German Shorthaired Pointer puppies

About the German Shorthaired Pointer

The German Shorthaired Pointer was bred in Germany as a versatile gundog, expected to hunt fur and feather, point, track and retrieve from water in a single package. This is a lean, athletic dog with a short, dense, water resistant coat in liver and white patterns, webbed feet and enormous stamina. GSPs are even tempered, affectionate and permanently switched on, following their people around the house and rating at the top of the scale with children when properly socialised.

Very few pet homes exercise a GSP enough. Plan on two solid sessions a day of running, swimming or field work, plus training, or the breed becomes destructive and difficult to live with. Grooming is a brush or grooming mitt every few days, with heavier shedding at certain times of year, and the ears need regular cleaning. The other thing owners underestimate is company: a Shorthair left alone in a garden all day will dig, bark and clear fences.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a German Shorthaired Pointer puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A large breed puppy at eight weeks looks deceptively normal sized and will roughly double every few weeks for a while. Keep exercise short and low impact, the growth plates are wide open. This is a very high energy breed. The mistake owners make is trying to tire them out physically. Training, scentwork and puzzles will do more than distance ever will. Grooming needs are moderate, so build the brushing habit now while the coat is still short and easy. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Hip and elbow dysplasia, which breeding stock should be x-rayed for under the hip and elbow scoring schemes
• Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), detectable by DNA test on both parents
• Subaortic stenosis, heard as a murmur on cardiac auscultation and confirmed by echocardiography
• Gastric dilatation-volvulus (bloat/GDV), a surgical emergency in deep chested dogs

Your German Shorthaired Pointer puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Large for a German Shorthaired Pointer.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 20.4 to 31.8 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Kit sizes: crate 36 inch (36 x 24 x 26 in, 91 x 61 x 66 cm) for an adult of up to 31.8 kg; chew toys made for large breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.

Buying guides for this

• Do slow feeder bowls work? Choosing one for a puppy that gulps
• Best crate for a puppy: wire, plastic or soft, and how to size one with a divider

Other large breeds

More on the German Shorthaired Pointer

Previous: German Shepherd Dog · Next: German Spitz

Sources

• akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
• fci.be for country of origin
• Health notes from German Shorthaired Pointer breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/german-shorthaired-pointer/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Photo: Orihesh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.