Did you know that the first ever German Shorthaired Pointers (GSPs) were bred in the late 1800s in Germany? This dog breed was bred with the motive of having an all-rounder hunter dog that could also be a friendly companion.
Now is the time when these dog breeds are highly successful as the energetic and highly-active GSP is one of the most accomplished sporting and hunting breeds in the world. For many, this is also a family pet. If you’re a pet parent who is looking for ways of training your German Shorthaired Pointer, read on the concerns of this post.
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German Shorthaired Pointer – A little bit on this breed
As long as the male German Shorthaired Pointers are concerned, they grow up to 23-25 inches at their shoulder and weigh around 55 to 70 pounds. On the contrary, the females are smaller. Their coat is of a liver color (reddish brown) or a combination of liver and white with definite patterns. The dark eyes of this breed shine with friendliness and enthusiasm. They are built to work for a long time at the lake or at the field and hence are well-known for their speed, power, endurance and agility. ‘Aristocratic’ and ‘noble’ are the words that you use to describe their entire look.
German Shorthaired Pointers are trainable and happy pets that have an innate nature of bonding perfectly with the entire family. They are always eager to try to physical activities like swimming, running and other dog sports. In short, they seem to be interested in anything that will help them burn their endless energy and spend time with their human buddy.
Quick Statistics on the Breed
Temperament – Friendly, Willing to Please, Smart
AKC Breed Popularity – Ranks 9 of 195
Height – 23-25 inches (Male), 21-23 inches (Female)
Life Expectancy – 10-12 years
Weight – 55-70 pounds (male) and 45-60 pounds (female)
Group – Sporting Group
A short history of German Shorthaired Pointers as Hunting Dogs
As the name suggests, German Shorthaired Pointers were bred to hunt and point a game but watchful attention was given to create some of the best companions. The breeders attempted to create a dog that is genetically superior than many others and hence they are seen to have succeeded.
Various breeds of dogs were used to breed the German Shorthaired Pointer including German Bird Dog and other German Bloodhounds and English and Spanish Pointers. This led to the creation of a versatile dog that is not only great on land and water but is also an attentive and loving member of the family.
As this breed of dog had the history of a hunter do, the German Shorthaired Pointer has a basic instinct to work and can instantly pick up new commands. Nevertheless, they usually have some sort of difficulty with household training. Since they get easily distracted by sound, sight or smell, they tend to face trouble in focusing. This is why the owner should ensure to curb the length of the training sessions.
German Shorthaired Pointer Training Techniques from Experts
Keep the training sessions short
One of the best dog training tips to keep in mind is to curb the timing of the training sessions. Not only should the sessions be short but entertaining and fun too. The GSPs not only get distracted easily, as mentioned above, but they also get bored quickly. So, if you have to hold on to the attention of the pup, you have to keep the training sessions not more than 15 minutes. This will help them avoid getting distracted.
Give your GSP pup regular exercise
The training efforts can be improved largely if you give proper exercise to your German Shorthaired Pointer. The GSP dog breed typically have lots of energy to burn and hence they are always in need of intense exercise for at least 1 hour a day. Games should include running off the leash, fetching the ball or a Frisbee, going out for a hike, running inside a local park or even swimming. Apart from these exercises, this breed will also love daily walks. As they’re highly athletic dogs, they often need to run hard or stretch their legs.
Start the training early
In order to incorporate great habits and behaviors, you should train your German Shorthaired Pointer when he is still a pup. In fact, the experts recommend you to train your pup as soon as you bring him to your home. Although he won’t gain control over his brain until he is 2 years of age, yet he is still capable of learning new things even at a tender age. Delaying training your GSP will make a headstrong and stubborn dog that may soon become tough to deal with.
Socialization is also necessary
While your train your GSP pup, you should also ensure that you socialize with the puppy right away. One of the most crucial components of training is to make him easy-going with other animals, puppies and life’s new experiences. The German Shorthaired Pointer is known to be fearful of other humans and dogs and so you need to socialize them from a time when they’re young. If you don’t do that, they might feel nervous while facing new situations or while they are left alone at home.
Make him attend puppy classes
Since a German Shorthaired Pointer can be a stubborn animals, it is generally a great idea to take him to a kindergarten school where he will be given obedience training at a very tender age. This is an easy way of socializing your puppy and assisting him in learning how to play with other puppies within a confined environment. This way, your pup will learn all the basic commands while he is still in puppy kindergarten.
Therefore, now that you’re well acquainted with the steps and strategies to train your German Shorthaired Pointers, what are you waiting for? Get one for yourself and follow all the above listed points in order to impart the best pup education to him in order to make him a sociable, obedient and a smart dog.