Paso Fino horse lover: German Shorthaired Pointers?
If you have one, please write a little bit about your dog. Any additional info or hints on how to work with/train this dog would be great. Also, what do you do to keep your dog exercised? Thanks!
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Answers and Views:
Answer by hlstream987
An hour or two a day of active work/training should keep most GSP's in shape and happy. If you don't shoot animals for fun, you can still work the dog through decoy training, retrieving training, or even agility training.
My husband has an English Pointer, and he throws bird scented training dummies for him to catch as he is used for pheasant hunting. He'll go out in the types of habitat with the dummies for practice and exercise. They are high energy dogs so anything that involves running is a good exercise
Answer by Jennifer M~ Got the Giggles
I got mine when she was about 2. She was a rescue. Her situation is a bit different because we had a lot of fear/abuse issues to contend with.
She is now 15, so her activity is limited. She still wants to go for runs, but her poor old body can't keep up. If I take her for a walk, she can barely move the next day. We try to keep activity to a minimum with her now.
When she was younger, she needed A LOT of exercises. We had to spend at least 1-2 hours to really get her worn out and then spend about 30 min to 1 hour on training exercises. She was really a nut if she didn't get her exercise.
My uncle raised and trained them before he passed last year, and most GSP's I know have that nutty kind of temperament. They are sweet, loving dogs, but can really be a bit too hyper for most people.
Answer by Jenny
I have an English Pointer, but they are very similar in many ways. These are high energy dogs, especially when they are young. My dog needed about 2 hours a day of exercise for the first 3 years. I have a dog park nearby so I would actually walk there (about 20min) let her run for an hour or 2 and then walk back. When we got home she would be tired and lie down for about 5min and then start running through the house again. So exercise is really important.
Now that she is older and out of the puppy stage she is actually quite calm inside the home and 30min-1hr exercise does the trick. Also, these dogs have a high hunt drive and were bred to go and find prey. So letting them off-leash can be tricky. You need to work hard to train them. I don't even try it with my dog. If she sees a rabbit or bird she just takes off and doesn't look back.
Caution needs to be used around small animals with German Shorthaired since they were also bred to catch prey. English Pointers are safer for cats since they were bred to only find and not catch prey. Both breeds are very friendly with people and other dogs. The Germans seem to be a little more focused than the English and they tend to love chasing and retrieving balls while the English doesn't.
I recommend feeding high protein low carbohydrate diets. Training is pretty easy as they are very Intelligent. But it is best to keep the mood light and happy. They don't seem to respond well to yelling and frustration. But if you don't mind the high energy they are excellent dogs. Easy to care for and generally healthy.
Answer by In the beginning God created evolution.
Our GSP/cattle dog mix requires a 30-60 minute run every single day. I have a bike, have leash trained him, and a bike trailer for my 1-year-old daughter to cruise in style. I actually need to exercise him more because he's pretty impossible to handle.
GSPs are tireless dogs. If you don't jog or bike daily or engage in field training/bird flushing or other intense or time-consuming activities you probably want to pick a different breed. They can be very rambunctious when bored.
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Answer by Great Dane Lover
We have GSP's. We show them in conformation, we hunt them on quail, partridge, ducks, pheasant, we are active in NAVHDA..we compete in NAVHDA testing, we train with the dogs. Our GSP's have their CGC. They do demos at Sportsman shows, they go hiking & camping with us..they are active. GSP's are an active breed. They are smart and loyal and take readily to training. If trained GSP's are fine with cats & other small animals.
GSP's should never pick up/retrieve their prey unless instructed to do so.GSP's are a versatile hunting breed. They are great on upland birds as well as waterfowl and many are also used for rabbit hunting as well (however they are better known in the US for birds & waterfowl).
If thinking of getting a GSP to take care that you get a well-bred one from a responsible breeder. look for a breeder that does OFA on hips & thyroid.GSP's are a deep-chested breed which can make them prone to bloat. One also needs to be very careful about bloodlines since some lines are prone to seizure activity. When looking for a GSP if looking for one bred for the hunt field it is a good idea to get one registered with NAVHDA as well as AKC.
I recommend that if you are interested in the GSP that you not only go to the GSPCA site (http://www.gspca.org/) and also to the NAVHDA site http://www.navhda.org Get as much info as you can. They are really a very nice breed for someone who is active, interested in bird/duck/goose hunting, versatility, etc. They are not a breed for a quieter, less active type of person/family.
They do make great obedience & rally dogs. They excel at sports like flyball, water dogs, agility, tracking. :)
Answer by BYB's (BYBs) Have Gigantic Hunts
It's a very active hunting breed that is too energetic for most dog owners. Absolutely wonderful personalities (in general), but too often poorly bred and poorly treated by yee-haw owners.
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