Shorthaired German Pointer
Description:
The Shorthaired German pointer is an agile hunter that has a thin exterior line, clean cut head short and powerful torso, deep chest, inclined shoulders and strong bones. Its coat is thick and can be considered short. The look of this dog should be balanced and symmetrical. The head shouldn't look too small or too heavy; the skull is somewhat wide and its stop should ascend gradually. The nose of this dog is long but not pointy. The ears are wide and pretty high up on its head, although they shouldn't look too long. The eyes are medium sized and are brown; yellow colored eyes should be avoided. The nose should be brown; avoiding skin colored or stained noses. The shoulder blades of this dog should be smooth and inclined back, not too straight or too loose. The coat of this dog is short and thick and rough to the touch. The tail is moderate in length and it must be firm and high on its body, not curved or under its leg. The male Shorthaired German pointers height is usually fifty eight to sixty three centimeters and females are usually five centimeters less. The coat is usually liver color or combined with white, dark brown or light brown.
Ideal owner:
The German Shorthaired Pointer is a very energetic active dog. It enjoys being in a large space where it can run about and exercise. It's preferable not to have one of these dogs if you live in an apartment or small area, as they tend to get nervous and do not like small spaces. These dogs really enjoy being around children and they are very extroverted but gentle with kids. They have an excellent sense of smell. It is not difficult to train them but it is necessary to train them and have full control over them so that it becomes a trustworthy hunter.
Growth:
At eight weeks of age the German Shorthaired Pointer should weight around seven and a half kilograms. It grows very quickly until around four months of age approximately. During these four months of quick growth it will be necessary to focus on its diet and if possible to give it vitamin supplements under the direction of a veterinarian or reputable dog breeder. This dogs maximum height is reached at the age of ten months if it is properly fed, although their full physical maturity occurs at the age of two or three years. The future owner of this dog will need to be prepared to confront a very active adolescence stage and get used to its instinctive hunting sprees, which is typical in this breed. Dedicate a lot of time to it each day to canalize its exuberant ways and to avoid it from becoming destructive.
General health:
In essence this dog is very sporty and strong. The German Shorthaired Pointer can live past ten years of age. There have been some cases of incidences of hip dysphasia, von Willebrand disease and blood abnormalities. Ocular problems can also occur as well. Cancer is something that has been seen but in older dogs renal insufficiency is more common, heart attacks, and serious arthritis. There have been some cases of a rare disease that attacks the coordination of the dog and causes progressive confusion, which causes death. Although the care of coat is minimal, ear infections are common and can be frequent. Make sure to feed it a well balanced diet and allow it to get enough exercise.
