Talk to me about German Shorthaired Pointers

Redfishga1 · Oct 5, 2026

Lab!!!!!!! I make a living of crazy gsp needing Prozac.

farmer_john · Oct 5, 2026

I know nothing but this is a cool write up seem to have alot of articles on gundogs in particular.
Random side question where do folks interested in working dogs start out?

German shorthaired pointer GSP - a 'wunder' dog?

The so-called wunder dog is the hunter, pointer, retriever (HPR), and one breed specifically: the German shorthaired pointer (GSP).

www.thefield.co.uk

Russ16 · Oct 5, 2026

They are great dogs. One thing to be aware of is some of the heavy German lines remain very sharp on fit which can be a problem if you have cats in the neighborhood. Nothing you can’t train around but something to be aware of. They can also have a habit of fighting with skunks and porcupines if they run across them in the field.

Altitude sickness · Oct 5, 2026

A GSP is the same as any breed. Don’t buy a dog breed that is smarter than you are.

The struggle of training and other issues mentioned arise when the breed is smarter than the owner.

Doug3006 · Oct 5, 2026

I’ve owned GSPs and love them dearly. Back when there were enough quail in Missouri to make hunting them worthwhile. I’ll say that GSPs are potentially more versatile than English Pointers….better natural retrievers and better around the house. English pointers have been bred for field work, mostly pointing, for so long that they’re truly specialists. GSPs were bred for a variety of tasks so they tend to be more tractable and easier to train to do other things, like retrieve and share the couch! I say “potentially “ because many GSPs today come from breaders who focus on upland hunting and field trials specifically. Their dogs behave more like English Pointers. Truth be told, there is a fair amount of out crossing with English Pointers that has been done to make GSPs better at upland hunting. IMO the GSP needs to be hunted quite a bit. If you don’t hunt upland game often, then another dog may be a better choice.

JES Adventures · Oct 5, 2026

Without hesitation the best breed I’ve ever had the pleasure of living with. Loyal (to the point of Velcro), athletic, strong hunter, pointer and retriever. Loves water so works well during dove and duck season. Highly intelligent, picks up commands very quickly. The only downside is shedding. My truck, office and trophy room always have little white hairs hanging around. A small price to pay for a great dog.

John Ed

Gunner, my daily companion

He’s also a big Trump fan

His son Rebel, a phenomenal hunter

Mtn_Infantry · Oct 5, 2026

I’ve got a GSP (turned 3 a couple weeks ago) and a 9mo Chocolate Lab.

The GSP is amazing dog, very very intelligent and would be an amazing hunting dog if the girlfriend didn’t spoil him and get too attached. He has a lot more energy than any of the Labs including this 9mo puppy that I’ve had, but less than the setters I grew up with. Almost a hybrid of the two. He’s extremely prey driven, almost obsessively. Sees a bird, squirrel or deer and he’s on point, and after about 5-10 min if you don’t release him he’ll whine once and then start stalking it a few crouched/rushed steps at a time. Uses cover to get as close as possible. If you’re not paying attention inside you’ll eventually hear a thud on the window as he stalks/creeps into it. Really hoping he doesn’t go through it one of these days. Doves on the power line in the pic below

He’s great off leash, good recall, I can let him loose in the front yard (unfenced) and he’ll stay put. Let him out at night for 5min and he’s good on his own even if there are deer/animals. Backyard is fenced and he’s good for hours. In the front yard he’ll just point and eventually start stalking to them. Only do it when the neighbors cattle get in the backyard or I’m outside. Pretty easy to break him off deer with just his name. I’ve got some videos of him almost nose to nose with deer. Normally just watch with the camera and catch him like below

He has some quirks though and several friends with GSP’s have said similar. Has to sleep under the blankets. Drives me insane, but the girlfriend lets him when I’m traveling, so the handful of days I’m home each month he’s figured out how to wiggle under the blankets and work his way up next to me. I gave up on fighting it and found if i just call him into the bed i won’t get woken up just as I start nodding off. If it’s not that it’s on his back, legs spread in the air showing everyone what he’s working with. The prey driven carries over to toys. If he wants to play he’ll whine until you give him the toy. Put it somewhere he can see it he points and whines. Hide it in a drawer and he’ll point and whine or lately he’s learned to open some of them. He’s afraid of the oven, stove, washer/dryer, ice machine, and wind. He’s fiercely loyal, and follows you like Velcro. Sits on you/next to you. It’s almost like he has to be touching me if I’m home. Does it to my girlfriend when I’m not home which is great. Extremely alert, littlest sound and he’s up and investigating.

