DESCRIPTION

Among the great variety of European Pointers, stands out the German Shorthaired Pointer for its great acceptance among hunters in the entire world.

In his country of origin is called DEUTSCHER KURZHAARIGER VORSTEHHUND, in short Kurzhhaar. The literal translation would be: German Shorthaired Pointer, as we call it.

It is a hunting dog that originates from the need, typical among German hunters, of joining in one dog a maximum of functions.

Species very frequent in his hunting excursions are the pheasant, the yokel partridge, the hare, the roe deer, the boar, the woodcock, the different duck varieties and even the fox.
Any combination of them can be found in a hunter's day.

There, in the same hunting day, a hunter can face various circumstances, determined by the conditions of the country fields and of his fauna. For that reason he uses special guns, that are typical only in the Central European countries. Guns that combine the possibilities of the rifle and of the shotgun. The better known of them is the drilling, with two shotgun barrels and a rifle barrel, capable of covering very different situations.

Hisdog should also know how to carry out a multitude of functions.

HUNTING CHARACTERISTICS

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It should be a pointing dog in the labour fields and detect with readiness and efficiency the yokel partridge, the pheasant or the hare, pointing them with firmness and certainty, and end up the task, after being shoot down by their master, with a effective retrieve.
This retrieve is often difficult, if the animal is wounded and escapes to hide, since the hunting fields are usually surrounded of thick forests and heath.
 
Inside the forest, the woodcock will be the target, and all hunter that has pursued the Queen of the Forest knows how difficult she can be for the dogs.

It should also be capable of swimming. Thoroughly register the reeds of the countless lagoons and pounds that crowd some areas of Centre Europe, to evict the ducks, so that the hunter can shoot them down. Then retrieve them, sometimes lost or winged, in the tangle of vegetation.

At dawn or twilight, the dog needs to be very patient, as the hunter is, in the long waits for the roe deer or the boar. That hunt can sometimes end with a wounded animal that could get lost unsuccessfully without the help of a good dog that will find it by the blood trail.

He is taken to participate in the beatings of hare, and in those of roe deer or boar in the woodland. This job sometimes he has to make it in solitary, for his owner who posted in the boundary, awaits that the dog dislodges the game in his direction to shoot it dawn when going out of cover.

In his function of vermin destroyer, has to be able to trail, sometimes to finish off and also to retrieve the fox and in spite of its weight, to carry it if it is necessary a long while.

All this wants from him the owner, for that reason his best definition is a VERSATILE dog. That is to say that he can carry out a great variety of functions, in opposition to some breeds of hunting dogs that specialise in certain jobs or in certain kinds of game.

Therefore, the German Shorthaired Pointer is when hunting, and that is its main function, in the first place a pointer, but he can also be a retriever, a water dog and blood dog.
All this tasks can be carried by the same animal, and if we want to understand its behaviour its character and its constitution, we should not forget any of these aspects that mark him so much .

It should have a great adaptation capacity, and enough intelligence and memory, to be able to distinguish in each moment the function requested, that some times is contradictory.
 
For example:

In the open field he is wanted to point with stability and never run after the game, facilitating in this way his owner shot. On the contrary, in the beaten of the forest, he should dislodge the the game in the posted hunter's direction.

He should be able to use a high nose carriage in the crossed search, and drop it down in the trail of blood.

When finding wounded game, he will have to know how to adapt to the reining conditions, to seek them by the trail, or by the straight wind scent, according to the wind and soil conditions.

Sometimes has to be patient in the waits, and other times very active when sporting.

Clearly, he needs, a very well balanced character, and sometimes strong and authoritarian in the predators presence.

The training in its origin country is a long task that is carried out in stages, and almost always, by the hunter himself.

Along the dog's life, he will pass a series of staggered tests, related to the age and the training degree, and whose results can be checked by anyone, in the STOOD BOOK, instrument of annual publication that serves among other things, to help detecting the best reproducers and to evaluate the bloodlines.

MAIN WORKING TESTS

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The Mediterranean countries, opt for the Field Trial tests, in the diverse modalities of Spring, Fall, etc., and follow the regulations of the FCI, as well for the morphology tests as for the working tests. Besides, the breed clubs in each country, organise specific tests.

In Germany, country of origin among them:

The Derby, is only a field test, for dogs of until 18 months that measures the dog's natural aptitudes, without taking into consideration his degree of training. The ability to retrieve is not tested, and only pointing, hunting passion and nose are qualified.

The Solms, test for young dogs in field and water. More difficult than the Derby, the training begins to be necessary, and retrieving is demanded.

The VGP, all the German pointing breeds are submitted to this test, and even specimens of other British or Continental breeds.
It is the more complete hunting test that we know. The training is valued in a multitude of hunting circumstances, as much in open country as in the woodland, when hunting walking or in a fixed post.
The dogs have to undergo the test of their ability in the blood trail of big game, the retrieve in various ways searching by the trail or by the wind, inside and outside of the water, finding hare  as much as feather, and ducks as well as the fox.

The IKP, biennial, open to dogs of any country, therefore international, includes field and water. Starts with a Morphology Test. The objective is to state the condition of the breed in the different countries.

The Kleemann Test, top of the breed in Germany. Also biennial, takes place the alternating years to the IKP. Is a field and water test with the maximum exigency, only can be passed if the dog obtains the highest qualifications in the fundamental sections. In this test the dogs obtain the the title of KS,  Kurzahhar Sieger (GSP Champion).

Other tests are the Bringtrelle, trackless retrieve of a fox in the forest. The tests the blood trail, 20 or 40 hours old of big game pieces, and the tests of predators destruction that is made on a lightly wounded fox that the dog should find by the trail, kill and then retrieve.

The breed control in Germany, is in hunters' hands, experts in their majority. They know well, as much the hunting needs as the morphology of the dog.
A great effort is made in that country to improve the breed continuously, as much in the form as in the working capacity.

Austria follows the steps of Germany in breeding and working tests, because they have the same norms, and Czechoslovakia also follows the guidance of the versatility tests, with almost identical content to the Germans, but with different denomination.

 PERFORMANCE

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In the search of the game he should maintain a gallop that gives the impression that still has a reserve of speed.
A high head carriage on top of the loin line is wanted in order to sense the remote flavours of the game.
It should be able to work without rest long hours, not decreasing in his performance, put up with cold and humidity, and have a physique that allows him, to retrieve without difficulty, animals sometimes heavy, as the fox, and then to carry them during a long distance.

 BEHAVIOUR

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The German Shorthaired pointer is also selected, attending to its behaviour, since when generally owning an only dog the Central European huntsman, usually lodges them frequently inside the family house, and logically the dog is asked for a suitable attitude, product of its good character and of its training.
 
In their youth it is very given to play, and it is a patient dog with the children, very affectionate with the owners and in their great majority they are obedient and easy to be trained.
 
The specimens that show symptoms of shyness and elusive behaviour in front of strangers should be discarded for breeding , as well as those that have the typical fear to the shots. Although this last circumstance should be carefully evaluated, since it can originate from a bad experience caused by the lack of  knowledge of the master.

ORIGIN
 
In Spain most of the imported specimens, they come from Germany, Czechoslovakia and France. Many of them from very good working bloodlines.