German Shorthaired Pointer

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The German Shorthaired Pointer is a breed of dog developed in the 1800s in Germany for hunting. This gun dog was developed by crossing the old Spanish pointer with a number of other breeds and breed types including scent hounds, tracking hounds, French Braques, and English Pointer to create a lean, athletic, and responsive all around hunting dog. Some authorities consider it to be the most versatile of all gun dogs and its intelligence and affectionate nature make it a popular companion dog for active owners.

Contents

1 Appearance

1.1 Coat and color
1.2 Size

2 Temperament
3 Health

3.1 Care

4 History
5 In art and literature
6 See also
7 External links
8 References

Appearance

The breed is streamlined in build yet powerful with strong hindquarters that make it able to move rapidly and turn quickly. It has moderately long flop ears set high on the head. Its muzzle is long, broad, and strong, allowing it to retrieve even heavy furred game. Its profile should be straight or strongly Roman-nosed; any dished appearance to the profile (such as seen in the Pointer) is incorrect. The eyes are generally light hazel in colour. The tail is commonly docked, although this is now prohibited in some countries.

Coat and color

The German Shorthaired Pointer's coat is short and flat. It should have a dense undercoat protected by stiff guard hairs that makes the coat water resistant and better suited to cold weather than that of the English Pointer for example. The color can be a dark brown, correctly referred to in English as liver (incorrectly called chocolate or chestnut), black (although any area of black is cause for disqualification in American Kennel Club sanctioned shows), or either color with white. Commonly the head is a solid or nearly solid color and the body is speckled or ticked with liver and white, sometimes with saddles or large patches of solid color. Roan coats are also common, with or without patching. While the German standard permits a slight sandy coloring ("Gelber Brand") at the extremities, this is extremely rare, and a dog displaying any yellow coloring is disqualified in AKC and CKC shows.

Size

Various breed standards set its height at the withers anywhere between 21 and 25 inches, making this a medium breed. Adults typically weigh from 45 to 70 lbs (22 to 32 kg), with the female being usually slightly shorter and lighter than the male. Hereby and after the dog of such dimension and size is to be mentioned as PointerX

Temperament

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Since the German shorthaired pointer was developed to be a dog suited to family life and as well as a versatile hunter, the correct temperament is that of an intelligent, bold, and characteristically affectionate dog that is cooperative and easily trained. Shyness, fearfulness, over submissiveness, aloofness, lack of biddability, or aggression (especially toward humans) are all incorrect traits. It is usually very good with children, although care should be taken because the breed can be boisterous especially when young. These dogs love interaction with humans and appreciate active families who will give them an outlet for their energy. Most German Shorthaired Pointers make excellent watchdogs. The breed generally gets along well with other dogs. A strong hunting instinct is correct for the breed, which is not always good for other small pets such as cats or rabbits. With some training, however, it is not unusual for this highly intelligent breed to quickly discern what is prey and what is not, and they can live quite amicably with housecats and the like.

The German Shorthaired Pointer needs plenty of vigorous activity. This need for exercise (preferably off lead) coupled with the breed's natural instinct to hunt, means that training is an absolute necessity. The German shorthaired pointer's distinctly independent character and superior intelligence makes this breed best suited to experienced owners who are confident and capable handlers.

Lack of 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. The most common cause of death for German Shorthaired Pointers is being hit by a car. Although these dogs form very strong attachments with their owners, a dog that receives insufficient exercise may feel compelled to exercise himself. These dogs can escape from four foot and sometimes 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.

Like the other German Pointers (the German Wirehaired Pointer and the less well known German Longhaired Pointer), this is one of the few hunting breeds that can perform virtually all gundog roles. It is pointer and retriever, an upland bird dog and water dog, can be used for hunting larger and more dangerous game, and in addition has a scent hound's talented nose. It is an excellent swimmer but also works well in rough terrain. It is tenacious, tireless, hardy, and reliable. In short, it is a superb all-around field dog that remains popular with hunters of many nationalities.

This is an intelligent and highly trainable breed. Like the other versatile breeds, the German shorthaired pointer was developed to be comparatively independent and thoroughly capable of working out of sight of its handler. This independence can lead to the dog appearing to have a mind of its own, and so this breed especially requires training to ensure that it understands that the owner is in charge. Along with its superb hunting ability and companionable personality, its superior intelligence and biddability (trainability) continue to make this one of the more popular large breeds.

