German Shorthaired Pointer E-Book

Nona Kilgore Bauer

• Herausgeber: CompanionHouse Books
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Serie: Comprehensive Owner's Guide
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 207

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

Although first and foremost a versatile, multi-talented hunting dog, the German Shorthaired Pointer is an equally delightful companion dog beloved for his sweet temperament, superb trainability, and good looks. Those dark brown eyes and chestnut-colored easy-to-care-for coat makes this sporting dog a desirable choice for the family who has the time and inclination to indulge this super dog's boundless energy and drive. Author Nona Kilgore Bauer, a hunting dog aficionado, trainer, and breeder, charts the origins of this sensation multi-purpose hunter: "The practical German hunter-breeder aimed for the ideal one-man dog, one with a superb nose that could locate, point and hold until the guns were at the ready, then, with a gentle mouth, retriever the bird to hand. Such a dog should also possess great courage and the ability and willingness to stalk and apprehend larger game such as deer, hare, or fox." Considered an HRP breed by hunting specialists;hunt, point, retrieve;the GSP is arguably the most proficient hunting breed ever developed, and as such needs a job to do. The chapter on the breed's characteristics gives potential owners an accurate depiction of what the GSP requires in terms of training, socialization, and exercise, and the breed standard, presented in the following chapter, paints a complete portrait of what the ideal GSP should possess in terms of temperament, physical characteristics, abilities, and movement.New owners will welcome the well-prepared chapter on finding a reputable breeder and selecting a healthy, sound puppy. Chapters on puppy-proofing the home and yard, purchasing the right supplies for the puppy as well as house-training, feeding, and grooming are illustrated with photographs of handsome adults and puppies. In all, there are over 135 full-color photographs in this useful and reliable volume. The author's advice on obedience training will help the reader better mold and train into the most well-mannered dog in the neighborhood. The extensive and lavishly illustrated chapter on healthcare provides up-to-date detailed information on selecting a qualified veterinarian, vaccinations, preventing and dealing with parasites, infectious diseases, and more. Sidebars throughout the text offer helpful hints, covering topics as diverse as historical dogs, breeders, or kennels, toxic plants, first aid, crate training, carsickness, fussy eaters, and parasite control. Fully indexed.

Leseprobe

Physical Characteristics of the German Shorthaired Pointer

(from the American Kennel Club breed standard)

Head: Clean-cut, neither too light nor too heavy, and in proper proportion to the body.

Eyes: Of medium size, full of intelligence and expression, good-humored and yet radiating energy. The preferred color is dark brown.

Nose: Brown, the larger the better, and with nostrils well opened and broad.

Muzzle: Sufficiently long to enable the dog to seize game properly and be able to carry it for a long time…should equal the length of skull.

Mouth: The jaw is powerful and the muscles well developed. Lips are full and deep yet are never flewy.

Teeth: Strong and healthy. The molars intermesh properly. The bite is a true scissors bite.

Chest: In general gives the impression of depth rather than breadth…it is in correct proportion to the other parts of the body. The chest reaches down to the elbows.

Forequarters: Shoulders are sloping, movable, and well covered with muscle. The shoulder blades lie flat and are well laid back. The upper arm is as long as possible…straight and muscled legs, when viewed from the front, appear to be parallel. Pasterns are strong, short and nearly vertical with a slight spring.

Ears: Broad and set fairly high, lie flat and never hang away from the head. Their placement is just above eye level.

Neck: Of proper length to permit the jaws reaching game to be retrieved, sloping downwards on beautifully curving lines.

Back: 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.

Tail: Set high and firm, and must be docked, leving approximately 40% of its length.

Color: 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.

Hindquarters: 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.

Coat: Hair is short and thick and feels tough to the hand.

Size: Height of dogs, measured at the withers, 23 to 25 inches. Height of bitches, measured at the withers, 21 to 23 inches. Weight of dogs 55 to 70 pounds. Weight of bitches 45 to 60 pounds.

