German Shorthaired Pointer Dog Breed

The German Shorthaired Pointer is a sporting dog through-and-through. They were recognized in their home country, Germany, in the late 1800s and quickly became popular with sportsmen in other countries around the globe; even the AKC recognized them as early as 1930. The acclaim comes from the quality of being so versatile: they track, they retrieve, they kill, and (of course) they point and they do all of this while being excellent companions. We recommend this breed for sportsmen, athletes and generally fit, active owners and families. Rural life certainly suits this breed better because they love open spaces to roam but a large fenced yard will do; they are not sedentary apartment dogs and they will not behave if locked up in doors most of the day. Here are some German Shorthaired Pointer facts to show you some benefits and problems associated with the breed:

You may have seen a GSP before and never even realized it but you probably noticed it was a handsome dog with a liver and white ticked coat, well proportioned, athletic body and a well-controlled demeanor. This versatile gundog is in the AKC sporting group and, due to their skill and companionable personalities, it's no surprise they are very popular-- well within the top 20 breeds (as of 2017). Keep reading for a breakdown of information about the German Shorthaired Pointer's intelligence, activity level and more.

Intelligence- This breed is not only intelligent but also usually obedient and eager to please-- which many owners understand are completely different qualities from smarts alone. In the field they need little training to pick up on their duties and become excellent hunting companions. What they will need early and firm training in is not to chase and attack other small, non canine pets.

Kids, Strangers, Other Pets- GSP dogs are great with kids but should be supervised around small children due to their boisterous, playful tactics. These dogs are not aggressive and should be fine around strangers unless a dangerous situation presents itself-- then they are rumored to be somewhat protective. Finally, they are usually friendly with other dogs--or at least indifferent-- but they may chase and attack small pets if not trained early (and even then they may still).

Exercise- This will require the most effort out of all your duties as an owner to the GSP. If not hunting companions, they need hours of daily outdoor exercise and will be a pain in the butt if they don't get it! Luckily, they are pretty adaptable to anything you'd like to do from hiking and running to biking or frisbee; German Shorthaired Pointers even love swimming!

The German Shorthaired Pointer's history is fairly straightforward-- hunters wanted ONE companionable, versatile hunting dog that could not only track and point but also retrieve and finish game, if necessary. Although the modern version of GSP took shape during the 1800s, there were many other stages of development for this breed starting as early as the 17th Century. The early forerunners are thought to be either the German Bird Dog or Spanish Pointer and the Hanover hound. Later, crosses with English Pointers were common but decreased the breed's versatility due; it no longer excelled at water retrieving or attacking game.

In the early 1800's the German Shorthaired Pointer finally began to take on it's definitive shape. At the time the breed was referred to as the "Deutsche Khurzaar" and was already competing in the German Derby. They excelled in every aspect the original GSP was meant to excel and their puppies became the first modern specimens of today's German Shorthaired Pointer. By the end of the 1800's they were recognized in Germany and by 1930 they were AKC recognized. The breed's reputation still precedes itself today and GSPs remain very popular among hunters, athletic and outdoorsy owners.

The first thing you may notice about the GSP is that it is truly a clean cut dog. The breed is well proportioned with simply an athletic and capable air-- you know this dog can get work done. Their head is neither small nor large, once again perfectly proportioned, but does have a broad, long muzzle to allow it to retrieve game. The eyes are dark brown with a keen expression; according to AKC guidelines, light eyes are to be penalized-- neither bird of prey nor blue eyes should a German Shorthaired Pointer have. The ears are broad, long and hang close to the face.

The German Shorthaired Pointer's coat is short, and tough due to it's water resistant qualities. Most often, the breed is seen in with a Liver or Liver and White coat with ticking, although there are a handful of other acceptable colors. Although the German Shorthaired's tail is often victim to the docking practice, the natural tail is actually quite long and, when active, is carried almost straight in a 45 degree angle or even straight up! Another interesting fact, German Short Haired Pointers have webbed feet! This greatly helps them to retrieve waterfowl for the hunter.

There are no other breeds of German Shorthaired Pointers, meaning there are no Toy or Miniature German Shorthaired Pointers. Not to say there aren't breeders that have or are attempting to do so, just that these dogs are not considered purebred GSP or able to be a registered member of the breed.

Always get proof of health when purchasing a puppy; this includes: seeing the parents, receiving a health guarantee and receiving copies of health certifications of the parents plus any done for the puppy. Note, those advertising they have Miniature German Shorthaired Pointer puppies for sale are likely doing one of two things:

First, they could be breeding unhealthy small German Shorthaired Pointers together to produce small puppies, however, this method often results in a lot more health problems for your pet and more cost to you in the long run.

Second, to achieve a very small size, breeders may be crossing short haired German Pointers with a totally different breed. Yes, the other breed(s) may have many similarities with the GSP but you certainly aren't getting a purebred.

The temperament of the German Shorthaired Pointer is bold but, first and foremost, a natural hunter who loves to be in the field all day. She also makes an equally wonderful companion that will bond closely with you and want to be in your presence often. Her personality is keen, energetic, obedient and relying on instinct (more than training) in the field and when off duty they are playful, eager to please, and affectionate. They make excellent additions to physically active households and are great with children. If socialized early they should get along with other dogs but, many times, make trouble in a household with small, non canine pets like cats. They are reasonably friendly with strangers and make ok watch dogs.

Another enticing German Shorthaired Pointer characteristic is that these dogs are easily trained and eager to please. They are obedient in the field and in the home and take little training to be an instinctively good hunting companion. The German Shorthaired Pointer's behavior can take a turn to whiny and destructive if they are not exercise enough or if they are left along frequently. Whining, fence jumping and destructive tendencies are not fun to deal with. Make no mistake, these dogs need a few hours daily outdoor time. They will happily accompany you on any exercise routine you have.

The German Shorthaired Pointer is pretty healthy, overall, but can still play host to genetic and environmental health defects below:

• Hip Dyspasia
• Bloat
• Osteochondritis Dessicans- disease of the joints
• Eye Disease- Progressive Retinal Atrophy and Pannus
• Hypothyroidism
• Lymphedema- swelling due to a blockage in the lymphatic system
• Epilepsy
• Cancer

Remember, not every GSP will have all or even one of these conditions. This breed usually has a lifespan of about 12-14 years.