Loves truck rides, sometimes gets a little car sick. Only dog I’ve ever had that won’t put his head out the window. If the windows are lower than eye level he’ll crouch down.

MontanaPat · Oct 5, 2026

Hey Dave, grab a GSP and you won’t regret it. We are on our second female GSP and love the breed. Our son has two currently as well and two before these ones. As others have said they are great companions and family dogs, love everyone and great with our grandkids, very gentle and let little ones do most anything to them. They do have lots of energy but very manageable if trained well. I prefer females, the males seem to be knot heads most of the time. The key is consistently training them from the puppy stage on obedience and then life is easy.
My first female was from Serbian and French bloodlines and very intelligent and strong hunt drive. Our current female is 3 and from a breeder in Idaho and similarly loves to hunt. She has been trained the past two summers on birds. She has been trained to hunt with hunters on horseback so she will range out 600+ yards but hold birds on point until you get there. When hunting her while walking she stays within 100-125 yards of me.
Will PM you my number if you want to talk as we’ve had the breed for the past 15 years. As I mentioned to you a couple months ago, I’m moving to Frisco TX in early November so mine is definitely going to miss having the run of our property acreage here in Montana so I’ll have to start doing more daily walks!
Pat

BlueFlyer · Oct 5, 2026

If you get board with hunting you you could alway have a go at this!

Altitude sickness · Oct 5, 2026

Doug3006 said:
I’ve owned GSPs and love them dearly. Back when there were enough quail in Missouri to make hunting them worthwhile. I’ll say that GSPs are potentially more versatile than English Pointers….better natural retrievers and better around the house. English pointers have been bred for field work, mostly pointing, for so long that they’re truly specialists. GSPs were bred for a variety of tasks so they tend to be more tractable and easier to train to do other things, like retrieve and share the couch! I say “potentially “ because many GSPs today come from breaders who focus on upland hunting and field trials specifically. Their dogs behave more like English Pointers. Truth be told, there is a fair amount of out crossing with English Pointers that has been done to make GSPs better at upland hunting. IMO the GSP needs to be hunted quite a bit. If you don’t hunt upland game often, then another dog may be a better choice.

I would much rather buy my dog from a local hunter that had one or two litters and his dogs have the personality traits you want.

Than the internationally renowned breeder/ trainer if “Line Bred”/inbred field trial or show dog was the primary focus. Not a well rounded family dog

USMA84DAB · Oct 5, 2026

I have had three GSPs - 2 liver and one black - all three females, the first one by chance, the other two by selection.

The last two have served as my service dog. Current one is 3 years old.

1. They need a job. Maedchen has assumed guarding the area around the house vs. rabbits, squirrels, moles, etc.. She has three kills so far, but mostly just runs the trespassers off the "yard".

2. They need room to run - I live on 20 acres, so when she goes out she can burn off energy. Prior dogs went with me for 3 mile runs.

3. They are called velcro dogs for a reason. I struggled to deal with the 24/7 proximity with the first service dog. They are cuddle muffins so get ready to share the couch/chair/bed.

4. I have little white hairs in all my wool/clothes. They brush off pretty easy, but you just have to accept they will be part of your life. Way less than a lab sheds, but they do shed.

5. Mine have been smart. They will point off instinct, but as someone above noted, not really any huntable bird population in MO any more.

6. I let the dogs pick me and the wife at the breeder. When the pup crawls into your lap and falls asleep, they have picked you. I then don't have to train my dogs - they desperately want to do what you want - you just have to figure out how to communicate your desire to them.

7. I have picked females to avoid the testosterone conflicts and that has been way better than the male dalmatian I had.

8. She is a great service dog and I intend to put her on squirrels this fall. Especially with mine, she is a fur kid as she goes literally everywhere with me (except Namibia) - restaurants, hotels, church, stores. Therefore, we have no seperation anxiety issues, but I would kennel them when you leave them or they will destroy sofas, doors, the entire house out of anxiety/boredom/excess energy.

9. They will have unique personalities - Sabot was a maniacal stick/bumper retriever - Maedchen could care less about that and rather than launch into the kennel in the truck, she crawls in very methodically and carefully.

Message me if you need more input/info/breeder

RLL · Oct 5, 2026

I second Tintins sentiment with my GSP. Biddable, loyal, intelligent, great with family, and acts protective when needed. They are great retrievers and excellent swimmers, as well as all around hunters. They are decent upland pointers but require a lot of experience to get where you think they should be.