Feet: Compact, close-knit and round to spoon-shaped. The toes are sufficiently arched and heavily nailed. The pads are strong, hard and thick.

Contents

History of the German Shorthaired Pointer

Come into the fields and meet the remarkably versatile GSP. Learn about this Continental pointer’s development in Europe as well as its spread in popularity to the US and the UK. Known throughout the world for its hunting prowess and professionalism in the field, the GSP has a long history of excellence in Germany, where it is regarded as the nation’s pride and joy.

Characteristics of the German Shorthaired Pointer

Find out if the GSP is the right dog for you and your family. Blessed with a hardy constitution, a high activity level and superior intelligence, the GSP makes an unbeatable companion for the right owners. New owners will learn about the breed’s physical characteristics and pet attributes as well as health concerns.

Breed Standard for the German Shorthaired Pointer

Learn the requirements of a well-bred German Shorthaired Pointer by studying the description of the breed set forth in the American Kennel Club and German standards. Both show dogs and pets must possess key characteristics as outlined in the breed standard.

Your Puppy German Shorthaired Pointer

Be advised about choosing a reputable breeder and selecting a healthy, typical puppy. Understand the responsibilities of ownership, including home preparation, acclimatization, the vet and prevention of common puppy problems.

Everyday Care of Your German Shorthaired Pointer

Enter into a sensible discussion of dietary and feeding considerations, exercise, grooming, traveling and identification of your dog. This chapter discusses German Shorthaired Pointer care for all stages of development.

Training Your German Shorthaired Pointer

by Charlotte Schwartz

Be informed about the importance of training your German Shorthaired Pointer from the basics of housebreaking and understanding the development of a young dog to executing obedience commands (sit, stay, down, etc.).

Health Care of Your German Shorthaired Pointer

Discover how to select a proper veterinarian and care for your dog at all stages of life. Topics include vaccination scheduling, skin problems, dealing with external and internal parasites and common medical and behavioral conditions.

Your Senior German Shorthaired Pointer

Recognize the signs of an aging dog, both behavioral and medical; implement a senior-care program with your vet and become comfortable with making the final decisions and arrangements for your senior German Shorthaired Pointer.

Showing Your German Shorthaired Pointer

Experience the AKC dog show world, including different types of shows and the making of a champion. Go beyond the conformation ring to obedience trials, agility trials and more.

KENNEL CLUB BOOKS®GERMAN SHORTHAIRED POINTERISBN 13: 978-1-59378-274-0

Copyright © 2000 • Kennel Club Books® • A Division of BowTie, Inc.40 Broad Street, Freehold, NJ 07728 USACover Design Patented: US 6,435,559 B2 • Printed in South Korea

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by photostat, scanner, microfilm, xerography or any other means, or incorporated into any information retrieval system, electronic or mechanical, without the written permission of the copyright owner.

PHOTO CREDITS:

Norvia Behling, Mary Bloom, T. J. Calhoun, Doskocil,Isabelle Français, Bill Jonas, Mikki Pet Productsand Alice van Kempen.

Illustrations by Renee Low.

Showing off his natural versatility as a hunter, this German Shorthaired Pointer is posing with his fluffy retrieve.

Born to run…born to reign. In a sporting world dominated by several breeds of utility gundog that are proficient in hunt, point and retrieve (HPR), the German Shorthaired Pointer (GSP) stands alone as the premier hunting dog of Europe and the revered national gundog of Germany. Possessed of that indefinable ability to run unerringly on a scent in all types of cover and terrain, then, upon finding the game, slow into a feline crouch and freeze, sculpture-like into stone, the GSP is universally regarded as the near-perfect all-around gundog.

The GSP, like other gundog breeds that evolved during the 19th century, developed when hunting finally became a sport of the common man. For centuries, birds and animals were hunted for both food and sport. The aristocrat pursued small and large game for personal entertainment and challenge, while the ordinary man did so to feed his family and himself. To that end, the scenthound tracked partridge and other game birds, while the hunter followed with netting to throw and snare the birds. The dogs and nets were sometimes used in tandem with a hawk or falcon, which would then capture the birds in flight as they attempted to escape.

