Breed Spotlight: the German Shorthaired Pointer
Many of the details surrounding the German Shorthaired Pointer’s origin may have been lost to time, but early versions of the breed have been traced back to the seventeenth century. The modern breed likely descends from the German Bird Dog, a breed that was a mix between the Pachón Navarro (Spanish Pointer) and Bloodhounds. In the late nineteenth century, breeders added various tracking dogs and the English Pointer to the bloodline, expertly melding elegance with efficiency to create the German Shorthaired Pointer.
Since its introduction to the United States, the breed has captured America’s attention. Crime novelist Robert B. Parker’s popular Spenser series follows a Boston detective who owns three separate German Shorthaired Pointers named Pearl. An example of art imitating life, Parker's inspiration to include Pearl in his novels came from his own German Shorthaired Pointer, also named Pearl. Writer and environmentalist Rick Bass authored his 2001 book, Colter: The True Story of the Best Dog I Ever Had, as a testament to the beloved breed. Similarly, sportsman and writer Mel Ellis’s hunting experiences with his loyal shorthaired pointer inspired him to write Run Rainey Run in 1967.
Want to learn more about the German Shorthaired Pointer? Click here to read the full breed standard.