They tend to have separation anxiety and require a good deal of obiedence training to help manage that trait. Give them the place command and a happy place with an inside bed or out in a kennel and they’ll be happy. No issues with em on the couch or bed if trained. Never had any chewing problems. A healthy breed in general and seem happy enough.

I’ve had good time with my current GSP. She’ll do ducks in the morning, rabbits and quail in tall grass, doves in the eve…Lizards on the patio. She’s chased a few cows as I’ve required, run down small hogs, drug back geese…I couldn’t ask for more in dog!

Hififile324 · Oct 5, 2026

I have both a Lab and the GSP. The GSP is a way better hunter.

Hififile324 · Oct 5, 2026

LivingTheDream said:
Thats a beautiful dog!!

Thank you. He's a great dog in everyway.

BTP-KennethWRoyce · Oct 5, 2026

Never owned GSPs, but enjoyed hunting with them for 3 seasons.
They were skilled, hardy, and a lot fun!

Ontario Hunter · Oct 5, 2026

Ontario Hunter said:
I have hunted over GSPs and they are okay. Problem is I don't like to hunt the early season when too many fair weather hunters are about with their goofy kennel raised dogs. Late season when snow is on the ground and wind blowing hard works better ... but not for shorthairs. Also, birds are spookier late in the season and GSP range to the next zip code. No matter how good a pointer, the birds won't hold till hunter shows up. I have the ideal bird dog: a pointing Lab. Ellie works close and hunts uplands like a cat. If she goes on point and it's a rooster, he's only got about 20% chance at best of not landing in the pot. And she is the happiest most loveable dog I've ever owned. Loves EVERYONE. Nice thing about Labs is they pretty much come ready to hunt right out of the chute. When I see a Lab in the field wearing e-collar it's because 1) the dog is stuck in a kennel instead of living in the house with the hunter or 2) the hunter is just in a technogeek addict. Your Lab that wouldn't hunt is an anomaly. And that is an understatement. Finding one that won't show YOU how it's done is rare indeed.
View attachment 797453
Another breed to consider is French Brittany ... not the American variety. French Britts are smaller and work closer than their long-legged more wound up American cousins. And they are prettier. Tri-color black-white-brown is not uncommon. My little fifteen year-old "Puppy" is a sweetheart. Not as outgoing as Ellie but friendly. Very much attached to me. She won't hunt under anyone else, not even my daughter who was raised with her. I dropped them off and then drove off to take my grandson to sitter. Puppy went running down the highway after me! Camps at the bathroom door whenever I'm taking a dump or in the shower. Lays on the floor as close as possible to my head. Formerly she laid next to my heart in bed but in recent years prefers to lay on hard surfaces. Something to do with arthritis maybe. In a few days we will leave for what will probably be both dogs' last hunting season (Ellie the Lab is eleven). Puppy will be limited to short time in the field but she's still alert and surprisingly mobile. Anyway, if your wife sees a Fr Britt, the searching will be over! Pretty dogs, affectionate, great hunters, and really just the right size, especially for travelling. A bit high maintenance but nothing like GSP. I wouldn't have a wirehaired German dog on the place. Never let my dogs hunt around them. I have seen too many ornery ones.

Honestly, I don't know why anyone would own any dog but a Lab. Sure, I've seen other fancy breed pedigreed dogs that simply would not hunt. It happens. But very very rare for a Lab. If you are considering a Lab for uplands, and they are great for it, I advise steering clear of English Labs. Legs too short and bodies too bulky. Get a long-legged long-nosed American Lab. Lots more endurance.

Incidentally, I have been raising hunting dogs since 1964 (all but Puppy have been Labs) and never owned an e-collar. For a long time I hunted with three dogs at once and they were always under control.
View attachment 797454

First time hunting for 2026 this afternoon. Quite a bit of walking and the dogs did well. Old "Puppy" kept up fine. We were scouting for geese. They both had a ball even though no shots fired. I made sure to take baby steps in the tall thick grass and Puppy stayed on my heels pretty much the entire time. I couldn't even cast her on the walk out on the road. Her eyesight is getting dim and hearing almost gone so I guess I understand her reluctance to leave my side. Head up, eyes sparkling, and ears forward the entire time. Amazing. Just amazing.

txtrout75218 · Oct 5, 2026

My all time favorite bird dog.