HUNTING WITH BIRDS

In many parts of Europe and the Middle East, falcons, eagles and hawks are still used in tandem with dogs in the hunting sport. The dog points and holds the birds, and the falcon is released to circle overhead and wait, swooping down once the birds are flushed. Falconry, however, is against the law in certain countries.

The introduction of the shotgun in the 1800s changed the nature of the hunt for both man and beast. At that time, European aristocracy owned and bred a wide variety of dogs, each type specializing in a different aspect of the hunt, to accompany them on their shoots. Pointers and setters raced ahead of the hunting party, located the game and stood fast. Retrievers followed and “picked up” game after it was shot. The spaniel breeds worked closely with the hunter, flushing as well as retrieving.

The average citizen could not afford to keep large kennels of highly specialized breeds to perform all of the tasks necessary for a successful hunt; that is, separate breeds to point, to flush and to retrieve shot game. Thus was born a myriad of efforts across Europe to produce a truly versatile hunting dog: one breed to perform all of these tasks.

The practical German hunter-breeder aimed for the ideal one-man dog, one with a superb nose that could locate, point and hold until the guns were at the ready, then, with a gentle mouth, retrieve the bird to hand. Such a dog should also possess great courage and the ability and willingness to stalk and apprehend larger game such as deer, hare or fox. The hunter also demanded a dog with a sound temperament that could bond to his family when not working in the field. These hunters did not want kennels full of dogs for various purposes; in fact, they did not want kennels full of dogs at all. Rather, they aimed for one dog skilled in all of the hunting tasks that they could keep in their homes as family companions.

The two dogs used most commonly to achieve those breeding goals shared the same ancestry as many other European dogs, most being descendants of the St. Hubert Hound and the Old Spanish Pointer, two ancient Mediterranean breeds that reached Europe along with civilization.

Allegedly brought there by the Knights of the Crusaders during the 11th century, the Hounds of St. Hubert can be traced directly back to the famed French monastery. A descendant of the courageous eighth-century staghound, the St. Hubert is the ancestor of all cold-trailing hounds. Like the Old Spanish Pointer, these black hounds were also known in Germany as Schweisshunden, expert cold trailers who possessed exquisite noses and hunted with great persistence. Historic documents and artwork describe the Old Spanish Pointer as a heavy-headed, jowly animal with drooping flews, large bone structure, a slightly rough liver-and-white coat and an often surly attitude. Both breeds were ponderous and slow-moving, hardly worthy qualities to complement the use of firearms on the hunting scene. But the scenting and pointing abilities of both breeds were so superb that both aristocrat and common man set out to add elegance and speed in the hope of reaching their vision of a more versatile pointing dog.

STALKING DEER

German Shorthaired Pointers are still used for stalking deer in many countries. The hunter hangs a wooden baton on a loose rope around the dog’s neck and sends his dog off to find a wounded deer that has been shot. Upon finding the deer, the dog returns to his master, holding the baton in his mouth, and the hunter follows the dog to where his quarry lies. If the dog is unsuccessful, he will come back with the baton still hanging from his neck.

By the late 1800s, Germany, France and England were well into their own pointer breeding programs. The early Germans used the black type to fix one version of the German Shorthaired Pointer. By the mid-1900s, the Scandinavian countries still had some solid blacks; in Australia, that country’s best-known pointer breeder also had a solid black bitch in her program. The United States also had solid liver colors, as demonstrated in one historic painting that hangs in the De Young Museum in San Francisco. All of the countries appeared to strive for wrinkle-free heads with straighter profiles, rounded ears and more leg under the dog.

With the GSP’s regal, intelligent expression, it’s no wonder that royalty was attracted to the breed.

FIELD-TRIAL RULES

The German requirements and regulations for field trials are extremely rigid and demanding. Some field trials are open to international competition, allowing dogs from other countries to compete with the German dogs, making a field championship even more difficult to achieve. In Germany, it is necessary to qualify in performance as well as in conformation, in keeping with the German philosophy that a dog with incorrect structure cannot perform his best afield.

