If You Are Looking For A GSP Puppy…

About The Breed

Written by Ute Wullkotte

It is a special time in your life. You are considering adopting a displaced GSP, or acquiring a GSP from a reputable breeder, and making it part of your family.  You have decided to welcome a new dog into your home, making it part of your family and your life. This is a lifetime commitment that, like any relationship, should not be taken lightly and can present its share of challenges. Many things should be considered and many questions asked prior to selecting the breed and dog that would be appropriate for you, your family and your lifestyle:

      Why do I want a dog?  Does my family want a dog?  What am I looking for in a dog?

      Will I have the time it requires? The facilities it needs?

      How large will it get?

      How much maintenance will it need?

      What are its characteristics?

      How will it deal with strangers (both human and animal)?

      How difficult and how necessary will training be?

These are just a few of the many questions that should be considered before selecting the breed and dog that is best suited to you, your family and your lifestyle.  GERMAN SHORTHAIRED POINTERS (GSPs) are not the breed for everyone. They certainly are not for the faint of heart or weak of spirit! They are a special breed with specific needs.  GSPs were originally bred with several definite goals in mind:

      A versatile, tireless hunting dog capable of hunting feathered and furred game, pointing or treeing as necessary, retrieving to hand over land or water, and tracking wounded game.

      A dog capable of dispatching predators.

      A dog who is a loving, loyal family companion and hearth-warmer.

      A vigilant watchdog capable of guarding his home and family.

All of these goals and more have been achieved in the German Shorthaired Pointer. These same goals highlight many issues that should be considered prior to choosing a GSP as your companion.

GSPs retain a puppy level of energy throughout their lives. 

They require physical and mental stimuli to help keep this energy at a manageable level.  A family with an active lifestyle geared toward activities that would include the dog is ideal. Access to areas with plenty of room for running, such as the home property, the park, the woods, etc., is beneficial.  Devoting necessary time to fulfill a GSP's drive to "work" and learn through training and play and to satisfy its need for human companionship is essential.  A sense of humor should be a prerequisite for any future GSP owner.  A GSP can be quite mischievous and its pranks often not appreciated by humans.

While GSPs are generally great with kids, care must be exercised around small children.  A GSP's eagerness and playfulness could at times lead to unintentional injuries. (Note: Proper introduction of children to any canine, regardless of breed, and teaching children appropriate behavior around dogs in general, is essential.  To NEVER leave any dog unattended with an infant should be an absolute.)

GSPs can be protective of their home and their humans.  As a very social and human friendly breed, the GSP loves to be around people and activity, and handles this well, assuming it has been properly socialized.  The tendency to protect territory and "pack" can be present in some GSPs more than others.  We recommend you not encourage this trait should it exist.

GSPs are hunters.  This does not mean they would be unhappy in a non-hunting home.  It does, however, mean that other avenues to direct their energies may have to be found.  GSPs get bored very easily if not kept busy.  They are very inquisitive and can be quite inventive when entertaining themselves. Unfortunately, many things they consider fun (such as playing with all the neat toys in the kitchen garbage can, unspooling toilet paper, digging in the flowerbed, jumping or climbing fences, shredding pillows or furniture, and the list goes on) we consider destructive.

GSPs are very people oriented, sometimes to the point of being clingy (following your every step around the house, for example).  They thrive upon human interaction and need it to be truly happy.  They do best, whether hunting, competing, or just kept as companions, if allowed to live as a part of the family unit as a housedog rather than a yard or kennel dog.

GSPs are, by nature, often not very amicable with cats and other small furry or feathery pets.  They can be trained to leave them alone and share home space, but their hunting instinct may interfere at times.  When raised with such creatures, GSPs often do well.  However, caution should always be used with any other small pet companions such as cats, rabbits, gerbils, birds, and some toy breed dogs.

