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| German
Shorthaired Pointers are my love!
However, they are not for everyone.
Take a look at your lifestyle after reading these
thoughts and ask yourself if you are ready to take on a GSP. |
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 Notice
the muscle on the GSP to the left.
They don’t get that way by lying quietly at your feet.
In fact, most of them get this muscle tone by exercising themselves.
They are very high energy, and do best with constructive,
regular exercise.
At the same time, GSP’s are family dogs and prefer to be inside with
their family protecting, loving and sleeping with you after a
long days play. |
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 The
GSP to the right is freestacking.
They are NOT born doing this.
It takes months, sometimes even years of training and a
one on one relationship with your dog, not to mention having
correct balance and structure to get it to perform like
this on a consistent basis.
GSP’s are smart, they learn fast, but they also come up
with their own ideas to keep you on your toes.
The standard for the GSP states that they are
“…intelligent…” and have “…a keen enthusiasm for
work…”.
A well-behaved GSP is a well-exercised GSP with
sufficient training.
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 The
GSP’s coat is made up of short, barb like hairs that weave
themselves into any fabric.
This includes your furniture, clothes, sheets, etc.
Even though GSP’s are considered wash and wear dogs,
they do shed all over your house.
When GSP’s run in your yard, any damp or wet dirt/mud,
sticks to their underbelly.
It tends to fall off once they come back in the house and
it dries.
House cleaning can become a constant chore with a GSP.
The standard for the GSP states that the toes are
‘heavily nailed’, for most dogs, the nails will need to be
trimmed regularly. |
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 GSP’s
are very active, athletic dogs and can frequently require
unplanned visits to the local vets office, especially in hunting
situations. (i.e., torn ligaments, cut pads, snake bites)
Without proper training, a GSP should never be let off
leash in an unfenced area.
They are bred to hunt and find birds/game and some
won’t stop until they do.
Be sure to ask breeders about health clearances when
looking for your new family member.
GSP’s should be tested for hips, heart, and eyes at
minimum before being bred.
A good breeder should be able to supply you with copies
of these clearances on both the sire and dam of the litter.
This could prevent you from paying costly vet
bills in the future.
(See article on Finding a Responsible Breeder)
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GSP’s
have a curious nature and until mature enough to be trusted,
should be crated when unsupervised (i.e., while you are asleep
at night or away from home). Being
the creative creatures that they are, if you do not entertain
them, they will come up with something fun on their own – this
is rarely in your best interest!
The photo above right shows what can happen when a GSP is
left to his own devices in the back yard. (That WAS my sprinkler
system!)  |
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