German Short-haired Pointer - Advice needed...

Wyre Forester

Well-Known Member
Evening all.

i'm looking for some advice about German Short-haired Pointers, and i'd be very grateful for any help or pointers (ha! geddittt??!!) that you've got.

we are an active family looking for a outgoing, loving, loyal, fun and gentle dog. it will occasionally come with me on beating trips and rough shooting, but it'll be a family dog who'll get most of its activity on walks and cycle rides in the forest, fields and hills where we live. much as i want to say we'd never leave the dog at home, we're normal people, we go shopping, we go to parents evenings, we take the kids to school by car...

after long years of happy experiences of Springers, and a decade of a not-happy experience with a rescue Staffie-cross, we've set our hearts on the GSP. we've seen them about, met some at agricultural and country shows and out and about, and read up on them. however, we've got some concerns about them - and us - that we'd like the advice of those who know them much better than us about.

looking for GSP's on the interwebnet we see lots of breeders, however many of these breeders seem to be very 'show' focused, and we're concerned about inherited health issues within the breed, as well as any concentration on show features rather than health and temperament. so, without further ado...

would we, with our lifestyle, be a decent home for such an active dog?

is it ok to to have just one GSP - do they need a partner?

where would be a good place to get a GSP? we're happy to travel, and we'd like to get a dog from working stock rather than showing stock - we're not interested in breeding, we just want a healthy, happy, well socialised dog.

if we decided that a puppy - with two kids under 4 - was too much hassle, would a re-homed GSP be a decent decision, or are the horror stories we've heard about breeders using them like mad, and then getting rid as 're-homers' true?

all advice very gratefully recieved...
 
Of all my dogs my favorite was a GSP brilliant with children soft as can be, but did not like cats at all.
most of the GSP's that I know seem to like eating them given half a chance.
Ours did train well to hand signals and whistle ( if she said there was a pheasant under that dock leaf there always was )
They need a great deal of exercise, mine was still putting in a good days work at 12yrs.
I would say buy German stock if possible. But there are good English animals out there just be careful, check the hip score etc.
Two children under 4 yrs and a GSP that's a hell of a lot of work in my opinion,
Anyway I wish you the best of luck.
 
I had a GSP "Yorric" - (hence my handle) for all his 17 years & he was my soul mate. I got him as a pup after looking far & wide at loads of bitches & litters. - I chose carefully, discarding any from odd ball owners & any dogs that I had any concerns about temprament. - After seeing a few & their owners, I got pretty clued up & finally got Yorric from a very classy litter from a high class bitch of working lines.
He was known far & wide as "Mad Yorric" - He was always very loving but was a super hyper dog who was great with all he met - just perpetually on speed! He had only one speed --- FLAT OUT!
He loved to hunt, but his breeding as a HPR designed for for covering vast amounts of ground (on moorland) meant that he was simply too fast & impetuous to work with the other dogs on a conventional small shoot in lowland Berkshire.
Until he slowed down at 14 years of age I never managed to tire him out!!
I know now that I didn't do a fantastic job of training him but we had a fantastic time together.
The GSP breed is quite dificult to train - because they are so hyper & have more energy than any other breed I've come across - they really need to be worked & require loads of exercise.
I would strongly advise against getting an older, rehomed GSP as a family pet - there is great potential of problems due to the nature of the GSP. They can be extremely head strong! - They just ain't easy!
However with appropriate early life training & socialization the GSP will be a super member of a family.

After Yorric went to the great moorland in the sky, I decided that I was too old to take on another rocket fueled breed & have moved over to the Golden Retriever breed as a family & gun dog. - It was a wise move - We got a working strain puppy bitch "Maxie" & she has been so easy in comparison. The breed is self teaching & totally devoted to us - either that or I've got a lot better at the training thing! She does most gundog things well - beating, retrieving & as a stalking dog - In this she excels & helps me by telling me about deer that I have no idea are there.
We chose Maxie due to her parents working pedigree & it has really paid off. She is a wonderful lively companion & is energetic & full of life - so different from the show line dogs that can be almost catatonic.

Ian
 
I had a GSP "Yorric" - (hence my handle) for all his 17 years & he was my soul mate. I got him as a pup after looking far & wide at loads of bitches & litters. - I chose carefully, discarding any from odd ball owners & any dogs that I had any concerns about temprament. - After seeing a few & their owners, I got pretty clued up & finally got Yorric from a very classy litter from a high class bitch of working lines.
He was known far & wide as "Mad Yorric" - He was always very loving but was a super hyper dog who was great with all he met - just perpetually on speed! He had only one speed --- FLAT OUT!
He loved to hunt, but his breeding as a HPR designed for for covering vast amounts of ground (on moorland) meant that he was simply too fast & impetuous to work with the other dogs on a conventional small shoot in lowland Berkshire.
Until he slowed down at 14 years of age I never managed to tire him out!!
I know now that I didn't do a fantastic job of training him but we had a fantastic time together.
The GSP breed is quite dificult to train - because they are so hyper & have more energy than any other breed I've come across - they really need to be worked & require loads of exercise.
I would strongly advise against getting an older, rehomed GSP as a family pet - there is great potential of problems due to the nature of the GSP. They can be extremely head strong! - They just ain't easy!
However with appropriate early life training & socialization the GSP will be a super member of a family.

