Description

A structurally correct German Shorthaired Pointer is lean, well-balanced, athletic, and graceful, yet powerful, and of medium size. They have moderately floppy ears, soft to the touch and set high on the head. The muzzle is long and broad, making it easier to retrieve game. The muzzle should never be pointed. Eyes are generally dark brown in color, with yellow being a fault. The eyes should not be set too close and should be almond shaped instead of round. The nose should also be brown and as large as possible, with nostrils broad and well opened. Teeth should form a scissor bite, and any under or overbite is penalized. A powerful jaw with well developed muscles is required to carry game for long periods of time. The dog should be evenly muscled, and a healthy weight maintained. The last two ribs should be felt under the coat with a distinct waist line. The shoulders should slope, creating a powerful back and strong quarters. Spoon shaped feet should be compact with arched toes and heavy nails. Pads should be hard and thick. Thin or fine bones are not desirable as this dog should possess strength and durability to be able to work over any type of terrain. Tails are docked 60%, should never be curled, and should hang down when the dog is quiet, horizontal when walking. When sitting down, the dog should be able to sit on his tail. Dew claws are removed as puppies to prevent injury when working as adults. Dew claws have the tendency to be ripped when running in fields. Overall the dog should be well balanced and proportioned.

The conformation of both show and working Shorthair\'s should be similar, as the breed description compliments its hunting abilities.

Coat Description

The coat on a German Shorthaired Pointer is rough on the hand, short, thick, and flat. On the ears and head, the hair is softer. Hair may be longer under the tail and the back edges of the haunches, but any long hair on the body is a fault and should be severely penalized in the show ring.

A dense undercoat protected by the stiff body hair makes the dog water resistant and better adaptable to cold weather.

Colors such as black, red, orange, lemon, tan, or solid white are not permitted and are disqualified in the American Kennel Club. However, German standards permit colors such as black and a slight sandy color, known as Gelber Brand, which is extremely rare.

History

The German Shorthaired Pointer breed was developed in Germany during the 1800\'s for hunting. They were created by crossing old Spanish pointers with numerous other breeds such as scent hounds and tracking hounds; Foxhounds, Italian Pointers, German Tracking Hounds, German Bird Dogs, and English Pointers. The combination created a responsive, lean, hunting dog with great versatility, being able to retrieve both fur and feather, on land and water. Breeders focused on the basis of function rather than form, in creating the breed.

German Shorthaired Pointers were accepted into the American Kennel Club in 1930, their parent club holding the first specialty show in 1941.

The efforts of nineteenth century German breeders, has created a dog today that is one of the most versatile of all gun dogs and an ideal weekend hunter. They do well in companion hunting as well as field trials, hunt tests, tracking trials, and the show ring.

Temperament

This breed was created to be a family friendly dog as well as a hunter. German shorthair\'s should be an affectionate and intelligent dog that is easy to train and willing to please. They are cheerful, friendly, comical and sociable. German shorthair\'s love children and do well with them, but sometimes as puppies they can be too boisterous. If taught from early on to be gentle, as adults they can make great companions to children.

Most German Shorthair\'s make excellent watch dogs because they are protective and loyal to their family. They love to be with their people, and crave interaction and mental stimulation. A German Shorthair that lacks socialization and exercise could show behaviors such as aggression, destructiveness, and shyness.

Males tend to be dominant and outgoing, while females tend to be less dominant. Both genders need a strong owner with the knowledge of being a pack leader and staying in charge of their dog. An owner that is too easy going will find their dog overpowers them and will not be controllable. They tend to be a "one-man" dog.

This breed is extremely smart. Intelligence, combined with energy, creates a dog that needs to keep his mind and body occupied. Teaching the dog commands such as sit, stay, down, come, etc. keeps the mind occupied and satisfied, as well as vigorous exercise.

If raised with other pets, German Shorthairs can do well with other dogs and cats. However, they are a hunting breed and small pets such as birds, small mammal\'s and reptiles may be considered game to them.

If left alone too long, they can become destructive. It is recommended to crate or kennel them when being left alone. Crate training can begin when they are young puppies and can be a valuable tool for the rest of their life. However, over-crating can be destructive.

The GSP is one of the more noisy hunting dogs. It should be taught when they are young when barking is acceptable and when it is not, to prevent nuisance barking.

Thyroid Disease - Medium Risk

The German Shorthaired Pointer ranks #47 among all breeds for autoimmune thyroiditis prevalence. While this is not a high risk breed, there is still a good chance of disease transmission through breeding. Therefore, all dogs intended for breeding should be tested first. 

You can download the full report (on all breeds) by the Michigan State University Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health. Here

Other Health Problems

German Shorthairs are generally considered a healthy breed, but they can be prone to disorders such as:

• Hip Dysplasia, an abnormality of the hip joints
• Epilepsy, a disease causing seizures
• Entropion, a hereditary eyelid disorder
• Hermaphrodism, the presence of both male and female genitals
• Skin disorders, such as cancerous lesions, especially on the mouth.

Disorders such as hip dysplasia, epilepsy, and entropion can be weeded out of lines by doing health examinations through OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals), PennHip and CERF (Canine Eye Registration Foundation). Dogs with abnormal results or poor hips should be altered and never bred, so as not to pass on such traits to their offspring.

As all dogs with floppy ears, the German Shorthair Pointer is prone to ear infections. Regular cleaning of the ears is necessary. The ears should be dried out after swimming to prevent the moisture from forming bacteria or yeast in the ear canal. Cleaning the ears can be done with a cotton ball and ear wash or vinegar. Weekly cleaning is ideal. It is not recommended to use q-tips to clean the ear, as such a tool could damage the ear canal.
GSP's can easily gain weight if not exercised enough. They require a lot of food when worked, but should not be overfed. If left overweight, the dog is prone to injury when working or exercising.