i have plenty of space for her to run around, and i have plenty of time to spend with her. but i would like to know more about this breed.
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Are you nuts?
You buy a dog today and know almost nothing about the breed? I sure hope you are ready for this one then. They are a handful.
Make sure you get her good food.
German shorthaired pointers are a really really good breed of dog for hunting!
They can be a great dog if you are prepared to spend the time training them. Time and space are very important and it sounds like you have both of them.
They are a slow breed to mature, mentally and physically, but are also intelligent dogs that were bred to work. Getting her used to hunting right away will be good for her and keep her using up some of that energy.
Check out the German Shorthaired Pointer Club of America website for more specific information about the breed.
they are very hyper. it took mine about 2.5-3 yrs to be managable and she still get’s impish every now and then. They are very sweet and loving too and very good and natural hunters. My parents spoiled mine and didn’t train her for hunting but even natrually she points birds when she’s out on walks. The best advice I can give is have toys. Rope bones are great, when she’s a puppy squeaky things can be fun. Take lots of walks. wear her out as much as possible. It makes for a very happy owner because she’ll be calmer. buy good dog food. iams is what we feed ours. it keeps their coat shinier. if you buy the cheap stuff you’ll want to put oil in it otherwise they get real dry. aside from those few things have fun with your new puppy.
Great breed, I have weimaraners and compete with them in hunt tests (on quail) and train with GSPs. They are very active, can be incredibly loving, but can also be very stubborn. Although people have warned against the hyperness of this breed and I do agree that they can be high strung…it’s been my experience that the sporting dogs that are most hyper are the ones who are not given the proper exercise and the opportunity to do what they were bred to do. It sounds as if, since you are planning on using her for hunting, you won’t have these problems. However, it is still VERY important that you take her on several walks a day and give her chances to run and work each day, even if she won’t be hunting that day.
Also, please please please crate train! This is for the best of the dog and if introduced early, she should take to it, although the first few days may be rough…perservere and it’ll pay off in the end.
As with other deep chested breeds, GSPs are prone to bloat so it’s important to practice several preventive steps including feeding at an elevation (not directly on the ground) and never free feeding…as a puppy you should give your girl three to four meals a day, but as she gets older she should get fed twice a day, once in the morning and again in the evening…you can consult your vet to find out how much.
This breed is also prone to hip dysplasia, were the parents’ hips scored?
Are you planning on training yourself, have you trained other bird dogs before?
My advice would be to go to http://www.akc.org and look up GSP breed clubs in your area…if you are interested, they can put you in touch with other individuals who hunt and possible trainers as well as getting started in hunt tests and field trials (if you are interested in these also).
Good luck!
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