Pointers were bred to work with hunters.  Historically, they were sometimes used in combination with retrievers, with the job of pointing out game for the hunter.  Pointers were also used as falconer’s dogs.  As early as the 17th century, sportsmen used Pointers to locate hares before sending Greyhounds to chase the quarry.

The history of the Pointer, like many breeds, is rather murky.  There are records of Pointers in England as far back as 1650.  According to one source, the English Pointer was developed in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, when pointing breeds such as the Spanish Pointer were brought from the European mainland to the British Isles.

Through both historical study and anatomical evaluation, it is possible to tell that at least four breeds were instrumental in the development of Pointers: Greyhounds, Foxhounds, Bloodhounds, and Bull Terriers.  Each of these was an established breed with unique qualities that the Pointer could use to do its highly specialized job.

In the late 1800s, the now established Pointer was brought to the United States where it flourished in the abundant open hunting land.  One especially notable Pointer, named “Sensation,” was imported from England in 1876.  He has the distinction of being the dog on the emblem of the Westminster Kennel Club.  When English Pointers first were introduced in America, the Setter was considered to be the premier bird-hunting breed, and Pointers were not even permitted to compete in field trials with them.  Around 1910, however, the Pointer began to out perform the Setter.  The Pointer has dominated the pointing breed field trials since that time.

Elhew Kennels, established in the United States in 1936, bred large quantities of Pointers, and produced a popular and successful line of gundogs.  Elhew Pointers were well-known competitors at field trials for several decades.

In the southern United States, the English Pointer is found in such abundance it is often simply called the "bird dog.”  The bobwhite quail is the primary game bird there, and it is considered classic English Pointer game, as the bobwhite will hold well for a pointing dog.  Pointers also work game birds such as the pheasant, grouse, and woodcock with great success.