My family is looking for a dog to add to our family. My husband enjoys hunting so he would prefer a dog that he could take hunting with him. He is looking at a German Shorthaired Pointer. I think they are beautiful dogs, but I am hesitant. I have a 15 month old little girl and am weary about having a "larger" dog around her. We live in a duplex and have a small yard but we are very active and will make sure to give him plenty of exercise. What are your thoughts? Will I regret my decision of getting this breed? If we give him plenty of exercise daily, will he still be too active to have as our family pet with a small child?
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You should be researching the breed and talking to a reputable breeder, not asking people on here. Too many will say “Get it” because they are pretty, or they own one themselves.
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In my opinion, if you got the dog as a puppy and trained him to be gentle with your daughter he would be fine. I would say do some more research on the breed. I love German Shorthaired Pointers. My grandparents used to have one and he was the best dog ever!! He was gentle around kids, was very obedient, loved to hunt, and was an excellent family pet!!
They are my second-favorite breed. I would get a female as they are sweeter and quite a bit smaller. In my area, show breeders breed for hunting as well. But they will need to be exercised — hopefully you or your husband run regularly and could take her with you. Cycling with something like a springer leash holder would also be good. Ideally you would live in the country and she could roam your acreage.
In Germany they are a multipurpose dog. But in the US I see them used only with upland game. They are very willing, and will hunt close without needing a radio collar. Your husband will really form a bond with her out in the field.
Your best bet is to find a good breeder and ask to meet some of their dogs available and when you go ask as many questions about them that you can think of. By meeting dogs before making your decision you can find one that you think will fit your family.
You should also research other breeds that you could consider. You could also look around rescue centres which are full of loving and brilliant dogs that so many people forget about when looking for a new dog and just go straight to breeders. By going to a rescue centre you can find many dogs which had a lot of experience with young children and which are good with them.
By giving them plenty of exercise you may be able to wear them out. I had a naturally very energetic breed and when he’d been on long walks he was often worn out in the evenings.
I’ve never had anything BUT large dogs and that includes when my sons were babies and toddlers. I had a houseful of afghans at that time and never had any problems. You already know you’re looking at an extremely active breed. If you’re willing to put in the time exercising and training the dog, there’s no reason to expect problems.
Make sure you learn about the parents’ temperaments, spend time training both your daughter and the dog, use common sense by not leaving them together unsupervised and you should be fine.
If you’re worried about a rambunctious puppy knocking over your daughter, that’s going to happen even without a dog – falling down is a part of life. Kids get back up. That’s why you supervise and train. You’ll have to be really vigilant while the puppy’s learning bite inhibition, but even the tiniest puppies have to be taught not to ever put their teeth on a person.
I have friends who have two of them and have a young family of 3 children. They got their first one before they had any children, and just got their second one a little over a year ago since the first one is 12 years old. They are VERY busy people as both parents are school teachers and are involved in a ton of sports with their children and coaching of their own. The two youngest children are twins, so they have their hands full. I swear, if they can do it, anybody can. They are great family companions and both of the dogs DO hunt, although the 12 year old dog probably shouldn’t anymore, IMO. I really like this breed myself, even though my Husband and I have never hunted, and we have been Doberman people for almost 30 years. If you think you can handle a 15 month old child and train a puppy, I say go for it. As a good Mom, you would already know not to ever leave a baby unattended with any dog. My friends own 2 females, so I don’t know if that is just a personal preference or what. A male would be a slightly larger dog.
This Dog is a great hunting dog and needs lots of exrsize and could nock down a small child but it is great with ethletic children. This Dog might be right for your family.
I hope this vidio helps.
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