It's a very special time in your life...
picture by Rob Rinsage
...when you make the decision to buy or adopt a dog. It
is a lifetime commitment - one that, like any relationship, brings its share of
ups and downs.
There are many questions one must ask when selecting the breed and dog that
is appropriate: How large will it get? How much maintenance will it need? How
will it deal with strangers (both human and animal)? What will it be like
temperamentally? How difficult (and necessary!) will training be? These are
among the many answers that you need in order to select the dog that is best
suited for you.
The German Shorthaired Pointer is not the dog for everybody. He is not a dog
for the faint of heart or the weak of spirit!
The GSP was bred with a few definite goals in mind: he should be a versatile,
tireless hunting dog, capable of hunting feathered and furred game, pointing or
treeing as necessary, retrieving to hand, over land or water, when the kill was
made, tracking wounded game, and dispatching predators whenever encountered; he
should be a loving and loyal family companion and hearthwarmer; and he should be
a vigilant watchdog, guarding his home and owners.
These goals have all been realized in the German Shorthaired Pointer. This
fact brings up many points that need to be considered when choosing the GSP as
your companion.
The GSP retains a puppy level of energy throughout its life. This breed
requires exercise to help keep this energy burned off to a manageable level.
This breed is most suited for a family with an active lifestyle. Having areas
with plenty of room for running is a good idea, whether it's the home property,
the park, the woods, or wherever. And while the GSP is generally a great breed
for kids, care must be exercised around small children - the exuberance of the
GSP can lead to unintentional injuries.
The GSP is a hunter. This is not to say that a GSP will be unhappy in a
non-hunting home - such is not the case. What it does mean is that the GSP needs
something else to direct his energies toward. GSPs get bored very easily without
something to keep them busy. They can be quite inventive when it comes to
keeping themselves occupied; unfortunately, many things that they consider fun
(like playing with all the neat toys in the kitchen garbage can, unspooling the
toilet paper, and pre-digging the new flowerbed) we consider destructive.
The GSP is very people-oriented, sometimes to the point of being clingy. This
breed needs human interaction and activity with people in order to be truly
happy. They do the best living as part of the family unit, as a house dog,
rather than as a yard or kennel dog.
GSP are not very amicable by nature with cats and other small furry
or feathered pets. They can be trained to leave them alone, and they can even share home space, but their
hunting instinct may interfere at times.
The GSP and GSP owner will both benefit from obedience training. The GSP is
very intelligent and independent- minded, and this can lead to many pitfalls if
not planned for. Many a GSP can be counted on to ignore a command if he doesn't
feel that obeying the command is the proper thing to do at that point in time!
Obedience training shapes the GSP, teaching him both control and confidence in
obeying commands. The GSP also tends to train easily, as they are a biddable
breed by nature.
With all of that said, none of these items are insurmountable obstacles. The
key to the greatest success lies in realizing that these things can exist, and
being prepared to deal with them.
The GSP is a very intelligent dog, and will learn a variety of tasks
presented to him. They work well not only as hunting companions, but have done
well in the show ring, in obedience and agility trials, as Search and Rescue
dogs, as bomb and drug detection dogs, as sled dogs, and even as human patient
therapy dogs.
With proper care, the average GSP has a life expectancy of 12 to 16 years.
Description:
General Appearance: An aristocratic, well balanced, symmetrical animal
with conformation indicating power, endurance, and agility, and the look of
intelligence and animation.
Eyes: The best eye color is dark brown. Yellow colored eyes are
considered a fault.
Tail: The tail is set high and firm and must be docked leaving 40% of
its original length.
Color: The dogs coat color may be solid liver or any combination of
liver and white, liver ticked, white ticked, or liver/white roan. Any dog
showing coat colors of black, red, orange, lemon, or tan, or a solid white coat,
is not allowed.
Weight: Males: 55 to 70 pounds, Females: 45 to 60 pounds
Height: Males: 23 to 25 inches, Females: 21 to 23 inches (measured
from top of shoulder to ground)
GSP
Club of Oregon
