German Shorthaired Pointer

Size
Large to Giant (27Kg +)
Exercise
40 min/day
Training
Weekly
Size of home
House with garden
Time at home
Alone with support
Grooming
Low maintenance
Barking preference
Moderate
Personality
Independent + affectionate

Breeder List

Breeder - Mrs Karina Hutchings (COPESTAAG)

khutchings4@me.com
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Breeder - Dr Le Hammer (FENRIK)

fenrikgsp@icloud.com
See Details

History

The precise origin of the German Shorthaired Pointer is unclear, however it is likely that the German Shorthaired Pointer is descended from a breed known as the German Bird Dog, which itself is related to the Old Spanish Pointer introduced to Germany in the 17th century. It is also likely that various German hound and tracking dogs, as well as the English Pointer and the Arkwright Pointer also contributed to the development of the breed. However, as the first studbook was not created until 1870, it is impossible to identify all of the dogs that went into creating this breed. ^1.

Appearance

The German Shorthaired Pointer is an all-purpose hunting dog and will hunt both feather and fur. Known occasionally as the ‘Kurzaar’, it is a versatile hunter and all-purpose Gundog capable of high performance in the field and water.

A noble, harmonious dog, this breed is made for endurance, power and speed. Its characteristic features are a noble appearance, graceful outlines, a clean-cut head, a well carried tail and a taut, gleaming coat.

The nose is somewhat protruding. Nostrils sufficiently wide, broad and mobile. Basically brown, however black in black or black roan dogs. A flesh-coloured or spotted nose is only permissible in dogs with white as a basic colour. ^2.

Skin: Close and tight, not wrinkly.
Texture: Short and dense, rough and hard to the touch. Somewhat thinner and shorter on the head and ears, not remarkably longer at the underside of the tail. Should cover the whole body. ^2.

Colours are Solid brown, without markings, brown with small white or flecked markings at chest and legs, dark brown roan, with brown head, brown patches or specks. The basic colour of such a dog is not brown mixed with white or white with brown, but the coat shows such an even intensive mixture of brown and white, which results in that kind of inconspicuous exterior of the dog ever so valuable for the practical hunt. At the inner sides of the hind legs, as well as the tip of the tail, the colour is often lighter. ^2.

Temperament

Both German Shorthaired and Wirehaired Pointers are very loyal and family orientated and are well-suited to being treated as a family member. German Shorthaired Pointers are also gentle, affectionate and even tempered. Alert, biddable and very loyal, they are never fearful.

Maintenance

German Shorthaired Pointers, along with other sporting dogs, requires a lot of exercise and space to run. GSPs have a lot of energy, they are one of the most energetic breeds. ^3. Therefore if not given the right amount of attention, they can become bored and destructive. The breed does not do well left alone all day, or if relegated to a kennel without plenty of human interaction.

German Shorthaired Pointers are a very clean breed. Their short coat needs very little grooming, just occasional brushing. They typically shed constantly and should be bathed only when needed.

Grooming the ‘wash and wear’ coat is easy. All it takes is a warm bath with a good shampoo and towel dry, taking care to dry the ears and keep them clean. Like all dogs with flop ears, GSP can be prone to ear infections and their ears require regular checking and cleaning.

German Shorthaired Pointers will shed their old coat once a year; at thistime, a good groom with a rubber mitt will help the new coat shine through.

Feeding a good quality premium dry food, along with occasional raw meaty bones, will help keep both breeds’ teeth in top shape.

Health

Healthy, well cared for German Shorthaired Pointers will usually live for as long as 11 or 12 years, sometimes longer. Like all dogs, they can be prone to some hereditary disease.

Recognising this, responsible breeders work to reduce the incidence of hereditary problems in their breeding so that they can produce healthy puppies.

Suitability

The German Shorthaired Pointer needs plenty of vigorous activity and thrives with lots of exercise and running. This need for exercise, coupled with the breed's natural instinct to hunt, means that training is an absolute necessity. The breed’s distinctly independent character means that any unused energy will likely result in the dog amusing itself, most probably in an undesirable manner.

Failure by the owner to give this active and intelligent dog sufficient exercise and/or proper training can produce a German Shorthaired Pointer that appears hyperactive or that has destructive tendencies. Thus the breed is not a suitable pet for an inactive home or for inexperienced dog owners. Although these dogs form very strong attachments with their owners, a bored GSP that receives insufficient exercise may feel compelled to exercise himself. These dogs are athletic and can escape from four- to six-foot enclosures with little difficulty.

