German Shorthaired Pointer Articles
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In a conformation event, the German Shorthaired Pointer must give the appearance of being an all-purpose gun dog, balancing aristocracy with power and agility, along with endurance and intelligence. It is a medium sized, medium boned dog that exhibits a great deal of symmetry both in its structure and in its movements. Poorly muscled dogs are unacceptable, while lean, hard dogs in field condition are not to be penalized. The GSP must demonstrate the ability to perform in the field, while maintaining an air of nobility. [...]
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When dog breeders breed a dog, they may have either form or function in mind; in many cases, they have both. Form relates to the outward appearance of the dog and includes how “pretty” or “handsome” he is, while function is all about how well a dog is built to perform a specific, or general for that matter, task. Some breeders heavily stress form, though these breeders are usually thinking of their dogs being used mainly in conformation events, while the majority of breeders first get the “function” part of a dog down and then move on to the dog’s appearance. In the history of the German Shorthaired Pointer, there have been numerous debates regarding the form and function of the dog, which have also included its coat. [...]
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The German Shorthaired Pointer was bred to be a very versatile dog, fulfilling the function of different types of gun dog. Besides being a good retriever and pointer, the GSP is also an excellent water dog; indeed, this breed has at least two important structural traits that allow him to follow and find game in almost any aquatic environment. The first is his dense, thick coat; the outer layer of his coat is short, reducing drag in the water and allowing the dog to dry off quickly. [...]
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As with all other breeds of dog, the German Shorthaired Pointer is susceptible to a handful of genetic disorders, some more serious than others. One of these disorders is called Lymphedema. “Lymph” is a clear fluid that is gathered from the tissues and the spaces between the tissues of the body, to be dumped back into the blood using specialized vessels called lymph vessels. “Edema”, on the other hand, refers to swelling due to the presence of excess fluid within and between the tissues of the body. So the condition “lymphedema” involves the excessive accumulation of the protein-rich lymphatic fluid, which causes tissue swelling. [...]
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Another condition that seems to affect the German Shorthaired Pointer, though to a much lesser extent than others, is pannus (also known as chronic superficial keratitis), a corneal disease involving chronic inflammation, possibly brought on by an overly sensitive immune system. This disease mostly affects German Shepherds, though there are a handful of other breeds in which the condition occurs, the German Shorthaired Pointer being one of these. Exactly how the disease begins is unclear, though there is evidence that environmental factors may trigger its onset and influence how severe the disease gets; these factors include altitude and ultraviolet light. [...]
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Many hunting dogs have taken on multiple roles in the lives of their owners and one of the more important roles is that of guardian. The natural hunting instinct transfers quite well into the realm of the watchdog and German Shorthaired Pointers are no different. It also helps that the hunting dog is bred to work closely and develop a tight, long-lasting bond with his owner and family. This spurs the dog to instinctly protect his humans, though thankfully most hunting dogs do not (or at least should not) display direct, active aggression towards humans. Another point in favor of the hunting dog is its intelligence; with a little skillful training, these dogs can be taught how to be effective watchdogs rather than barking unnecessarily all day at the slightest of sounds. [...]
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One of the most devastating diseases that a dog can develop is canine hip dysplasia. Unfortunately, the German Shorthaired Pointer is susceptible to developing this disease. It seems as if the condition is caused by more than one gene acting together and it may be triggered by some environmental factor or factors, such as exercise, rater of growth and level of nutrition; this means that although a dog may be genetically predisposed to develop hip dysplasia, the condition may not pop up unless the right environmental factors are in place. [...]
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Hypothyroidism is the most common endocrine disorder in dogs and our canine companions seem to be the pets most often afflicted with this disorder; it’s quite rare in cats. This disorder affects the thyroid gland, which is made of two small, connected lobes in the neck, on either side of the windpipe, that together are shaped like a butterfly. It is a very important gland because it has quite a number of functions, but one of its most important ones is the regulation of metabolism; it does this through a chemical messenger, or hormone, called thyroid hormone. The word “hypo” means “below normal”, and so hypothyroidism means a below normal activity of the thyroid, and more specifically, a below normal secretion level of thyroid hormone. [...]
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While people today are used to the sight of a dog performing a number of different tasks, like watchdog, therapy dog, companion and participant in a number of organized canine competitions, among other things, dogs were not always seen as such versatile animals. This was especially true regarding the hunting dog, a prized possession for pre-19th century nobility, who counted their dogs among their vast wealth. Indeed, in Europe hunting became viewed as a sport only for the wealthy, who essentially owned all the land and so were the only ones to have the right to hunt on any given patch of land. [...]
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The popular American author Robert B. Parker, known for his detective fiction, created a very popular mystery series that chronicles the activities of a Boston detective known only by the name Spenser. This series became a very popular TV show in the 1980s starting Robert Urich. The character Spenser owned a series of three German Shorthaired Pointers, all three solid liver; all three were also named Pearl. The author, Robert Parkers, has appeared in many photographs with his own solid-liver German Shorthaired Pointer. [...]
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Great Swiss Mountain Dogs are among the breeds recognized as being receptive to obedience training. They are great family pets as well as being good guard dogs, search and rescue animals, therapy dogs, and valuable work and draft animals. Every single one of these fields demonstrate much more clearly than anything else could, the fact that Great Swiss Mountain Dogs are easily trained and obedient. [...]
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