German Shorthaired Pointer
The German Shorthaired Pointer is the all-purpose hunt, point and retrieve dog of Germany, developed to do everything a gamekeeper needed from one animal: find birds, point them…
About the German Shorthaired Pointer
The German Shorthaired Pointer is the all-purpose hunt, point and retrieve dog of Germany, developed to do everything a gamekeeper needed from one animal: find birds, point them, retrieve from land and water, and track wounded game. It is athletic, keen and bred for stamina.
GSPs are liver, black, or either colour with white ticking and patches, with a short, harsh coat. Dogs stand about 58 to 64 cm. This is a high-energy breed with a strong prey drive; a stud with a sound, settled temperament around other dogs and livestock says a great deal about what a litter will be like to live with.
For screening, ask about hip and elbow scores under the BVA/KC schemes and a current eye certificate. The DNA tests used in the breed include cone degeneration and von Willebrand's disease type II, both of which are straightforward to check and easy to plan around with clear and carrier results. Lymphoedema and epilepsy are worth a question about family history.
Health & breeding
We check every hip, elbow, eye and DNA result you give us against the Royal Kennel Club’s public records by hand, and we record who checked it and when. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Breed Right’s summary — under The Royal Kennel Club Health Standard
Health tests for the German Shorthaired Pointer
This panel is Breed Right’s summary of the testing that matters for the breed under The Royal Kennel Club Health Standard. The Health Standard is the Royal Kennel Club’s guidance for breeders, not a registration rule. It describes tests to ask about — it is not a report on any individual dog. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Best Practice — further tests it recommends
Completing these as well as the Good Practice tests is what the Royal Kennel Club calls Best Practice.
| Test | Type | Scheme | What’s involved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hip score (BVA/KC) | Screening scheme | BVA/KC | Total of both hips, 0–106. Lower is better. |
| Elbow grading (BVA/KC) | Screening scheme | BVA/KC | Grade 0–3. The dog is graded on the worse of the two elbows. |
| Eye testing (BVA/KC/ISDS) | Screening scheme | BVA/KC/ISDS | Result printed on the eye certificate. |
Breed hip median
Breed median 8 (BVA Hip Dysplasia Scheme breed statistics 2025 — 5 years, 690 dogs scored). Lower is better. Source · How hip scores work
At stud now
German Shorthaired Pointer stud dogs
No German Shorthaired Pointer studs are listed right now
When a German Shorthaired Pointer on the Royal Kennel Club Breed Register is listed at stud, it will appear here.
Also available
German Shorthaired Pointer litters
No German Shorthaired Pointer litters are listed right now
Litters appear here as breeders list them. Check back soon, or browse other breeds.