Regular hunting, running, carting, bikejoring, skijoring, mushing, dog scootering or other vigorous activity can alleviate this desire to escape. The natural instinct to hunt may result in the dog hunting alone and sometimes bringing home occasional dead trophies, such as cats, rats, pigeons and other urban animals. In addition to exercise, especially formal hunting, the GSP needs to be taught to distinguish legitimate prey and off limits animals. ^4.

References

"Get to Know the German Shorthaired Pointer". American Kennel Club.
Retrieved 30 April 2014.
DOGS AUSTRALIA Breed Standard
German Shorthaired Pointer Dog Breed Information and Pictures". dogbreedinfo.com. Retrieved 2016-12-02
Wikipedia.org

Image supplied by Dianne McCann

In Conclusion

Now you know a little about the German Shorthaired Pointer, you may think that this is the dog for you. Before you make a decision, please make contact with the breed club or your State controlling body for purebred dogs. They will be able to give you information about available puppies and also suggest dog shows where you can see the breed and speak to breeders. In this way you will gain a better perspective of the German Shorthaired Pointer, and its needs and whether this breed would suit your lifestyle.

Official breed standard as recognized by Dogs NSW (Last Updated: 02 Aug 2016)

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Breed Standard - German Shorthaired Pointer

A breed standard is the guideline which describes the ideal characteristics, temperament, and appearance of a breed and ensures that the breed is fit for function with soundness essential. Breeders and judges should at all times be mindful of features which could be detrimental in any way to the health, welfare or soundness of this breed.

General Appearance

German Shorthaired Pointer is a dog of noble and balanced appearance, the conformation of which ensures strength, endurance and speed. Proud attitude, smooth outlines, lean head, well carried tail, firm shiny coat and well reaching, harmonious strides emphasise its nobility.IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS: Length of body should slightly exceed height at withers.

Characteristics

Not Specified.

Temperament

Firm, balanced, reliable, restrained temperament. Neither nervous, nor shy or aggressive.

Physical Standards

Head and Skull	Lean, well defined, neither too light nor too heavy; as to strength and length it matches the substance and the sex of the dog.Skull: Moderately wide, flatly rounded, scarcely pronounced occipital bone, front furrow not too deep, noticeably developed superciliary ridges.Stop: Moderately developedForefaceNose: Somewhat protruding. Nostrils sufficiently wide, broad and mobile. Basically brown, however black in black or black roan dogs. A flesh-coloured or spotted nose is only permissible in dogs with white as a basic colour.Muzzle: Long, broad, deep and strong in order to enable the dog's correct carrying of game. Viewed from the side the nasal bridge shows a slight curvature in all transitions from a nobly constructed ram's nose to a slight rise above the straight line, more prominent in the males. A totally straight nasal bridge, although still acceptable, is less attractive; a concave bridge (dish-face) is a serious fault.Flews: Tight fitting, not too pendulous, good pigmentation. The naso-labial line slopes almost vertically and then continues in a flat arch to the moderately pronounced corner of the lips.Cheeks: Strong, well muscled.
Eyes	Of medium size, neither protruding nor deep set. The ideal colour is dark brown. Eyelids tight fitting.
Ears	Moderately long, set on high and broad, flat and without twisting hanging down close to the head, bluntly rounded at the tip. Neither too fleshy nor too thin. When brought forward they should reach to approximately the corner of the lips.
Mouth	Strong jaws with a perfect, regular scissor bite. The upper incisors should reach over the lower incisors without a gap and the teeth should be positioned vertically in the jaws. 42 sound teeth, in accordance with the teeth formula.
Neck	Length in harmony with the general appearance of the dog, progressively thickening towards the body. Very muscular and slightly crested nape. Tight fitting skin of throat.
Forequarters	General appearance: Viewed from the front, straight and parallel; viewed from the side, the legs are well placed under the body.Shoulders: Shoulder blades well laid back, well attached to chest, and strongly muscled. Shoulder blade and upper arm well angulated.Upper arm: As long as possible, well muscled and dry.Elbow: Close but not too tight to body, neither turned in or out, well set back.Forearm: Straight and sufficiently muscled. Strong bone, not too coarse.Pastern joint: StrongPastern: Minimal angulation of pastern and forearm, never standing upright.
Body	Topline: Straight and slightly sloping.Withers: Well definedBack: Firm and muscular. Vertebral processes should be covered by muscles.Loin: Short, broad, muscular, straight or slightly arched. Transition from back to loin tight and well knit.Croup: Broad and long enough, not abruptly slanting, but slightly slanting towards the tail, well muscled.Chest: Somewhat deeper than broad with well defined forechest, with the sternum reaching back as far as possible. Sternum and elbow joint on the same level. Ribs well sprung, neither flat nor barrel-shaped. False ribs reaching well down.Underline: With elegant arch, slightly tucked up towards rear, dry.
Hindquarters	General appearance: Viewed from behind straight and parallel. Good angulation in stifles and hocks, strong bone.Upper thigh: Long, broad and muscular, with good angulation between pelvis and femur.Stifle: Strong, with good angulation of upper and lower thigh.Lower thigh: Long, muscular with clearly visible tendons. Good angulation between lower thigh and hocks.Hock joint: Strong.Hocks: Strong, vertical.
Feet	Round to spoon shaped, with well tight and adequately arched toes. Strong toenails. Tough, resistant pads. Feet set parallel, neither turned in nor out, in stance as well as movement.
Tail	Set high, strong at the root and then tapering, of medium length. About halfway docked for hunting purposes. At rest hanging down; in movement horizontal, neither carried too high above the backline nor extremely bent. (In countries where the tail docking is prohibited by law, the tail can remain in its natural shape. It should reach as far as the hocks and be carried straight or slightly sabre tail fashion).
Gait/Movement	Well extended strides, with forceful propulsion from the hindquarters and adequate reach of the forelimbs. Front and hind legs moving straight and parallel. The dog is carrying himself in a proud attitude. Pacing gait is not desirable.
Coat	Skin: Close and tight, not wrinkly.Texture: Short and dense, rough and hard to the touch. Somewhat thinner and shorter on the head and ears, not remarkably longer at the underside of the tail. Should cover the whole body.
Colour	Solid brown, without markings.Brown with small white or flecked markings at chest and legs.Dark brown roan, with brown head, brown patches or specks. The basic colour of such a dog is not brown mixed with white or white with brown, but the coat shows such an even intensive mixture of brown and white which results in that kind of inconspicuous exterior of the dog ever so valuable for the practical hunt. At the inner sides of the hindlegs as well as the tip of the tail the colour is often lighter.Light brown roan with brown head, brown patches, specks or without patches. In this colouring the brown hairs are fewer, the white hairs are predominant.White with brown head markings, brown patches or specks.Black colour in the same nuances as the brown, respectively the brown roan colours.Yellow tan markings are permissible.Blaze, fleck and speckles flews are permissible.
Size	Height at the withers:Dogs 62-66 cmsBitches 58-63 cms

