BREED STANDARD FOR THE GSP
F.C.I. Standard No 119 dated 05/01/95
Adopted in Australia May 1996
Updated to FCI 7/9/98 translation January 2001.
Revised 5/02
Translated by: Walter Schicker.
Country of Origin: Germany
BRIEF HISTORICAL OVERVIEW:
The history of the German Shorthaired Pointer
starts with the dogs, which were used for the
hunt with nets on feathered game, especially in
the Mediterranean countries, and in combination
with falconry. Via France, Spain and Flanders
the Pointers came to the German courts. The most
important distinctive feature of these dogs was
their pointing performance. After the first
double-barrelled gun was made in 1750, a
pointing dog was required even more. In full
sight of the dog, game birds in flight were
shot. That was the beginning of the transition
from a mere pointer to a versatile gundog. As a
fundamental basis for the structure and
development of the breed the Zuchtbuch Deutsch-Kurzhaar
(Studbook) has been published since 1897. It was
Prince Albrecht zu Solms-Braunfeld who compiled
breed characteristics, judging rules for
conformation and finally simple trial
regulations for hunting dogs. Today the German
Shorthaired Pointer still passes through the
filter of elaborated breeding and trial
regulations. The standard stipulates the
constitution of the German Shorthaired Pointer,
as a versatile hunting dog, which enables him to
perform all requirements in connection with
hunting activities, even when advanced in age.
GENERAL APPEARANCE:
A dog of noble and balanced appearance, the
conformation of which ensures strength,
endurance and speed. Proud attitude, smooth
outlines, lean head, well carried tail, firm
shiny coat and well reaching, harmonious strides
emphasise its nobility.
Important proportions: Length of body should
slightly exceed height at withers.
TEMPERAMENT:
Firm, balanced, reliable, restrained
temperament. Neither nervous, nor shy or
aggressive.
HEAD AND SKULL:
Lean, well defined, neither too light nor too
heavy; as to strength and length it matches the
substance and the sex of the dog.
Skull - Moderately wide, flatly rounded,
scarcely pronounced occipital bone, front furrow
not too deep, noticeably developed superciliary
ridges.
Stop - Moderately developed
FOREFACE:
Nose - Somewhat protruding. Nostrils
sufficiently wide, broad and mobile. Basically
brown, however black in black or black roan
dogs. A flesh-coloured or spotted nose is only
permissible in dogs with white as a basic
colour.
Muzzle - Long, broad, deep and strong in order
to enable the dog's correct carrying of game.
Viewed from the side the nasal bridge shows a
slight curvature in all transitions from a nobly
constructed ram's nose to a slight rise above
the straight line, more prominent in the males.
A totally straight nasal bridge, although still
acceptable, is less attractive; a concave bridge
(dish-face) is a serious fault.
Flews - Tight fitting, not too pendulous, good
pigmentation. The naso-labial line slopes almost
vertically and then continues in a flat arch to
the moderately pronounced corner of the lips.
Cheeks - Strong, well muscled.
EYES - Of medium size, neither protruding nor
deep set. The ideal colour is dark brown.
Eyelids tight fitting.
EARS - Moderately long, set on high and broad,
flat and without twisting hanging down close to
the head, bluntly rounded at the tip. Neither
too fleshy nor too thin. When brought forward
they should reach to approximately the corner of
the lips.
MOUTH - Strong jaws with a perfect, regular
scissor bite. The upper incisors should reach
over the lower incisors without a gap and the
teeth should be positioned vertically in the
jaws. 42 sound teeth, in accordance with the
teeth formula.
NECK - Length in harmony with the general
appearance of the dog, progressively thickening
towards the body. Very muscular and slightly
crested nape. Tight fitting skin of throat.
FOREQUARTERS :
General appearance - Viewed from the front,
straight and parallel; viewed from the side, the
legs are well placed under the body.
Shoulders - Shoulder blades well laid back, well
attached to chest, and strongly muscled.
Shoulder blade and upper arm well angulated.
Upper arm - As long as possible, well muscled
and dry.
Elbow - Close but not too tight to body, neither
turned in or out, well set back.
Forearm - Straight and sufficiently muscled.
Strong bone, not too coarse.
Pastern joint - Strong
Pastern - Minimal angulation of pastern and
forearm, never standing upright.
BODY:
Topline: Straight and slightly sloping.
Withers: Well defined
Back: Firm and muscular. Vertebral processes
should be covered by muscles.
Loin: Short, broad, muscular, straight or
slightly arched. Transition from back to loin
tight and well knit.
Croup: Broad and long enough, not abruptly
slanting, but slightly slanting towards the
tail, well muscled.
Chest: Somewhat deeper than broad with well
defined forechest, with the sternum reaching
back as far as possible. Sternum and elbow joint
on the same level. Ribs well sprung, neither
flat nor barrel-shaped. False ribs reaching well
down.
