Where the German Shorthaired Pointer came from
The German Shorthaired Pointer was developed in Germany in the 1800s. Hunters wanted one dog that could do it all: find game, point it, track wounded animals and retrieve from land and water.
Breeders mixed older German bird dogs, Old Spanish pointer type dogs and English pointers, among others. Prince Albrecht zu Solms-Braunfels is credited with helping shape the breed.
The breed came to North America in the 1920s, when Dr. Charles Thornton of Montana imported the first two. The AKC recognized it in 1930. Today they are hunting dogs and very active pets.
- 1879 German breed standards for the Kurzhaar are introduced
- 1925 Dr. Charles Thornton's first documented US litter is born in Montana
- 1930 AKC recognizes the German Shorthaired Pointer
The job a German Shorthaired Pointer was bred for
The dogs worked for hours, ranging out, pointing and then retrieving. At home that shows up as high energy, a strong nose and chasing birds and squirrels.
What you see at home
Fixates on birds and runs huge loops. High energy with a strong nose, and hard to settle without work.
Fixating on birds
That is the pointing drive. Reward the look away and give them a scent job.
Running huge loops
They were built to range. Use a long line and a strong recall.
Cannot settle indoors
Reward calm in the house and exercise hard first.
Chasing squirrels
Chase is part of the job. Give it a safe outlet like lure coursing.
Sports that fit a German Shorthaired Pointer
- Field work. Hunt tests suit their all round skills
- Scent work. A strong nose and stamina
- Tracking. Natural trackers
- Dock diving. Many love water
- Lure coursing. A fast, safe outlet for chase drive
Training tips for a German Shorthaired Pointer
- Teach a strong recall with great rewards before off leash time.
- Reward calm behavior indoors.
- Use games with a nose, like find it.
- Give daily vigorous exercise.
Body and health
Athletic and deep chested, which can be linked to bloat, so avoid heavy exercise right after meals.
Fun fact. The GSP was bred to hunt, point and retrieve on land and in water, so many love to swim.
Breed is where we start
A study of more than 18,000 dogs found breed explains only about 9 percent of the differences in behavior between dogs (Morrill and others, Science, 2022). So your German Shorthaired Pointer is a starting guess, not a label. We find the drive your dog actually runs on, give it a job, and teach you to read them.
Looking for a different breed? See what 75 breeds were bred to do.