The GSP and its owner will both benefit from obedience and other types of training.  A GSP's intelligence and independent-mindedness can often lead to pitfalls if not planned for.  Many GSPs can be counted on to ignore commands if it doesn't feel that obeying the command is the proper thing to do at that point in time.  Training shapes the GSP, teaching it both control and confidence in obeying commands.  They thrive upon structure and leadership, instinctively realizing the need for this.  GSPs tend to be easily trained, as they are a very biddable breed. As a working breed, they literally love and need to work.

None of the breed's characteristics are insurmountable obstacles.  The key to success lies in realizing that these characteristics can exist and being prepared to deal with them.  GSPs are very keen and will learn a variety of tasks presented to them.  They are not only known as great hunting companions and accomplished Field Trial and Hunt Test

Competitors, but have done well in the show ring, obedience and agility trials, Search and Rescue (SAR), bomb and drug detection, sledding, and as human patient therapy dogs.

o many GSP owners the most revered attribute of this breed certainly is the unwavering devotion and loyalty they bestow upon their human companions.  They truly are a man's best friend.

The Official GSP Standard

General Appearance - The German Shorthaired Pointer is a versatile hunter, an all-purpose gun dog capable of high performance in field and water. The judgment of Shorthairs in the show ring reflects this basic characteristic. The overall picture which is created, in the observer's eye is that of an aristocratic, well balanced, symmetrical animal with conformation indicating power,

endurance and agility and a look of intelligence and animation. The dog is neither unduly small nor conspicuously large. It gives the impression of medium size, but is like the proper hunter, "with a short back, but standing over plenty of ground.  Symmetry and field quality are most essential. A dog in hard and lean field condition is not to be penalized; however, overly fat or poorly muscles dogs are to be penalized. A dog well balanced in all points is preferable to one with outstanding good qualities and defects. Grace of outline, clean cut head, sloping shoulders, deep chest, powerful back, strong quarters, good bone composition, adequate muscle, well carried tail and taut coat produce a look of nobility and indicate a heritage of purposefully conducted breeding. Further evidence of this heritage is movement which is balance, alertly coordinated and without wasted motion.

Size, Proportion, Substance - Size - height of dogs, measured at the withers, 23 to 25 inches. Height of bitches, measured at the withers, 21 to 23 inches. Deviations of one inch above or below the described heights are to be severely penalized. Weight of dogs 55

to 70 pounds. Weight of bitches 45 to 60 pounds. Proportion - measuring from the forechest to the rear most projection of the rump and from the withers to the ground, the Shorthair is permissibly either square or slightly longer than he is tall. Substance - thin and fine bones are by no means desirable in a dog which must possess strength and be able to work over any type of terrain. The main importance is not laid so much on the size of bone, but rather on the bone being in proper proportion to the body. Bone structure too heavy or too light is a fault. Tall and leggy dogs, dogs which are ponderous because of excess substance, doggy bitches, and bitchy dogs are to be faulted.

Head - The head is clean-cut, is neither too light nor too heavy, and is in proper proportion to the body. The eyes are of medium size, full of intelligence and expression, good-humored and yet radiating energy, neither protruding nor sunken. The eye is almond shaped, not circular. The preferred color is dark brown. Light yellow eyes are not desirable and are a fault. Closely set eyes are to be faulted. China or wall eyes are to be disqualified. The ears are broad and set fairly high, lie flat and never hang away from the head. Their placement is just above eye level. The ears when laid in front without being pulled, should extend to the corner of the mouth. In the case of heavier dogs, the ears are correspondingly longer. Ears too long or fleshy are to be faulted. The skull is reasonably broad, arched on the side and slightly round on top. Unlike the Pointer, the median line between the eyes and the forehead is not too deep and the occipital bone is not very

