The German Shorthaired pointer 
The GSP was developed in Germany in the late 1800’s to be an all-purpose dog. It was the original intent of the breeders to develop a breed of dog with inbred instinct for multiple tasks, thus requiring little time to “force train”. The GSP was bred to point, retrieve, trail wounded game, hunt both large and small game, furred and feathered and to work in low or heavy cover as well as water. The dog was also intended to be a family companion good with both adults and children.

Acceptable Colors

-The coat should be short and dense and feel tough. the hair is softer and thinner on the ears and head.
-The coat may be of solid liver or a combination of liver and white such as liver and white ticked, liver patched and white ticked, or liver roan.  Or the coat may be of solid black or any combination of black and white such as black and white ticked, black patched, and white ticked, or black roan. Any other color or color combination is a disqualification.

common health issues

hip dysplasia
progressive retinal atrophy
 heart disease
gastric dilation and volvulus (bloat)
epilepsy
mast cell tumors
autoimmune thyroiditis
Addison's disease
cancer
entropion 
Recommended Health Tests From the National Breed Club:
  • Hip Evaluation
  • Cone Degeneration (German Shorthaired Pointer) (CD) - DNA Test
  • Elbow Evaluation
  • Cardiac Exam
  • Ophthalmologist Evaluation

breed standard sizes

Males:
23-25 inches
55-70 pounds
Females:
21-23 inches
45-60 pounds

Grooming

- cut or Dremel nails at least 1 time a month.
- Brush teeth every other day to ensure no tarter buildup and help prevent dental disease
​- clean ears as needed, generally 1-2 times a month
How to Keep Shedding under control:
- use a rubber brush like a Zoom groom and brush them weekly.
- bathe and use a high velocity dryer to blow coat out at least once a month
- add salmon oil to food, and ensure the dog is on a high quality diet.

Life expectancy

10-12 Years according to the American Kennel club, but it is not uncommon for them to reach 14+

General information

origin: Germany
Breed group: Sporting
Temperament: Friendly, intelligent, eager to please, active
- Developed in the 19th century to be an all purpose gun dog
- recognized by AKC in 1930

What kind of home does a GSP thrive in

I always tell people this breed is not for the faint of heart, but with that being said if you put the time and work into them you will not be disappointed.

Physical stimulation

This breed requires a high amount of exercise in order to thrive. Below are ways to incorporate physical stimulation into your dogs life. I always suggest doing multiple ways so your dog gets plenty of enrichment
-Free running in a field
- Hiking
- Swimming
- Fetch
- Dryland Mushing
- Hunting
- Leashed walks 
- A job (EX: structure retrieving)
- running them with ATV
​

Mental stimulation

Many people don't realize how important metal enrichment is, a lot of times dogs become bored and that is when you see destructive behaviors. Below are ways to include mental stimulation into your dogs life.
- Obedience Training
- Trick training
- Scent work
- Find it games (Using their nose)
- puzzle toys
​- Tracking
- Structured walks
-sport/Activity training

Routine & Structure

Dogs Thrive on routine and structure, it is a must! you have to set expectations for your dogs such as not pulling on a leash, expected behavior around social settings, no jumping...etc

Why is health testing important?
The German Shorthaired Pointer is a fairly healthy breed but, as with any breed, some issues do pop up. People should always inquire about the health clearances of the sire and dam when looking for a puppy or breeding services. Breeders should have no problem discussing health issues that have occurred in their dogs or lines, or answering questions about the health of the breed as a whole. There are no perfect dogs, but through health testing and careful pedigree research we can do our very best to avoid genetic health issues in the dogs we produce. It is our obligation as responsible breeders to do everything in our power to ensure we are breeding healthy, long-lived examples of our breed. ​
We always health test our dogs, and are always transparent when it comes to our bloodlines.