The German Shorthaired Pointer as a gun dog

The GSP is the bird dog people picture when they ask for one dog that does everything. Here is what the breed was developed for and how a GSP is commonly taught.

One dog, many jobs

The AKC describes the GSP as a versatile hunter bred to find, point and retrieve game on land and in water. The coat is short, thick and water-resistant, and the breed's athleticism suits long days in open country.

In California that means a dog that can quarter a field for pheasant or chukar and still make a swimming retrieve on a duck.

Energy that needs a job

GSPs have high stamina and a strong prey drive. A young dog without a job tends to invent one. Early training is mostly about three things: a firm recall, a solid whoa, and the habit of working for the handler instead of for itself.

Richard began training pointers and other upland breeds in 2013 under Steve Klassen at Blue Ridge Kennels. Combined with his retriever background, that fits the GSP's two-sided work.

The usual sequence

The order can change. Some hunters ask for retrieving first because the dog's role in the blind comes first. Others focus on pointing. Both are valid, so be clear about how you hunt.

1. Obedience foundation: come, sit, heel, whoa
2. Bird introduction and pointing
3. Quartering at a useful range with a handler
4. Steadiness on point and to flush and shot
5. Retrieve training for land and water

Hunt tests and the home dog

AKC offers hunting tests for pointing breeds that measure how a dog finds, points and retrieves birds in a hunting situation. Many GSP owners also keep the dog as a family companion, and the same obedience that makes a good bird dog helps in the house. If you want to see how a trainer would approach your dog, the free consult is the next step. Mention what you hunt, how often, and whether you want the dog to retrieve in water.

Matching programs

A shorthair pup starts with Puppy Camp at 5 to 7 months. Richard then likes owners to hunt the dog until it is over a year old and bring it back for Formal Gun Dog Training, 8 to 12 weeks of whoa work founded on obedience. Handlers who want to learn the dog's body language can take handler lessons, and dogs from across California can come for board-and-train at Hastings Island. Pointing dogs can also run AKC hunting tests for pointing breeds.