After Yorric went to the great moorland in the sky, I decided that I was too old to take on another rocket fueled breed & have moved over to the Golden Retriever breed as a family & gun dog. - It was a wise move - We got a working strain puppy bitch "Maxie" & she has been so easy in comparison. The breed is self teaching & totally devoted to us - either that or I've got a lot better at the training thing! She does most gundog things well - beating, retrieving & as a stalking dog - In this she excels & helps me by telling me about deer that I have no idea are there.
We chose Maxie due to her parents working pedigree & it has really paid off. She is a wonderful lively companion & is energetic & full of life - so different from the show line dogs that can be almost catatonic.

Ian

Ian gave good advice, you seem to want a jack of all trades i would add maybe you would be better suited to what Ian said or a labrador. I must however add people do best which the breed they like if you choose this route expect a lot of hard work.

atb

Tony
 
They are fantastic dogs, very loyal & all the ones I've had are great with children. They aren't easy to train as some of them are a bit headstrong (dogs more so than bitches). They are naturally enthusiastic hunters & do need a bit of work & exercise to stop getting bored. You've trained dogs before so it shouldn't be too difficult but you will need to adapt to the rather different training for a pointer. As they are enthusiastic hunters if you have 2 off the lead together you can expect to be ignored, which isn't good. This can mean exercising & training them separately which becomes very time-consuming; I would start off with one, but they do like human company & prefer not to be left all day.

My temptation would be to avoid re-homing a GSP as even though the dog may be fine & was just the wrong choice for another family; the chances are that a considerable amount of damage will have been done, which can take up to a couple of years to undo.

All of ours have tolerated cats in the house but one wandering into the garden would be given short shrift.

I've had a bitch from show lines & it was the most bull-headed dog I've ever met or tried to train, whereas the dogs from working strains were much easier to tame & train.

Most GSP's will cope well with what you've outlined above but you didn't mention if you wanted it to have a working life.

Let us know how you get on.
 
I own a GSP and an English Cocker, have done for the last 5 years and agree with most of what's been written above.
Both are brilliant loyal hunting dogs, lovely temperament.
Great with children, other dogs and even cats (In my experience).
The only thing I wish to stress is they need a lot of exercise, not every second day, not 15 minutes or a little trot.
They need a solid run everyday in my experience.
I use a bike, a thrower, and as I live near the beach a Dokken duck.
But if I miss one day of exercise because it's raining, or I get home from work late he will punish me!
And fair enough, they are an absolute athletic machine with so much drive and enthusium.
Wonderful with kids, so gentle with everyone, but unfortunately my English Cocker has been mauled a couple of times by a staffy.
This has now made my GSP super protective to the extent that no other dog can get anywhere near her.

My advice is go for it if you are totally committed to exercise them, and if you don't wait until your lifestyle permits you to have the time to commit to a GSP properly.
They are a wonderful companion.
 
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thanks everyone, i'm really grateful for your advice and experience.

i think perhaps you've given me a bit of a reality check - i knew they are boundless, but suppose i didn't quite know how boundless - and its certainly true that rocket-fuelled, headstrong dog with two small children and an older one is going to be a right handfull.

i still love them though!
 
I have kept gun dogs all my life, and for the past twenty years nothing but GSPs, and would echo what other posters have said.

If you buy a pup remember they are slow to mature and you will have a pup for eighteen months , many people give up to soon on them, they take along time to get their sensible head on.
They do get bored easily especially when young and may not be the right choice if you don't have the time to spend with them.

Would not worry to much about a working background, as the GSP is not so far removed from working as say labs can be, they have only become popular with the show people in fairly recent times and with quite a small pool to breed from their working ability has not get been effected .

They are good all round working dogs though they excel at walked up shooting grouse and woodcock for example
but with a bit of effort they can work in a beating line, and I have even gone picking up with some of mine.Down side is there is a tendency to being hard mouthed not in all certainly but have come across it in quite a few.

They also perform quite well as deer dogs, so if you are only going to have one dog a GSP is not a bad choice.
 
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Well you have received some really good advice here.
My only concern is 2 kids aged under 4 years old, they alone must be a handfull.
It will be very difficult to spend as much time with the puppy as you need and any training that you have instilled can very easily be undone by your children.
Personally I would wait untill your youngest is at least 6 years old at that age they will be both in school and it will be a good companion for you wife during the day.
 
My advice, based on my wife's late show bred GSP and my own experience with having had two working strain GSPs, is steer clear of any dog whose pedigree is show based. The show people are concerned solely with looks, nothing else, stritly form over function. My wife's GSP was neurotic, self-centred and bonkers beyond belief. (Think badly spolied teenage girl and you'd be getting warm.) You want one from proven working stock, it should be level headed to say nothing of ability and willingness to please - please the owner that is, not itself. My last four dogs have been GWPs, as will my next dog.

-JMS
 
I agree with all of what has been said above.

