Breeds 101: The German Shorthaired Pointer
The German Shorthaired Pointer is smart and eager to please.
The German Shorthaired Pointer, more commonly known as the GSP, is primarily a hunting dog, specializing in quail.
They are the 10th most-popular breed in America for 2017, the most recent year statistics are available, according to the American Kennel Club.
The GSP is medium in size, standing 23-25 inches at the withers (shoulders) for males and 21-23 inches for females, who weigh around 45-60 pounds. Males weigh in the 55-70 pound range.
“The German Shorthaired Pointer is a versatile hunter, an all-purpose gun
dog capable of high performance in field and water,” states the AKC Breed Standard.
Furthermore, the Standard continues, in the ideal GSP “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 German Shorthaired Pointer is very logically classified into Sporting Group in AKC dog shows.
They live for about 10-12 years, which is about average for canine lifespans.
The coat is very short and only needs occasionally bathing to keep it clean, though they do shed almost nonstop, so they would be a very poor choice if there is someone in your family with dog allergies.
Their coats are typically liver brown or black, or may be a combination of one color with white.
Besides hunting, these athletic dogs often excel at agility, dock diving and flyball. Their excess energy can also be spent productively by protecting their family or house as watchdogs.
Though they are a very healthy breed in general, GSP females can develop breast cancer, and all GSPs may have problems with bloated stomachs and hip dysplasia.
Mystery author Robert B. Parker, creator of the detectives Spenser, Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall, was a big fan of GSPs and included several as regular characters in his Spenser series.
JC in Bill Wallace’s middle-grade novel The Backward Bird Dog is a Pointer, and the sports teams of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point are called the Pointers.
Next. The top hunting dogs. dark
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