THE HALLMARKS OF THE GERMAN SHORTHAIRED POINTER
COLLAGE OF ALL-TIME FAVORITE GERMAN SHORTHAIRED POINTERS
Please enjoy the sum of the observations from the GSPCA breed experts who were polled: 1) How would you describe the Hallmarks of the GSP breed to a judge? • A medium-sized, aristocratic, balanced dog with a head proportionate to the body, showing strength and depth, and with compact, round, tight feet. Balanced, smooth reach; with strong drive to cover plenty of ground with little effort. • Judges should be focusing on sound structure and a bal- anced, typey silhouette—first and foremost, the whole picture; proved by a ground-covering, fluid trot. • The GSP is a short-backed dog that should be more square than long. • An aristocratic and athletic dog that is intelligent, with an expression reflecting intelligence and kindness. • A GSP is medium in size, square or slightly off-square in outline, with a docked tail, and a short, thick coat that is liver or liver and white in color. • The most obvious would be the colors (liver or liver and white) and a short, hard or “tough to the touch” coat. Those who developed the GSP at some point must have decided that liver (or liver and white) was one of the Hallmarks that set the breed apart visually from the other “chicken dogs” being used in Germany. They eliminated all other colors through selective breeding. They also understood that a tough coat would shed water, dirt, and briars. • Although GSPs are not considered a “Head Breed,” the heads are distinct from other gundogs. The head should be clean cut and in proportion to the dog's body. The eyes
should be almond-shaped and never round, and the defini- tive eyebrow should give the dog a pleasing, intelligent, and very approachable expression. There should never be a pronounced stop as in the (English) Pointer, but a gradual rise—never a stop. The rise is somewhat more pronounced in dogs than in the bitches. The ear set should be slightly above the eye level. The length of ear and the way it lies should never give the impression of a hound-like appearance, and it should enhance the expression. The muzzle should be deep and have a sufficient underjaw to enable the dog to perform in water and on land when carrying a bird as large as a goose, pheasant or chukar. • Capable, functional, intelligent, all-purpose gundog. Short- backed, aristocratic, regal. Giving the impression, imme- diately, that they can do the job that they were bred to do. Dark almond eyes, proper angulation to allow the smooth, effortless movement. SOUND movement. This is supposed to be a multi-functional breed; they need to be able to move soundly and effortlessly. Sound, solid temperament. • In my opinion, the primary Hallmark of the GSP is its coat texture. Others that I consider Hallmarks: Nose large, broad; nostrils well open (double barrel shotgun) and, viewed in profile, the tip (rhinarium) slopes slightly down- ward. (This is not a Roman nose, which would begin in the bone structure prior to the nose leather.) Feet are tight, with strong nails and thick/hard pads. • Overall symmetry and power. A sturdily-built, medium- sized hunting dog with strong, balanced angulation to cover ground without wasted effort.
SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, SPRING EDITION | 283
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