German Short Hair Pointer As House Dog?

[Greybeard]

I've owned many dogs but never a German Short Hair Pointer. My son in law has one too many dogs (4) and my daughter says one must go. The short hair is the last one he bought. It comes from a fine hunting blood line, has been to a professional trainer who very much likes the dog, and is quite calm with his family and us when we visit, but he is not a house dog. He lives in the barn when not let out. He is a friendly dog but quite independent - not like a lab or Visla or Australian shepard as an example. So the question is: can this breed be a good relaxed house dog? I know he will be an excellent bird dog. Thanks, Greybeard/

[happycamper]

Ive had alot of birddogs over the years.Right now i have a very hard working brittany,but ive had gsp's also.If this dog is young he can probably be made to be a decent house dog/hunter.But it really depends on the individual dog.Ive had some that were great inside but, have also had some that just couldnt "get it" and just ran rough shod over my house.So like i said it just depends on the animal.

[TinStar]

I'm on my fourth GSP, and although I can't get out and bird/duck hunt like I used to; I wouldn't have any other dog. All of mine have beeen great and very intelligent. Great around kids even though we have no children and wonderful watch dogs. Like a lot of other things it depends on the owner too and how the dog is trained and treated. Nice thing about the GSP's is that they haven't been bred over and over for their "family pet" attributes like some other breeds; and signs are showing as to what that does to those breeds.

TinStar
Soli Deo Gloria!

[Hi Ball]

Greybeard, I will give you something to think about as to weather this GSP will make the grade as a house dog ok. Now first of all just what is a house dog to YOU sir! If thise means the dog stays inside the house most of the time, watching the TV with you, I will say a big NO to answer your question.

This type or breed of hunting dog MUST get at least an hour a day (2 is better) of hard excercise out in the open to keep healthy and fit. We have been raising this breed of dog for several years and I have 15 in our kennel and I can tell you up front, some will NEVER make a house dog because of their bloodlines.

On the other hand, I have 3 or 4 GSP's in the kennel, that would make good house dogs and pets for the family. It has to do with breeding and just how HOT their bloodlines are breeding wise.

Why must the dog go I ask? Does it have several unwanted habits in the house etc? Is it agressive to other dogs? My #3 GSP stud, is hell on wheels in the field finding birds fast and makes more noise in the kennel than any other 4 dogs out there but in the house he is just as calm and settled down as any good house dog type we ever owned. It all boils down to the individual dog in most cases.

My wife has a "show dog" female that is beautiful to look at and outstanding color and confirmation but is Nutty as a Fruitcake in the house. If she hears something she will dash from one end of the house to the other, jump over the easy chair, over the coffee table and on to the couch. Also she will jump up at the windows hard to get out and see the problem etc. very very nervousdog in the house.

So in closing I will say that if the dog, is clam around you outside and shows no signs of being nervous or panicking at things around it, then you have a good shot at making it a house dog. Not all German Shorthair Pointers can be a housedog!

[Alan R McDaniel Jr]

These are my Dad's dogs. Fred on top, Jack on bottom. Fred is as laid back as they come and would just sit around all day if you let him. Jack is literally on fire all the time. He goes 90 to nothing until he's pooped out.

Fred would make a good house dog in that he behaves himself but would probably climb up on the couch to sleep. Jack, on the other hand, would wear a trail in a hardwood floor after the first day.

The temperament of the dog is going to determine his/her ability to stay in the house for any length of time. Fred is probably the exception to the rule in GSPs.

Alan

[Greybeard]

Gentlemen, I appreciate you relating your experiences with GSPs. I will ask my daughter to try him out in her house for a day or so to a week or so. I think I'll get a report pretty fast if he turns out to be nervous inside. He has never been an inside dog. He is an active dog outside but no more active than the other dogs ( jack russell and visla). It is his aloofness (spelling?) that makes me question him. He'll come by for a quick pet but really does not care if you pet him or not. That is different from all the dogs we've had in 45 years of marriage.

HiBall, we walk 3 miles almost every day. I would need to train him to be road savy but we have never leashed our labs or our present Australian shepard on our walks or at home (6 acres). They are free to explore the orchards that border the roads and we are rural. A traffic jam up here is 3 tractors and a pickup arriving at a corner at one time. Plus I will use him bird hunting if we take him plus I scout up the hill on Forest Service land pretty regularily and the dogs always come along. As long as I stay reasonably healthy, he would stay healthy - and that is true for my wife as well.

Will wait and see how the indoor experiment goes in my daughters house. Greybeard/

[REM]

Greybeard,

My GSP’s are house dogs/hunters one is 4 years old, the other is 1 year old, and the they both need all the time I can give them outside.

The only thing I can tell you is that my dogs NEED me to give them all of the time I can give them.