German breeders thought of creating a much faster and much more versatile gundog and so the German Shorthaired Pointer was born. This dog was bred from the lines of the old Spanish Pointer, Hounds of St. Hubert, Foxhound, the English Pointer and some other hound breeds. As a result of this development, the GSP came out faster and excellent in hunting.
The GSP can be considered as an all-around hunting dog. Whatever tasks a hunting dog should do such as being a pointer, a retriever, upland bird dog or a water dog, the GSP can surely do. The GSP is a great hunting companion because it possesses characteristics of being intelligent, bold, biddable, and alert but those GSPs that lack these traits are surely improperly trained.
Ranked as 17th in Stanley Cohen’s The Intelligence of Dogs, the GSP is unarguably one of the best dogs to rely on. The GSP has such a high hunting instinct that it should be trained early on to avoid other animals that are not considered preys. If not, it will come home bearing a dead cat, bird or rat in its mouth as a trophy of its own hunting expedition.
A lot of people around the world today still opt to use the GSP for a hunting companion because of the breed’s unfading skills in gunning and hunting. During these activities, you can expect the GSP to be reliable, hardy, quick-witted, fearless and completely tireless. A well-trained GSP should never indicate dispositions of timidity, fear, over subservience, wariness, un-trainability and most importantly, aggression.
However, not only is the GSP excellent in hunting but in being a family companion as well. This dog is very family-oriented, protective, friendly and very loving. It loves to be with children and likes the attention of humans and other canine friends.
The body of the GSP is lean and streamlined and thus it is powerful and agile. Its hindquarters are utterly fitted to allow the GSP to turn around rapidly and speedily. The ears are fairly long and floppy while the muzzle is broad, long and so powerful that it can carry heavy games.
Generally, the tails of the GSPs are docked at a length that is enough for the dogs to wag and move their tails although in some countries docking is prohibited. The coat of the GSP is very short, flat and double coated. The undercoat is dense and the outer coat is stiff making the GSP water and temperature resistant.
This breed is often found in colors of dark brown, chocolate or chestnut (liver), black and white. Some may have solid-colored coats but some have sprinkles or patches of other colors all over their bodies. The patched or sprinkled pattern on the GSP’s coat allows it to camouflage amongst trees and bushes during winter season.