Plate 036 · Continental Europe
German Shorthaired Pointer
德国短毛指示犬
“One dog for every job in the field.”
- Origin
- Germany
- Country of origin
- The point is a reference position in the country of origin.
- Era
- 19th century
- Today
- Gundog · Dog sports · Companion
Under editorial review — sources listed below.
Early breed type → Today
Early type · 1890A German Shorthaired Pointer ('Kurzhaariger deutscher Vorstehhund'), drawn by Jean Bungartz from a prize-winning dog for his 1890 dog book.
Jean Bungartz · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
NowHistory
01 · Origin
Germany
Developed by German hunters who wanted one dog able to do every job in the field.
02 · Historical role
What it was bred for
A versatile hunting dog: it points and retrieves birds, works in water, and tracks wounded game.
03 · Breed development
How it changed
Breeders crossed older German bird dogs with tracking hounds and other breeds. A German breed standard was introduced in 1879, and the AKC recognized the breed in 1930.
04 · Today
Gundog · Dog sports · Companion
A top hunting and field-trial dog and an athletic companion that needs a great deal of exercise.
Personality
- Energetic
- Intelligent
- Eager
- Friendly
General breed tendencies, not guarantees — individual dogs vary with genetics, training and environment. Ratings: this atlas’s editorial summary on a 1–5 scale, for rough comparison between breeds here — not a measurement or a standardised assessment.
- Size
- Medium
- Lifespan
- 10–12 years
- Coat
- Short, dense coat; liver or liver-and-white
Field note
German breeders aimed for a single versatile gun dog that could point, retrieve on land and in water, and track wounded game.
Recognition & today
- AKC
- Sporting Group
- Also recognized by
- FCI (as Deutsch Kurzhaar)
- Popular in
- United States
AKC registrations: ranked 9 among breeds in 2025.
Sources2 references
- German Shorthaired Pointer — breed information — American Kennel Club
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/german-shorthaired-pointer/
Registry · accessed 2026-10-07 · Registry status and AKC group; AKC recognition 1930 per AKC "Breeds by Year Recognized". Used as a registry reference only.
- German Shorthaired Pointer (encyclopedia overview) — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Shorthaired_Pointer
Encyclopedia · accessed 2026-10-07 · Secondary overview; cross-check claims against primary breed-club sources.
Image credits
Jean Bungartz · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Text is written by World Breeds from the references above; it does not reproduce registry descriptions.
