Breed History
The German Shorthaired Pointer, with its ability to point, retrieve, trail and even kill game, is one of the most versatile hunters in the dog world....
This all-around dog is the culmination of centuries of breed-blending and controversy. Many hunters in the seventeenth century agreed upon the need for an all-purpose hunting dog, but not everyone could agree on how to achieve such a goal. Experimentation with crosses between several breeds, among them the Hannover Hound and the English Pointer, sometimes led to success and other times led to failure (for instance, certain crossings produced dogs that were averse to water). Eventually, the various crossings of different breeds led to an acceptable new dog. In the early 19th century, two German Shorthaired Pointers named Nero and Treff, often thought of as the foundation of the breed, gained recognition at the German Derby as exceptional pointers. In 1930, the American Kennel Club recognized the German Shorthaired Pointer as a distinct breed. Today, the German Shorthaired Pointer enjoys a well-deserved reputation as an excellent "do-it-all" hunting dog and a loving pet.