General Description
(German Short-haired Pointing Dog, Deutsch Kurzhaar) The German Shorthaired Pointer is a versatile, all-purpose hunter and gun dog with an overall appearance of aristocracy, balance, power, and agility. They have a medium-sized, symmetrical build and an intelligent, animated expression. Ideally, dogs of this breed appear noble, coordinated, and capable. Bone structure of this breed is in direct proportion to the size of the dog’s body. The neck slopes downward in a graceful curve, and its length allows the dog to reach with its jaws to retrieve game. They have a deep chest that reaches down to the elbows and a short, strong, straight back with a slight rise from the tail root to the withers. Their strong loin is of moderate length and their broad hips are wide-set. Tails of this breed are high-set and firm, and they are customarily docked to 40% of their original length. They have sloping, mobile, well-muscled shoulders with blades that lie flat and are well laid back. Their upper arms are long and their elbows stand away from their body. Their thickly padded feet are close-knit, compact, and round- or spoon-shaped. They have muscular thighs and bent stifles, and their hock joints are angulated and sturdy. The head of the German Shorthaired Pointer is clean-cut and well-proportioned. Their skull is comparatively broad, slightly rounded, and arched on the sides. Muzzles of this breed are long enough to enable the dog to properly seize game. Depth of the muzzle is in proportion to the length of the dog’s skull. Their jaws are powerful and their strong, healthy teeth close in a scissors bite. They have medium-sized, almond-shaped eyes that are usually dark brown in color. Ears of this breed are high-set, broad, and lie flat against the dog’s head. Their nose is brown, large, and features broad, open nostrils. The short-haired coat of the German Shorthaired Pointer is thick, rough, and longer on the underside of the dog’s tail and the back edges of the dog’s haunches. Coat colors of this breed include solid liver or a combination of white and liver.
can come in black
They can also be black and white. More common in Germany than USA
Character
The German Shorthaired Pointer is energetic, intelligent, cheerful. They constantly aim to please, and they love all of their family members equally. They are good with children and they are happiest when spending time in the company of people. If properly exercised, this breed makes an outstanding companion. Males of this breed tend to be more outgoing and aggressive, while females tend to be less dominant. Energy levels are likely to vary between specimens. Despite the fact that they are hunting dogs by nature, the German Shorthaired Pointer is generally good with cats and other dogs. This breed likes to bark, and they are sometimes leery of strangers.
Size
21 – 25 inches
Weight
45 – 70 pounds
General Health
While the German Shorthaired Pointer is a comparatively healthy breed, some lines are prone to epilepsy, lymphedema, and hermaphrodism. Minor health concerns are entropion, gastric torsion, VWD, pannus, OCD, and CHD. This breed typically lives for 12 to 15 years.
History
German hunters of the nineteenth century were in need of a versatile hunting dog that possessed a keen sense of smell and outstanding pointing and tracking abilities. In order to achieve this result, the Germans incorporated the Old Spanish Pointer, the Foxhound, the English Pointer, and a variety of hounds from St. Hubert into their breeding. The contemporary German Shorthaired Pointer is the product of the efforts of these German hunters. The German Shorthaired Pointer is an all-purpose gun dog that is capable of performing very well on land and in water. They are excellent retrievers, good companions, and they require little training. They are successful in the show ring, obedience and tracking trials, hunting tests, and field trials.
Maintenance
The German Shorthaired Pointer has a smooth coat that is easy to groom and take care of. It should be brushed regularly with a firm bristle brush and bathed only as necessary. Rubbing the coat with a towel or chamois will leave it gleaming. The feet and ears of this breed should be checked frequently, and the coat should be thoroughly dried to prevent the onset of a chill. The German Shorthaired Pointer is an average shedder.
Ideal Environment
The
German Shorthaired Pointer is not recommended for life in a small household or apartment. They are most content to live with an athletic family and at least a large-sized yard. They are well-suited to most climatic conditions. Exercise is of the utmost importance for this breed.
Dog Training!
If you're having problems training your dog or getting control, you should read
our review of DogProblems.com.
Adam will do whatever it takes to help you whip your dog
into shape. I've used them to help with my Great Dane as well as help friends
train their dogs. It's the first place I go to help answer users Questions. Many
training issues are too extensive to answer in this forum, which is why I refer
a lot of the load to his site.
|
Find your new German Shorthaired Pointer
Puppies For Sale
Richlands, NC
We have dedicated our breeding program to produce quality and dedicated family members. All of our adult dogs stay in the...
Find a Breeder
Rijeka, AK
we breed only the TOP exemple of this race!
Rescue a Dog
Be the First to take out an Ad!
Ask a QuestionGerman Shorthaired Pointer Q&A
When do puppies start to show signs of their tick markings?
You can see evidence of where their ticking will be almost as soon as they are dry after birth. The skin underneath the white hair will be colored more darkly in the areas that will have ticking. Over the first couple of weeks after birth it will continue to be more obvious.
Usually around 4-6 weeks. Depending on color. Maybe a brown ticked pointer would show marking a week earlier than the blacks.
I do not have a shorthaired pointer yet, but am planning to get one. I would like to know how much you feed them?
For a 3-5 month old puppy, 10 lbs a /every two weeks. They eat fast. Keep up with the growth!
Pointers put on weight very easily. i feed mine only 2 handfuls of kibble a day, anymore and she gets overweight
It would depend on the age of you dog or puppy. Some GSP's keep weight easily and some need a little extra. We prefer to gauge what time of the year it is, are we working the dogs hard in training/hunting season, then we feed a performance food to our adults, in the not so active months we switch to a maintenance. A good quality food will require less to feed. We free feed our puppies unless they would become really obese but have never had that problem. BE SURE, to only feed your gsp puppy LARGE breed puppy food. Small breed may promote too fast of growth therefore affecting their bone structure. Our adults get 2 cups a day, 3 cups when heavy training. Good luck with your new pup!
Is it okay to give a homemade supplement made with dry dog food, cream cheese, peanut butter, corn oil, cottage cheese and browned hamburger meat to an elderly GSP that needs to gain a small amount of weight? I just wanted to check the ingredients list-before feeding it to him.
How much do they shed? low, medium or high?
I have a 6 month old female and i try not to wear black or white. because she is very small for her age and thinks shes a lap dog. maybe its just my dog but i would say medium. She sheds alot more when you give her a bath.. its really not that bad tho. you know cuz all dogs shed. gsp's just shed more regularly.
but its worth it!!
View more German Shorthaired Pointer Questions and Answers.
Upload a PhotoGerman Shorthaired Pointer Photos
View more German Shorthaired Pointer Photos.
Write a ReviewGerman Shorthaired Pointer Reviews
German Shorthaired Pointer Information