conspicuous. The foreface rises gradually from nose to forehead. The rise is more strongly pronounced in the dog than in the bitch. The jaw is powerful and the muscles well developed. The line to the forehead rises gradually and never has a definite stop as that of the Pointer, but rather a stop effect when viewed from the side, due to the position of the eyebrows. The muzzle is sufficiently long to enable the dog to seize game properly and be able to carry it for a long time. A pointed muzzle is not desirable. The depth is in the right proportions to the length, both in muzzle and in the skull proper. The length of the muzzle should be equal the length of skull. A dish-shaped muzzle is a fault. A definite Pointer stop is a serious fault. Too many wrinkles in the forehead is a fault. The nose is brown, the larger the better and with nostrils well opened and broad. A spotted nose is not desirable. A flesh colored nose disqualifies. The chops fall away from the somewhat projecting nose. Lips full and deep yet are never flewy. The teeth are strong and healthy. The molars intermesh properly. The bite is a true scissors bite. A perfect level bite is not desirable and must be penalized. Extreme overshot and undershot disqualifies.

Neck, Topline, Body - The neck is of proper length to permit the jaws reaching game to be retrieved, sloping downwards on beautifully curving lines. The nape is rather muscular becoming gradually larger towards the shoulders. Moderate throatiness is permitted. The skin is close and tight. The chest in general gives the impression of depth rather than breadth; for all that is in correct proportion to the other parts of the body. The chest reaches down to the elbows, the ribs forming the thorax show

rib spring and are not flat or slabsided; they are not round or barrel shaped. The back ribs reach well down. The circumference of the thorax immediately behind the elbows is smaller than that of the thorax about a hand's breath behind elbows so that the upper arm has room for movement. Tuck-up is apparent. The back is short, strong and straight with a slight rise from the root of the tail to the withers. The loin is strong, is of moderate length and is slightly arched. An excessively long, roached or swayed back must be penalized. The hips are broad with hip sockets wide apart and fall slightly toward the tail in a graceful curve. A steep croup is a fault. The tail is set high and firm and must be docked, leaving approximately 40% of its length. The tails hangs down when the dog is quiet and is held horizontally when he is walking. The tail must never be curved over the back toward the head when the dog is moving. A tail curved or bent toward the head is to be severely penalized.

Forequarter - The shoulders are sloping, movable and well covered with muscle. The shoulder blades lie flat and are well laid back nearing a 45 degree angle. The upper arm (the bones between the shoulder and elbow joint) is as long as possible, standing away somewhat from the trunk so that the straight and closely muscled legs, when viewed from the front, appear to be parallel. Elbows which stand away from the

body or are too close result in toes turning inwards or outwards and must be faulted. Pasterns are strong, short and nearly vertical with a slight spring, loose, short-bladed or straight shoulders must be faulted. Knuckling over is to be faulted. Dewclaws on the forelegs may be removed. The feet are compact, close-knit and round to spoon-shaped. The toes are sufficiently arched and heavily nailed. The pads are strong, hard and thick.

Hindquarters - Thighs are strong and well muscled. Stifles are well bent. Hock joints are well angulated and strong with straight bone structure from hock to pad. Angulation of both stifle and hock joint is such as to achieve the optimal balance of drive and traction. Hocks turn neither in nor out. Cowhocked legs are a serious fault.

Coat - The hair is short and thick and feels tough to the hand; it is somewhat longer on the underside of the tail and the back edges of the haunches. The hair is softer, thinner and shorter on the ears and the head. Any dog with long hair in the body coat is to be severely penalized.

Color - The coat may be of solid liver or a combination of liver and white such as liver and white ticked, liver patched and white ticked, or liver roan. A dog with any area of black, red, orange, lemon or tan, or a dog solid white will be disqualified.

Gait - A smooth lithe gait is essential. It is to be noted that as gait increases from the walk to a faster speed, the legs converge beneath the body the tendency to single track is desirable. The forelegs reach well ahead as if to pull in the ground without giving the appearance of a hackney gait. The hindquarters drive the back legs smoothly and with great power.

Temperament - The Shorthair is friendly, intelligent, and willing to please. The first impression is that of a keen enthusiasm for work without indication of nervous or flighty character.

Disqualifications - China or wall eyes. Flesh colored nose. Extreme overshot or undershot. A dog with any area of black, red, orange, lemon or tan.