German Pointer (Long and Shorthaired)
Watch our video about the German Pointer (Long and Shorthaired)!
For a country-living family with a healthy outdoor life, especially if they love to go hunting, the German Pointer is hard to beat.Group: Gundog
Size: Large
Coat length: Medium
Grooming required: More than once a week
Coat sheds: No
Home size: Large House
Garden size: Large
Lifespan: Over 10 Years
Exercise: More than an hour per day
They are a medium-sized, well-proportioned dog. The German Pointer actually comes in three coat types, the shorthaired, the longhaired and the wirehaired (for a description of the Wirehaired Pointer click here). All coat types come in combinations of liver, white and black. Shorthaireds are the smallest. Their coat is short, thick and slightly rough. The Longhaired is the largest, their coat is a little longer and wavy but is firm rather than silky.
They were bred in Germany for hunting so had to be good at tracking, pointing and retrieving across both land and water, but they were also bred to be a family pet and watchdog. Affectionate, intelligent and eager to learn, they are very trainable and excel at gundog work but also at obedience and in the show ring. They are happiest when they have a job to do and are normally good natured with all people and animals. Both coat types are extremely energetic and need plenty of opportunity to run and swim on a regular basis.
The short coat is easy to groom, the longhaireds need a little more attention especially in the winter and spring months when grass seeds, mud and or snow can ball up between their feet. Teasels and other weeds can collect in the hair around their ears and in their longer coat causing it to matt and tangle. Both breeds are reasonably healthy and that is because breeders are encouraged to have breeding stock hip scored and eye tested. When looking for a puppy the questions about health testing should be asked of the breeder.