German Shorthaired Pointer
| Recognized By: |
ACR
,
AKC
,
ANKC
,
APRI
,
CKC
,
CKC
,
FCI
,
KCGB
,
NKC
,
NZKC
,
UKC
|
| |
|
| AKA: |
German Short-haired Pointing Dog, Deutsch Kurzhaar |
| |
|
| Mispellings: |
|
| |
|
Living with a German Shorthaired Pointer
Temperament: The German Shorthaired Pointer is a friendly, intelligent, energetic dog.
Family Dog: The German Shorthaired Pointer loves all members of the family including children. If given ample daily exercise they make a wonderful family pet. If they are left alone for long periods without exercise or companionship they can become nervous and destructive. If raised with other pets from a young age they will do quite well with them but keep in mind they are hunters by nature and supervision may be required. They are reserved with strangers.
Shedding: The German Shorthaired Pointer is an average shedder.
Grooming: The German Shorthaired Pointer's smooth coat is very easy to groom. They need to be brushed regularly with a firm bristle brush and bathed only when necessary. Rubbing the coat with a soft towel or chamois will leave the coat shiny. The feet and ears should be checked regularly especially after the working or exercising.
Barking: The German Shorthaired Pointer likes to bark.
Weather: The German Shorthaired Pointer does well in most climates.
Exercise: The German Shorthaired Pointer requires a lot of daily exercise. They should not be kept as family pets unless they can be given plenty of exercise every day including a long, brisk walk, jog or run. They can become bored and destructive if not sufficiently exercised.
Living Conditions: The German Shorthaired Pointer is not recommended for apartment living. They need a large yard, preferably with a 6 foot or higher fence and lots of exercise. If they left alone and become bored the can become escape artists.
German Shorthaired Pointer Appearance
Appearance: German Shorthaired Pointers are a medium-sized, all-purpose gun and hunting dogs with great agility and endurance as well as high performance both in the field and the water. Their overall appearance should be symmetrical and well-balanced with and intelligent and aristocratic look. They have a clean-cut head, sloping shoulders, deep chest, powerful back, strong legs and a solid muscular build.
Size: The male German Shorthaired Pointer should be between 23 to 25 inches at the shoulders with an average weight of 55 to 70 pounds. Females should be slightly smaller with an overall height at the withers of 21 to 23 inches and a weight of 45 to 60 pounds.
Companionship: The German Shorthaired Pointer is a loyal and protective dog.
Head: The head of the German Shorthaired Pointer is clean-cut and proportionate to the size of its body. The skull is wide, arched on the side and round on the top. The line between the eyes is not too deep and the occipital bone is not very noticeable. The foreface has a gradual rise from the nose to the forehead which is more strongly pronounced in males but does not form a definite stop.
Nose: The nose of the German Shorthaired Pointer is brown in color. The nose should be long with well-open and wide nostrils. The chops gradually fall away from the nose. The lips should be deep and full but never flewy.
Eyes: The German Shorthaired Pointer's eyes are dark brown in color, almond shaped and medium in size. They should be neither protruding nor sunken into the face. They give the dog an alert and intelligent expression that radiates energy.
Ears: The ears of the German Shorthaired Pointer are broad and set high on the head just above eye level. They should lie flat against the sides of the head. The ears when laid forward should extend to the corner of the mouth.
Muzzle: The muzzle of the German Shorthaired Pointer is long enough for the dog to be able to retrieve and carry game properly. The depth of the muzzle should be proportionate to its length which should equal the length of skull.
Teeth/Bite: The German Shorthaired Pointer has a strong, powerful jaw with strong and healthy teeth meeting in a true scissors bite.
Neck: The neck of the German Shorthaired Pointer should be long enough to allow the dog to reach and retrieve game. The nape is muscular. The neck gradually broadens as it slopes downward curving into the shoulders. The skin should be close and tight with only moderate throatiness allowed.
Body: The body of the German Shorthaired Pointer is square or just slightly rectangular in proportion with the overall length equal or just slightly longer than the height of the body at the withers. They should have strong bones that are in proper proportion to the body. The deep chest should be in correct proportion to the rest of the body reaching down to the elbows. The ribs are well-spring and should be neither flat nor slab-sided. There is noticeable tuck-up. They have a short, straight, strong back with gradual rise from the tail to the shoulders. The strong, arched loin is of moderate length. The hips are wide, falling gradually toward the tail with a graceful curve.
Forequarters: The German Shorthaired Pointer's shoulders are muscular and sloping. The shoulder blades are flat and well laid back at close to a 45 degree angle. The upper arm should be as long as possible and stand away from the body. The straight and muscular legs should appear parallel when viewed from the front. The pasterns are short, strong and vertical with a slight spring.
Hindquarters: The thighs of the German Shorthaired Pointer are strong and muscular with well bent stifles and well-angulated hock joints providing optimal balance of drive and traction.
Gait: The German Shorthaired Pointer should have a smooth gait. As their speed increases the legs converge beneath the body with a tendency toward single tracking. The front legs have ample reach to pull the body forward without giving the appearance of a hackney gait. The rear legs provide great drive and power.
Feet: The feet of the German Shorthaired Pointer are compact and close-knit. They are either round or spoon-shaped with arched toes, heavy nails, and strong, thick, hard pads. The front dewclaws should be removed.
Tail: The tail of the German Shorthaired Pointer is set high on the rear and docked to approximately 40% of its length. It hangs downward when the dog is at rest and horizontally when the dog is in motion. It should never be curved over the back.
Color: The coat may be of German Shorthaired Pointer should be solid Liver or a combination of Liver & White including Liver & White ticked, Liver patched and White ticked or Liver roan. There should be no areas of black, red, orange, lemon or tan in the coat.
Coat: The coat of the German Shorthaired Pointer is short and thick with a tough texture. The coat on the underside of the tail and back of the haunches may be somewhat longer. The coat on the ears and head is shorter, thinner and softer.
German Shorthaired Pointer Facts
Category: Gun Dog, AKC Sporting
Life Expectancy: The life expectancy of the German Shorthaired Pointer is about 12 to 15 years.
Characteristics: Male German Shorthaired Pointers tend to be more outgoing and aggressive than females who tend to be less dominant. A dog's energy level can vary as some are bred for high performance competition and thus require more exercise. They are ideal dogs for the weekend hunter who wants a great family dog during the week. They are also good at obedience, tracking, field trials, hunting tests and in the show ring.
German Shorthaired Pointer Health
Health: The German Shorthaired Pointer is typically a healthy breed. Unfortunately, some are prone to epilepsy, hermaphrodism, lymphedema, CHD, entropion, gastric torsion, VWD, pannus and OCD.
German Shorthaired Pointer History
History: During the nineteenth century, German hunters needed a dog capable of tracking, pointing out and retrieving game for a hunter on foot. The German Shorthaired Pointer was bred from the Old Spanish Pointer, Hounds of St. Hubert, the Foxhound and other hounds. Eventually they were bred with the English Pointer to make the dog faster and more energetic.
