German Shorthaired Pointers
A Top Family Dog
The German Shorthaired Pointer (or GSP) was developed in the late 19th century in Germany as a gun dog that could both hunt and retrieve wild game. According to the American Kennel Club, the likely breeds that went into creating the GSP include the German Bird Dog and the English Pointer.
The Look
GSPs have a regal quality about them, particularly when they are alert to something of interest. Their coats can be straight liver or black, or either of these colours with white spots or flecks. The American version of the GSP has considerably more white flecking on the body than its European cousins.
Their tails are naturally quite long, although some countries still allow docking of tails so some GSPs will have shorter tails. The eyes are definitely the windows to these dogs’ souls, and range from dark brown to amber, although dark brown is the ideal colour for the ‘perfect’ GSP.
They are not a small dog and generally grow to about 65 centimetres (25.5 inches) for males and about 60 centimetres (23 inches) for females. GSPs generally live between twelve and fourteen years.
Temperament
GSPs have a temperament that could win over any heart, and it is no great surprise that once a family has owned one GSP they are often converts for life. GSPs are extremely loyal and very balanced. Not known to be nervous dogs, they may appear aloof with anyone they don’t know – but just give them time with new people and before long the GSP will have made yet another friend.
A favourite pastime of a GSP is to take long walks with their family with plenty of opportunities to sniff and explore. They have lots of energy and love to be involved with whatever their family are doing.
Overall, GSPs are cheerful and happy dogs, and can often be seen with a goofy smile that belies the high intelligence they actually possess.
Benefits of the Breed for a Family
GSPs quickly become a part of the family. They are loyal and like it best when all of their ‘humans’ are home. They are very easily trained and very good with children, although, as with all dogs, never leave a GSP unsupervised with children; given their size and sometimes boisterous nature they could unintentionally knock over a small child.
Barking can be one of the GSPs favourite past times, but they can be taught to quieten down on command. As they are hunting dogs, care needs to be taken if there are smaller pets in the household, particularly cats and rabbits. Any problems between GSPs and other pets can be easily prevented by spending time teaching your dog right from wrong behaviour; you might even find your cat and GSP eventually becoming good friends and occasionally snuggling up together.
Training
There are numerous training methods available for dogs, so do some research to decide which method best suits you, your family and your dog. Some simple strategies that you can use regardless of your overall training methods are:
- Decide with your family what the rules for your dog will be before you bring them home. Are they allowed to come inside? Where will they toilet? Are they allowed to get up on the couch?
- Be very consistent with your dog. Puppies are very cute and it is very easy to let them get away with naughty behaviour, but by doing this you will confuse your puppy and make training when they are older much more difficult. If they would not be allowed on the couch as a fully grown dog, don’t let them up there when they are a puppy either.
Where to Buy
GSPs can have medical issues such as hip dysplasia and ear infections, so to minimise this risk it is important to buy from a reputable breeder who has an established breeding program. This means that the breeder has a plan for which dogs they will breed in order to eliminate or minimise problems that arise from inbreeding.
To find out about reputable and registered breeders check out the American Kennel Club, go to dog shows, or do research on kennels in your area on the internet. See if you can meet the breeder and their dogs and even inspect the kennels prior to buying a puppy. Most breeders encourage prospective ‘parents’ to visit their facilities.
Ari the GSP
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GSPs love company
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