Basic
Characteristics of Shorthaired
Pointers
The German Shorthaired Pointer is a versatile hunter, an all-purpose gun dog capable of high performance in field and water. The overall picture which is created by a well-bred German Shorthair Pointer is that of an aristocratic, well balanced, symmetrical animal with conformation indicating power, endurance and agility and a look of intelligence and animation. German Shorthairs are neither unduly small nor conspicuously large. It gives the impression of medium size, but is like the proper hunter, "with a short back, but standing over plenty of ground." A hunting dog well balanced in all points is preferable to one with outstanding good qualities and defects. Grace of outline, clean-cut head, sloping shoulders, deep chest, powerful back, strong quarters, good bone composition, adequate muscle, well carried tail and taut coat produce a look of nobility and indicate a heritage of purposefully conducted German Shorthair breeding. Further evidence of this heritage is movement which is balanced, alertly coordinated and without wasted motion.
Most German Shorthairs, measured at the withers, are 23 to 25 inches high. Height of bitches, measured at the withers is generally 21 to 23 inches. Normal weight of German Shorthairs is 55 to 70 pounds, while weight of German Shorthair bitches is 45 to 60 pounds. Measuring from the fore chest to the rearmost projection of the rump and from the withers to the ground, the German Shorthair is permissibly either square or slightly longer than he is tall. The main importance is not laid so much on the size of bone, but rather on the bone being in proper proportion to the body.
Typically, the German Shorthair head is clean-cut, is neither too light nor too heavy, and is in proper proportion to the body. The eyes are of medium size, full of intelligence and expression, good-humored and yet radiating energy, neither protruding nor sunken. The eye is almond shaped, not circular. The ears are broad and set fairly high, lie flat and never hang away from the head. Their placement is just above eye level. The ears when laid in front without being pulled, should extend to the corner of the mouth. In the case of heavier dogs, the ears are correspondingly longer. The skull is reasonably broad, arched on the side and slightly round on top. The foreface rises gradually from nose to forehead. The rise is more strongly pronounced in the dog than in the bitch. The jaw is powerful and the muscles well developed, assuring the German Shorthair breed as a top gun dog, bird dog and hunting dog. The line to the forehead rises gradually and never has a definite stop as that of the Pointer, but rather a stop-effect when viewed from the side, due to the position of the eyebrows. The muzzle is sufficiently long to enable German Shorthair Pointers to seize game properly and be able to carry it for a long time.  The nose is brown, the larger the better, and with nostrils well opened and broad. The neck of a German Shorthair Pointer is of proper length to permit the jaws reaching game to be retrieved, sloping downwards on beautifully curving lines. The nape is rather muscular, becoming gradually larger toward the shoulders. The chest in general gives the impression of depth rather than breadth; for all that, it is in correct proportion to the other parts of the body.
The chest reaches down to the elbows, the ribs forming the thorax show a rib spring and are not flat or slab sided; they are not perfectly round or barrel-shaped. The back ribs reach well down. The circumference of the thorax immediately behind the elbows is smaller than that of the thorax about a hand's breadth behind elbows, so that the upper arm has room for movement. Tuck-up is apparent. The back is short, strong, and straight with a slight rise from the root of the tail to the withers. The loin is strong, is of moderate length, and is slightly arched. The hips are broad with hip sockets wide apart and fall slightly toward the tail in a graceful curve.
The tail of a typical German Shorthair is set high and firm, and must be docked, leaving approximately 40% of its length. The tail hangs down when the dog is quiet and is held horizontally when he is walking. The feet are compact, close-knit and round to spoon-shaped. The toes are sufficiently arched and heavily nailed. The pads are strong, hard and thick. Thighs are strong and well muscled. Stifles are well bent. Hock joints are well angulated and strong with straight bone structure from hock to pad. Angulations of both stifle and hock joint is such as to achieve the optimal balance of drive and traction. Hocks turn neither in nor out.
The German Shorthair coat is short and thick and feels tough to the hand; it is somewhat longer on the underside of the tail and the back edges of the haunches. The hair is softer, thinner and shorter on the ears and the head. The coat may be of solid liver or a combination of liver and white such as liver and white ticked, liver patched and white ticked, or liver roan.
A smooth lithe gait is essential to German Shorthair Pointers. It is to be noted that as gait increases from the walk to a faster speed, the legs converge beneath the body and a tendency to single track is desirable. The forelegs reach well ahead as if to pull in the ground without giving the appearance of a hackney gait. The hindquarters drive the back legs smoothly and with great power. The German Shorthair is friendly, intelligent, and willing to please. The first impression is that of a keen enthusiasm for work without indication of nervous or flighty character. The German Shorthair breed excels as a bird dog, gun dog and hunting dog. |
