German Short-haired Pointer

The German Short-haired Pointer is a hunting dog from Germany. It was bred in the 19th century especially for this purpose.

The German Short-haired Pointer has the ability to move quickly and turn rapidly because of its strong and highly streamlined headquarters. It has slightly floppy ears that start from high up on its head. It has a very strong and long muzzle, which is also quite broad enabling the German Short-haired Pointer to carry even moderately heavy game. The German Short-haired Pointer has a very straight profile, with no hint of any dished or snubbed features.

The German Short-haired Pointer has dark colored eyes, usually dark brown. Like all German Pointers, it shares the characteristic of webbed feet. Its tail is usually held at a slightly jaunty angle, but it is usually docked in most countries. The tail of the German Short-haired Pointer should be docked in a way that is neither too short nor too long, but just where it starts curling. The German Short-haired Pointer should be able to wag its tail and the tail should be able to be absolutely straight when the dog is in the point stance.

The German Short-haired Pointer has a very short coat of hair and an undercoat as well. The undercoat tends to be very thick and guard hair tend to stand up at straight angles on the back of the dog. But, this helps make the entire coat water proof and prevents the dog from feeling chilly in cold and wet weather. The German Short-haired Pointer is usually black, dark brown or roan with or without white patches. In most cases, the body of the German Short-haired Pointer is sprinkled with white patches while the head is usually one solid color. The coloring of the dog is very useful in its primary function which is hunting. It provides a very useful camouflage during hunting season and the dog is practically invisible when it is hidden behind trees, rocks or broken snow.

The German Short-haired Pointer is a very friendly and intelligent dog. It can be easily trained to obey commands and perform certain tasks. It is also very affectionate and compassionate and makes a great family pet. They are also extremely good around children but, at puppy stage, the German Short-haired Pointer themselves can be extremely active and may unintentionally injure small children in their vicinity. The German Short-haired Pointer also have a tendency to get along very well with other dogs in the family. However, if the family also has other pets like rabbits, hares, etc. the German Short-haired Pointer would have to be trained to leave them alone. Else, their instinct would make the dog want to hunt them down. The German Short-haired Pointer also make extremely good guard dogs.

The German Short-haired Pointer is a very energetic dog and needs outlets for this energy. It needs daily exercise and lots of physical activity. It is best suited in rural regions with an active hunter as its owner.