The German Shorthaired Pointer
History: This versitile gun breed belongs to the Sporting Group in the American Kennel Club. They were recognized as a breed in the 1930s. They originated in Germany, hence the name German Shorthaired Pointer. During the 17th century, member of German hungting clubs wanted an all purpose working dog, so they began breeding Spanish Pointers, English Foxhounds, and a variety of local tracking hounds to produce this offspring. In the event of finding a cleaner, more attractive looking dog, they bred in the English Pointer. As they predicted, the dog was a more attractive animal who now sported the attribute of pointing at game which was inherited by the English Pointer.
Picture taken from: http://www.akc.org/breeds/german_shorthaired_pointer/
This is a picture of an GSP on point: http://jandalelkhounds.com/_wsn/page21_03_11_10.cfm
Tempermant: This dog has a friendly and willing personalilty. He or she comes off as an intelligent dog with an enthusaism to work for their master. This breed is not know to be aggressive or have a nervous disposition. As an athlete, this dog is very athletic amd will adapt to any living condition. But since they are active dogs, they require consistant excersize.
dog is also well known to be a fantastic family dog, according to the American Kennel Club.
http://www.prairiegspointers.com/
Size: The size of the German Shorthaired Pointer varies in the gender of the dog. Female mature dogs, also called bitches, measure at 21-23 inches tall at the shoulder and weigh between 45-60 pounds. Male mature dogs measure at 23-25 inches tall at the shoulder and weigh between 55-75 pounds.
Coat: Even though the German Shorthair has a short coat, they do still shed. Minimal grooming twice a year would be sufficiant to keep this dog's coat in great condition. The coat is has a tough texture, that is short and thick. The hair around the head and ears will be of a softer texture.
Color: This attractive breed comes in many different colors including solid liver or combination of white and liver flecked, patches of liver and white, or a liver with white roaning. Even though every German Shorthair Pointer looks different, they many not have any red, black, tan, all white, orange or tan; this will disqualify them if shown.
Spotted Liver: 
http://www.freewebs.com/midnightfox31/aboutthebreeds.htm
Flecked:
http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/buying/germanshorthairedpointers.html
Black Shorthair:
http://countryside-kennels.com/starteddogs.htm
Interesting Facts:
--- The German Shorthaired Pointer's tail is docked so only 40% of tail is left. This is because it helps eliminate excessive movement and sound when the dog is hunting. But in some parts of England, docking of the tail is prohibited in any breed.
--- The coloring of the German Shorthaired Pointer's coat helps camouflage them during the hunting seasons.
--- Most German Shorthaired Pointer's can live up to 16 years old.
Does this dog fit your lifestyle? Use this chart to help determine if the German Shorthaired Pointer is the right dog for you. This chart is on a scale from 1-5.
| Size (weight) |  |
| Grooming required | |
| Exercise required | |
| Living space | |
| Training required | |
| Child tolerance | |
| Stranger tolerance | |
Works Cited:
DogBreed, I. C.. German shorthaired pointer. N.p., 1992. Web. 7 Feb 2012. <http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/germanshorthairedpointer
Club, A. K.. Akc meet the breeds®: German shorthaired pointer. N.p., 1999. Web. 7 Feb 2012.