By the late 1900s, Europe saw mixed results in the effort to produce good-looking, properly balanced pointing dogs. The French promoted the Gascon Hound, Genereaux, their prize-winning hound at the 1865 Paris Exhibition. Genereaux was a long-tailed, wrinkle-free sporting dog that easily reminds one of the German Shorthaired Pointer seen today. Germany’s 1871 showing, however, was the ungainly Feldmann I, a tricolor experimental dog bred by Prince Albrecht zu Solms-Brauenfels of the Royal House of Hannover. Feldmann I was a ponderous-looking, short-legged dog with the traditional heavy head and thicker neck, hardly a prime example of the swift and graceful animal for which breeders strived.

Breeding efforts continued throughout Europe and, in Germany, a wide variety of breed types emerged. Proponents of the breeding principle that “function follows form” believed a dog’s physical construction was primary and that natural ability would eventually follow. They pursued a pointing dog that possessed rounded ears and a classic profile (with no stop), a preference that was held mostly in rebellion against the English Pointer’s small, tight ears and dish-faced head. In their quest for their desired head type, these advocates inevitably produced heavy-bodied, short-legged, awkward dogs that were unable to fulfill the German vision of speed and elegance in the field.

The breeders who believed in “function follows form,” led by German breeder Karl Brandt, in 1879 convinced the committee to deny Stud Book admission to any pointer who did not carry the desired characteristics, a move that subsequently denied admission to many deserving specimens of the breed.

Into that foray came the highly respected Prince zu Solms-Brauenfels. Having gained valuable experience in his earlier experimental breedings, especially with Feldmann I, the Prince advocated the opposite principle, that of “form follows function.” Like other wise pioneer breeders, the Prince looked primarily at performance and bred selectively to produce the best performers, using dogs of various type, different breeds and different strains of breeds, believing that once performance was firmly established, one could later select for structure.

The Prince advised the German breeders to use only the best performing dogs for breeding stock. At his direction, many adjusted their breeding decisions and looked solely to ability, with some forward-thinkers, outlaws in German breeding terms, using the English Pointer to enhance the already splendid quality of nose and pointing instinct.

With English Pointer blood, however, came one more element of risk. The cross eventually reduced trailing ability, diminished enthusiasm for the water and diluted courage in pursuit of larger game.

Nevertheless, the determined efforts of the breeders seeking function first produced one of the early solid working German Shorthaired Pointers, named Nero 66 (66 being his number in the Kurzhaar Stud Book), bred by Herr Julius Mehlich. A brown chest-ticked dog with a good nose and showing excellent strength and speed, Nero performed well at the 1881 pointer/setter trial at Buckow. The pointer world again took note of Nero when, two years later, he tied with another brown pointer named Treff 1010 (his all-breed registration number) for first place in the German Derby.

INSTINCTIVE ABILITY

The ability to seek scent to locate game, then to stand rigid at the finding has been bred into the German Shorthaired Pointer for many generations and is a skill that cannot be taught. The dog can be trained to best utilize that natural ability, but the talent is born with the dog.

Following his Derby achievement, Nero and his owner were invited to join a hunting party at the famed Hoppenrade hunting preserve owned by an aristocrat named Herr Schmidt. On that occasion, it was Nero’s famous escapade with a hare that gave birth to the renowned Hoppenrade strain of German Shorthaired Pointers. During the hunt, Nero sped off after a shot hare and was gone so long that the anxious hunting party thought the dog might have been injured somewhere afield. To their delight, Nero finally appeared on the far bank of a fast-running stream, the huge hare clamped firmly in his jaws. The dog then plunged into the racing river waters and fought his way across to deliver his catch to his master. Herr Schmidt applauded the dog’s valiant effort and proudly announced to the jubilant onlookers, “From this time on, you are no longer Nero 66; you are Nero v. Hoppenrade! And the name shall be given to all your descendants as well.”