Faults

Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog, and on the dog’s ability to perform its traditional work.Faults in attitude, not according or typical to gender.Muzzle too shortFlews too heavy or too thinFrom the total of 4 PM 1 and 2 m3 only two teeth may be missing.Eyes too light. Yellowish, bird of prey eyes.Ears too long, too short, too heavy, set on too narrow or twisted.Loose skin at throat.Slight roach back.Rump (croup) too short.Chest too deep.Tail strongly bent or carried too high above the topline.Elbows turned in or out. Feet turned in or out. Forelegs standing close or wide.Hindquarters too straight.Slightly bow-legged, slightly cow-hocked or close hocks.SERIOUS FAULTSClumsy, lymphatic, coarse conformation.Marked stop.Flesh-coloured or flecked nose (except when basic colour of coat is white).Snipy muzzle, concave bridge of the nose (dishface).Pincer bite or partial pincer bite.Distinct roach back, slight swayback.Considerable lack in depth of chest. Poorly developed forechest. Ribs too flat or barrel shaped.Distinctly turned in or out elbows.Weak and down on pasterns.Pastern totally verticalDistinctly cow-hocked or bow-legged, in stance as well as in movement.Overbuilt hindquarters.Flat feet.Spread toes.Clumsy gait.Deviation of more than 2 cm from the given height at the withers.DISQUALIFYING FAULTSDistinctly non-typical gender characteristics.Absence of more than 2 teeth from the total of 4 PM1 and 2M3. Absence of 1 tooth or more other than PM1 and M3.Non visible teeth have to be considered as missing.Overshot or undershot bite, wry mouth as well as all intergrades.Any surplus teeth arranged outside the dental arch.Cleft palate and hare lip.Excessively loose eyelids, ectropian, entropian, distichiasis (double row of eyelashes).Excessive swayback, malformation of the spine.Any malformation of the chest, e.g. clipped sternum (short sternum blending abruptly into the abdominal line).Rear dewclaws with or without bony skeleton.Weak character.