With regards to exercise, they obviously need exercise but, by giving them loads you just end up with a fitter and fitter dog! My circumstances changed recently and I now have to work away a lot while my two GSP'S stay at home with my girlfriend. They spend a lot of time in a very big dog cage and only get a really good walk at the weekend. Obviously thats not ideal but its not the end of the world.

One option, if you are concerned about the level of exercise you can give a dog why not look at rehomeing/rescuing a older bitch? All of my GSP's have been rescue/rehome animals, including my big black dog who was rehomed four times before we got him, and I have had no problems. I strongly believe that dogs need a second chance and a mix of working/family homes are ideal for GSP's.
 
Some pretty sound advice there.

Sometimes you just need to hear it from someone else to confirm what you are really thinking deep down!
My Mrs was not overly impressed when I came home with a new GWP pup a few months ago but there is no way she would change anything now. Very annoyingly MY pup now prefers her to me. I think she prefers the pup to me aswell.
That's a cocker, a border terrier and a pointer now. Oh and a 3 year old child! I must like the punishment.

All the best,
 
Another thought, I know a man who had some lab x GSP pups available a while ago and may still have one? I think that would be a good possible option. Contact me if you want me to put you in touch.

By the way, no need for anyone to issue a fatwar because I mentioned a cross bred dog, the subjects been covered before!
 
again, cheers everyone - i can't tell you how important this is to both of us, we both really fancy the GSP's, but we'd be devastated to have a dog that was unhappy because we couldn't cope with its needs. much thought is going on...

Another thought, I know a man who had some lab x GSP pups available a while ago and may still have one? I think that would be a good possible option. Contact me if you want me to put you in touch...

thanks Glyn, we've though about this having seen a clutch of quite the most beautiful black lab x GSP puppies on the net. any idea if such a cross would mitigate the GSP's 'rocket-fuelled' nature with a bit of the Labs' laid backiness?
 
There are GSPs available on www.champdogs.com, some are from working lines, others dual purpose and most from strictly show lines. Much has been said to warn you of 'rocket-fuelled' tendencies. The adult dog, from working lines will probably live up to that description. This should not be a problem if the dog is put to work for the kind of work it was designed for, and in the modern day, that would be for rough shooting. However, you will have a problem if you are not prepared to put the effort in to train the dog fully as an HPR dog, so that you have control as well as drive, and no problem if the sort of shooting you do is based on the dog game finding. Though they can be trained to work as a peg dog, and that means solely focussing the dog on the "R" element, then if that is what you want, then give the GSP a miss. They can do it, but what a waste of his time and aptitude. Most GSP's trained for the peg get to hunt, point, retrieve (and track deer if you like), because the shooter's lifestyle afford that sort of versatility to the dog, and do the peg work while resting.

People close to me have pet GSPs and they are fairly happy and though they are not put to work, they are from working lines and get a lot of stimulation on open rough ground where they can exercise fully their keen noses, even if it is all for fun.

It will take a lot of training to get the GSP to hunt for you and not purely for himself, and then there is the retrieving aspects, and also the control. To get the dog to hunt for you means that you need to be well versed in field craft so that you are in a partnership with him when hunting. It is not enough to follow the dog wherever he takes you. You need to be part of the team so that he knows that it is worth his while finding game for you and that he knows you understand what he is at in the wind and through the cover. If you fail to honour his work you will be written off by the dog.

The GSP is a medium sized dog and the puppy should not be exercised too much until between 12-18 months as the growing plates in his long bones will be damaged leading to joint problems later on and possible bone deformities. So cancel any idea of dragging the pup-youngster along on your cycle rides.

Do not make a fuss of the young pup immediately before leaving him alone as this will make the separation harder to bear, and though tempting, do not make the reunions too exciting either.

No tugging games for puppy, otherwise hard mouth may ensue. Can your children be relied upon to desist from this? No squeaky toys as that will teach the dog to bite down on game trying for the same result.

The GSP is the foremost versatile hunting dog if trials are anything to go by. Think long and hard to decide whether or not you are up for the challenge. Many only find they are not and too many GSPs find themselves in new homes because of owner failures.

Seek out a breeder of working lines, and they will decide if you are capable of measuring up.
 
I got my GSP primarily for tracking but have never needed her since ironically. I beat with her on shoot days and shoot over her myself on walked up days. She is quite a small bitch and I find she gets particularly cut up when beating as she is so enthusiastic. I use a dog coat/protector which helps a lot. Working her or at least going through the motions really focused her attention and I'd recommend you'd do the same.

Cheers

Jonny
 
Although I've never had a gsp I do have a gwp lab cross which although is still only a pup sometime you wouldn't know as she can be the most relaxed almost ignorant idle dog the world has ever seen she comes in the house plonks herself right in the middle of the settee and plain ignores everyone yet take her out where there's sent plus other dogs its a deaf rocket that does its own thing but as said she's still a pup so far I've found her a pleasure to own whilst out stalking she's happy to sit next to me all day tells me when there's deer and is relaxed enough to share the bed in the caravan ( as she won't sleep on the floor ) training is on going and can be hard work but I'm 100% sure she will turn out to be a cracking all purpose dog and a pleasure to own
 
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