TICKING

The ticking on the German Shorthaired Pointer’s coat will appear almost white at birth. Ticking starts to appear between two and three weeks of age.

Thus was born the distinguished line of Hoppenrade German Shorthaired Pointers, whose names can be found behind most modern GSP pedigrees. It is most fitting that Nero’s granddaughter, Erra Hoppenrade 382, earned the number-one spot in the Gebrauchshunde-Stammbuch (German Working Dog Stud Book) after she beat the competition in 1892.

Other Hoppenrade offspring followed in Nero’s famous pawprints, placing in many Derby stakes. Nero’s daughter Flora later produced three influential solid-brown dogs when she was bred to Hektor 64 (Treff ex Diana): two males (Waldin 175, Waldo 174) and the female Hertha. Waldin continued his famous grandsire’s legacy with an impressive performance of his own at a pointer/setter field trial at Buckow. At that trial, the German Emperor was so taken with Waldin’s work that he commissioned the dog’s portrait to be painted by the renowned German artist Sperling.

Although not a water retriever by trade, the GSP is certainly versatile enough to be trained for the task or just to enjoy an occasional swim.

Other Hoppenrade dogs can be found in a great many foundation breed pedigrees. Herr Mehlich’s bitch Holla (Hoppenrade) was the first full-ticked specimen in his line of solid brown, chest-ticked dogs. Holla produced sons Morell 444 (Holla ex Waldin 175) and Maitrank (Holla ex Balsam Hoppenrade), who later became foundation dogs in many pedigrees.

GERMAN CHAMPIONSHIP

The German title Sieger denotes a champion, with Siegerin for the female champion. To achieve that title, a dog must earn three first prizes with a rating of Vorsuglich (Excellent) under three different approved judges at approved shows. It must qualify in performance as well as conformation.

The Kurzhaar Sieger must earn first prizes in the Derby and the Solms, and second place or better in a Klub Utility Search (Verbandsgebrauchsprufung), or Derby or Solms first place plus first place in the Klub Utility Search. The dog must also qualify by running well in the Kleeman Search, and later qualify on the trail (Verlorenbringenprufung of a wounded hare (krankges-chossenen Hasen) that the dog has not previously seen. Excellence in all events proves that the dog is capable in all aspects of natural working ability.

The dog Treff 1010 also provides another stepping stone in German Shorthaired Pointer history. The breedings of Nero offspring to Treff sons and grandchildren form the foundation of most pedigrees of the breed.

When discussing German Shorthaired Pointer history and pedigrees, one cannot ignore the age-old debate over the presence of the Bloodhound in the breed’s development. Despite the overwhelming evidence that GSP ancestry goes back to the Old Spanish Pointer and variations of the Hounds of St. Hubert, arguments still persist that Bloodhound crosses figure into the formation of the breed. Although that notion is still accepted by some English breed historians, knowledgeable German authorities have adamantly rejected the Bloodhound theory many times.

One reason for the Bloodhound misconception may lie in the fact that in the German language, schweiss means “scent…and blood trail…as in hunting.” Hund means dog, thus any dog who follows a trail is a Schweisshund, though not necessarily a Bloodhound. So while the German name for the Bloodhound is Schweisshund, it is also a term often used to describe the early working German Shorthaired Pointer. One truth does lie in the fact that the Bloodhound shares an ancestor with the German Shorthaired Pointer, with both breeds, along with many others, tracing back to the Hounds of St. Hubert.

An undisputed fact is that throughout 19th-century Europe, every country was attempting to shape its own desired version of the ideal scenthound. Fortunately, any mention of a Bloodhound cross with the German Shorthaired Pointer has been removed from recent books that chart the development of the breed. Older versions still exist, however, available to the unsuspecting novice who may innocently accept the Bloodhound theory as fact.

The unification of Germany as a sovereign nation in 1870 gave the breeding community the cohesion necessary to raise their efforts to a national level. In 1891, breed fanciers founded the Klub Kurzhaar (Shorthair Club), a reorganization of the previous Brantiger Klub. Today about 25 regional German Shorthaired Pointer breed clubs operate throughout Germany under the umbrella of the parent organization Deutsch Kurzhaar Verband.