Health

The Shorthaired Pointer is generally a healthy breed. Epilpetic seizures have been a problem in some lines, and a few individuals may suffer from hip dysplasia, genetic eye diseases, skin disorders and cancerous lesions in the mouth, on the skin and other areas of the body. Most German Shorthaired Pointers are tough, healthy dogs, but according to Margo B. Maloney DVM (NAVHDA Versatile Hunting Dog Magazine, April, 2003) the breed can be subject to a number of hereditary disorders just as any other purebred.

Care

Its short coat needs very little grooming, just occasional brushing. The dog should be bathed only when needed.

Like all dogs with flop ears, it can be prone to ear infections and its ears require regular checking and cleaning. It has a longer life expectancy than many breeds of this size, commonly living 12 to 14 years, with individual dogs living to 16 to 18 years not uncommon.

As it is a large, active breed, it can require considerable food; however, it can also become obese if too much food is given for its activity level. A healthy weight should permit the last two ribs to be felt under the coat, and the dog should have a distinct waist or "tuck-up".

History

The German Shorthaired Pointer is descended from the old Spanish Pointer, which was taken to Germany in the 1600s. From that time until the first studbook was created in 1870, however, it is impossible to identify all of the dogs that went into creating this breed. Most-likely candidates for its ancestors include local German breeds such as other hunting dogs, the schweisshund, an early German tracking hound, the Foxhound, various French hounds, assorted Scandinavian breeds, the German Bird Dog, and the Italian Pointer. It is generally accepted that no Bloodhound was used as foundation material. In the late 1800s, breeders included the English Pointer to the foundational breeding program, adding style and run to round out the breed's all-around versatility as a hunting dog. Prince Albrecht zu Solms-Braunfeld of the Royal House of Hanover was credited with encouraging breeders to select early specimens on the basis of function rather than form. It is believed that this enlightened guidance was instrumental in making the breed what it is today.

Modern breeds similar in form and function (but not in color) to the German Shorthaired Pointer include the copper-russet Viszla and the silver-beige or blue-black Weimaraners.

In art and literature

Robert B. Parker's most popular mystery series features a Boston detective known only as Spenser who has had a series of three solid-liver German Shorthairs, all named Pearl: one who stood with him during a bear charge in his rural youth; one given to his girlfriend by her ex-husband; and the third Pearl, to keep company with Spenser and his girlfriend in their late middle age. Author Parker appears on many of the Spenser dustjackets with a solid-liver GSP bitch identical to the three incarnations of Pearl in the series.

Rick Bass's ruminations on living and hunting with a German Shorthaired Pointer in Montana can be found in the book Colter: The True Story of the Best Dog I Ever Had.

Sportswriter Mel Wallis' memoir Run, Rainey, Run, explores the extraordinary relationship he had with an extremely intelligent and versatile hunting German Shorthaired Pointer.

The logo of the American Kennel Club is a Pointer, not a German Shorthaired Pointer, though frequently mistaken for the latter.

Simon the Pointer by Joan Brown captures the personality of pointing dogs, however, this book is about an English Pointer, not a German Shorthaired Pointer.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

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References

Alderton, David (1984). The Dog. Quill Publishing; Chartwell Books. ISBN 0-89009-786-0.
Barnes, Duncan (ed.) (1983). The AKC's World of the Pure-Bred Dog. Nick Lyons Books. ISBN 0-87605-406-8.
Brown, Joan (1996). Simon the Pointer. Viking US. ISBN 0-6708-6662-8.
Cunliffe, Juliette (2004). The Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds. Parragon Publishing. ISBN 0-7525-8276-3.
Ellis, Mel (1985). Run, Rainey, Run. Top Dogs: Northword Publishing. ISBN 0-942802-11-X.
Fogle, Bruce, DVM (2000). The new Encyclopedia of the Dog. Doring Kindersley (DK). ISBN 0-7894-6130-7.
Marder, Amy, VMD (2004). The Complete Dog Owner's Manual. Fog City Press. ISBN 1-74089-313-1.
Maxwell, C Bede (1982) "The New German Shorthaired Pointer" Howell Book House. ISBN 0-87605-157-3.
Palmer, Joan (1994). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds. Wellfleet Press. ISBN 0-7858-0030-1.
Rollston, Dr. Christopher A. "A Brief History of the German Shorthair (Deutsch Kurzhaar)." _Shorthair Journal_ Volume 7 Issue 6 (2006):8-10. Web Version of article and bibliography: [Chestnut Vale Kennels]
Schuler, Elizabeth Meriwether (ed.) (1980). Simon & Schuster's Guide to Dogs. Fireside: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 0-671-25527-4.

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