re really good family dogs, very gentle and fun and enjoy lots of playing,” Marty said.
“We have not regretted it at all, he‘s been a really good dog.
“He’s also really good with his toilet training. I actually haven’t taken him for proper dog training, he’s just got his own temperament that he wants to behave well.
“I taught him how to sit and to paw and all that kind of stuff though.”
Despite being a large dog, Hank has a very gentle personality to him, allowing him to stay indoors with the family.
However, Hank sheds hair quite frequently, leaving the floor and surrounding furniture covered in dog hair, which Marty said was becoming a lot to clean up all the time.
Even the robot vacuum they bought wasn’t keeping up with his hair mess, so Hank was moved outdoors which has thrown him into a world of confusion, according to Marty.
“We only put him out two days ago so he’s still very new to it. He’s still trying to work out if he’s in trouble,” he said.
“It’s purely a hair thing otherwise he’d be fine to be inside.”
“He does this really cute head tilt when you play certain sounds for him,” Marty said.
As he played a range of sounds like cars beeping, doorbells and baby sounds, Hank sat there tilting his head, eventually coming over to Marty, curious about what the sounds were.
Hank’s favourite toy is a teddy bear and he loves to chew into them and carry them with him around the house.
He also enjoys a game of hide and seek which Marty said always puts him in an energetic mood as he tries to run through the house to find Marty.
“I’ve just got to run to a place as fast as possible and then jump and hide,” he said after getting Hank to sit still while he backed away and quickly jumped into a room away from sight.
Hank also enjoys going for walks, which Marty says is a bit of a struggle as he tugs at the leash, often wanting to go ahead.
“They’re very athletic dogs and need a lot of running. He’s still got that puppy run and he looks really goofy when he runs,” Marty said.