AIR SCENTING

The German Shorthaired Pointer seeks game by air scenting, running with his head high to take efficient advantage of the wind. He does not “ground” or “foot” scent, which is following the scent left on the ground by running game. He will, however, follow a “foot” or “blood” scent to trail a wounded bird.

There is a debate over whether or not the wellknown Bloodhound is among the GSP’s forefathers.

As with other breeds, breed progress and development were seriously interrupted by World War II (1939 to 1945). Recovery was even more difficult for the German effort, due to the division of the German nation into East and West Germany. Still the German Shorthaired Pointer has persevered, standing without equal, a handsome utility dog capable of excellence in all aspects of the hunt, whether in field, wood or water.

THE BREED IN THE US

The GSP arrived in America around 1925 when a one-year-old bitch named Senta v. Hohenbruck, bred by Herr Edwardt Reindt (Hohenbruck strain) of Austria, was imported by Dr. Charles Thornton of Montana. Senta was in whelp when she arrived in the United States, and she produced the first seven GSPs born here. Six survived, named Frisky, Smarty, Pep, Queen, King and Bob, and they represented the range of GSP colors: ticked, solid brown and brown and white. Dr. Thornton became a true advocate of the breed, and he established his kennels over the next five years with imports from many other great German strains. Although far too many of Dr. Thornton’s litters went to hunters who didn’t bother to register their dogs or who outcrossed them in indiscriminate breedings, a practice that greatly distressed Thornton, many of his dogs went on to establish the first GSP stronghold in the American pure-bred dog community. The term “Thornton breeding” is often used to describe the foundation of the breed in the United States.

American hunters accepted the breed enthusiastically. The American Kennel Club (AKC) gave the GSP formal recognition in March 1930, with the registration of German import Greif v. d. Fliegerhalde, whelped in 1928. The first AKC-licensed specialty show was held in March 1941 as part of the International Kennel Club show.

It was not until 15 years after the breed’s AKC recognition that the German Shorthaired Pointer Club of America (GSPCA), today the breed’s national parent club, was formed. Before then, in 1939, the Minnesota German Shorthaired Pointer Club functioned as the breed’s parent club in the US, and it remained so until 1953. It was about a decade later before the GSPCA was reorganized into the structure under which it functions today.

American hunters enthusiastically welcomed the German Shorthaired Pointer to their shores. The breed was used widely for a variety of game on the massive land stretches of the US.

One interesting dispute continues in the US over the matter of breed name recognition. By the time the AKC recognized the breed in 1930, calling it the German Shorthaired Pointer, the German Club had already trimmed “Pointer” from its name, making it now the German Shorthair. The name change by German breed developers was effected in order to remove the dog from the Pointer class. They also hoped to prevent any more infusion of Pointer blood, the cross used to increase speed in large running dogs.

In the US, the GSP is generally considered no match in All-Age Field Trials when pitted against the pointer breeds with which he must compete. The breed has many dual champions, dogs that have earned their titles both in the show ring and in the field.

Since the German Shorthaired Pointer’s introduction to the US and acceptance by the AKC, it has become one of our country’s most popular Sporting breeds. He earned his sparkling reputation in America by proving his ability as a hunter and as a family companion reliably over the years, and he is as wonderful in the home as he is in the field. For a dog with so many skills, he also is a loving and playful dog in the home, a favorite with children and always loyal to his family.

THE BREED IN BRITAIN

Prior to World War II, British sportsmen and wealthy landowners used specialist breeds on their hunting ventures—the swift game-finding pointers on the moors, the retrievers for picking up and the spaniels for rough shooting. Little was known of the all-purpose utility dogs that performed the tasks of all those breeds combined. In the post-war years, when large estates were sold and later divided, the nature of shooting changed, with more commoners taking up the sport on smaller pieces of ground, an ideal scenario for an all-purpose dog like the German Shorthaired Pointer.