375-9.3x63 Fan · Oct 5, 2026

I have a GSP, Love him, he’s the best breed I had so far, you will never like another breed after this one. Basically an all around dog breed which does everything an outdoorsman wants to do and to top it off, when he’s inside the house, he just has an off switch, just relaxes.
Very loyal and the best part I like doesn’t bark at all unless situations arise, just to give you an idea, he’s six years old, he has bark about 8 times in all his life, I brought him as a 3 month old puppy. All those situations warranted him to bark, genuine reasons.

Mike Van Horn · Oct 5, 2026

I have had GSP for years. Raised several litters. Great dogs. My advise is be ready for the energy. A walk around the block is not going to get it with these dogs. They need to run, or you will have problems. They are diggers in the yard. But once they get to be 3 or so a lot of that goes away.
There is a saying and it is accurate. 0-6 months sweet puppy. 6 months to 3 years T-Rex. 3 years on great dog.
I stopped selling pups to people living in apartments and homes with no yard. To much energy and l just got to many of them back, and than had to fix the issues that had started before l could resell them.
Don’t get me wrong they are great dogs, get know what your getting

t7spoon · Oct 5, 2026

mdwest said:
So.. anyone here big into or knowledgeable about GSP?

My wife and I have owned a few different breeds of hunting dogs.. mostly golden retrievers and labrador retrievers.. and know those breeds very well.. we lost our lab recently (very aggressive lymphoma).. and are ready to settle in with a new puppy.. and are considering GSP..

There is a breeder not too far away (less than 2 hours) that specializes in true german blood lines.. all of his dogs are VDH certified (German version of AKC), are genetically tested, come from trained/vetted/champion hunting blood lines, etc.. etc.. I trust the quality of the dogs there.. in addition to him being very open with paperwork, testing, etc.. the reviews of the kennel are exceptional.. not one dissatisfied buyer from what I can tell.. and most buyers leaving reviews are hunters that are buying the puppies to be hunting partners..

Our first priority is for the dog to be a companion.. We have a typical north texas yard (not large). The dog would largely spend its days inside... We have a property about 2.5 hours from here that we spend a lot of time at though (at least a weekend or two every month, most of the year) thats 700 acres where we deer, dove, hog, and turkey hunt.. theres lots of room for the dog to run and explore there..

We'd like to train the dog and have it hunt with us.. but thats honestly secondary... our last lab was the best dog we've ever had as a companion... but was a horrible hunter despite spending about $6K and the better part of a year training him.. and we were totally ok with that.. he just didnt go hunting with us... but.. he was an incredible pet..

So.. I know at least based on what the internet tells me, to expect a GSP to be a little more high energy than a lab or a golden.. We're ok with that.. our last lab was substantially higher energy than your typical lab.. but outside of that, I know little about them..

Educate me.

We're going to look at a 14 week old female liver colored and a male liver colored GSP tonight.. both have already started some very basic testing for play/prey/food drive and hunting aptitude and are supposedly demonstrating strong positive characteristics..

They are excellent hunting dogs and family companions as everyone else has said. The versatile breeds can do everything. I’ve owned a GWP, GSP, and currently have a Griffon. 2d GSP likely coming next year. Despite being thinly haired, my GSP was a waterfowling fiend in addition to regular upland hunting of chukar, quail, and grouse (granted we live in the NW so winter temps mild compared to other places).

From your post it sounds like you want a solid family companion that also would be a good hunting companion, so . . .

1. Visit any breeders to meet their dogs before you put your deposit down. See their dogs’ personalities, see their temperament (hyper/anxious or calm/confident, etc.), see how they live (kennel dogs or do they live in the house part of or all of the time). My GSP breeder and Griff breeder have their dogs spend significant time in the house with them. Because of this, they both breed for an “off” switch in their dogs. Outside, pedal to the metal. Inside, sleeping in their favorite spot.

2. Find out what testing organizations the breeder is associated with. Field trials, likely a big running dog bred for field trials on horseback. NAVHDA (I’m a member), likely a dog bred for a person hunting on foot (slightly less octane, easier to live with).

3. What does the breeder hunt? For example, my GSP breeder regularly hunted waterfowl so good water work is important for their breeding program (which it should be for any good breeder involved in NAVHDA).

Good luck with your search!

Talk to me about German Shorthaired Pointers

Redfishga1

farmer_john

German shorthaired pointer GSP - a 'wunder' dog?

Russ16

Altitude sickness

Doug3006

JES Adventures

Mtn_Infantry

MontanaPat

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BlueFlyer

Altitude sickness

USMA84DAB

RLL

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Hififile324

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Hififile324

BTP-KennethWRoyce

Ontario Hunter

txtrout75218

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