Underline: With elegant arch, slightly tucked up
towards rear, dry.
HINDQUARTERS:
General appearance: Viewed from behind straight
and parallel. Good angulation in stifles and
hocks, strong bone.
Upper thigh: Long, broad and muscular, with good
angulation between pelvis and femur.
Stifle: Strong, with good angulation of upper
and lower thigh.
Lower thigh: Long, muscular with clearly visible
tendons. Good angulation between lower thigh and
hocks.
Hock joint: Strong.
Hocks: Strong, vertical.
FEET:
Round to spoon shaped, with well tight and
adequately arched toes. Strong toenails. Tough,
resistant pads. Feet set parallel, neither
turned in nor out, in stance as well as
movement.
TAIL:
Set high, strong at the root and then tapering,
of medium length. About halfway docked for
hunting purposes. At rest hanging down; in
movement horizontal, neither carried too high
above the backline nor extremely bent. (In
countries where the tail docking is prohibited
by law, the tail can remain in its natural
shape. It should reach as far as the hocks and
be carried straight or slightly sabre tail
fashion).
GAIT:
Well extended strides, with forceful propulsion
from the hindquarters and adequate reach of the
forelimbs. Front and hind legs moving straight
and parallel. The dog is carrying himself in a
proud attitude. Pacing gait is not desirable.
COAT:
Skin - Close and tight, not wrinkly.
Texture - Short and dense, rough and hard to the
touch. Somewhat thinner and shorter on the head
and ears, not remarkably longer at the underside
of the tail. Should cover the whole body.
COLOUR:
• Solid brown, without markings.
• Brown with small white or flecked markings at
chest and legs.
• Dark brown roan, with brown head, brown
patches or specks. The basic colour of such a
dog is not brown mixed with white or white with
brown, but the coat shows such an even intensive
mixture of brown and white which results in that
kind of inconspicuous exterior of the dog ever
so valuable for the practical hunt. At the inner
sides of the hindlegs as well as the tip of the
tail the colour is often lighter.
• Light brown roan with brown head, brown
patches, specks or without patches. In this
colouring the brown hairs are fewer, the white
hairs are predominant.
• White with brown head markings, brown patches
or specks.
• Black colour in the same nuances as the brown,
respectively the brown roan colours.
• Yellow tan markings are permissible.
• Blaze, fleck and speckles flews are
permissible.
SIZE:
Height at the withers
Dogs 62-66 cm
Bitches 58-63 cm
FAULTS:
Any departure from the foregoing points should
be considered a fault and the seriousness with
which the fault should be regarded should be in
the exact proportion to its degree.
• Faults in attitude, not according or typical
to gender.
• Muzzle too short.
• Flews too heavy or too thin.
• From the total of 4 PM 1 and 2 m3 only two
teeth may be missing.
• Eyes too light. Yellowish, bird of prey eyes.
• Ears too long, too short, too heavy, set on
too narrow or twisted.
• Loose skin at throat.
• Slight roach back.
• Rump (croup) too short.
• Chest too deep.
• Tail strongly bent or carried too high above
the topline.
• Elbows turned in or out. Feet turned in or
out. Forelegs standing close or wide.
• Hindquarters too straight.
• Slightly bow-legged, slightly cow-hocked or
close hocks.
SERIOUS FAULTS:
• Clumsy, lymphatic, coarse conformation.
• Marked stop.
Flesh-coloured or flecked nose (except when
basic colour of coat is white).Snipy muzzle,
concave bridge of the nose (dishface).
• Pincer bite or partial pincer bite.
• Distinct roach back, slight swayback.
• Considerable lack in depth of chest. Poorly
developed forechest. Ribs too flat or barrel
shaped.
• Distinctly turned in or out elbows.
• Weak and down on pasterns.
• Pastern totally vertical.
• Distinctly cow-hocked or bow-legged, in stance
as well as in movement.
• Overbuilt hindquarters.
• Flat feet.
• Spread toes.
• Clumsy gait.
• Deviation of more than 2 cm from the given
height at the withers.
DISQUALIFYING FAULTS:
• Distinctly non-typical gender characteristics.
• Absence of more than 2 teeth from the total of
4 PM1 and 2M3. Absence of 1 tooth or more other
than PM1 and M3. Non visible teeth have to be
considered as missing.
• Overshot or undershot bite, wry mouth as well
as all intergrades.
• Any surplus teeth arranged outside the dental
arch.
• Cleft palate and hare lip.
• Excessively loose eyelids, ectropian,
entropian, distichiasis (double row of
eyelashes).
• Excessive swayback, malformation of the spine.
• Any malformation of the chest, e.g. clipped
sternum (short sternum blending abruptly into
the abdominal line).
• Rear dewclaws with or without bony skeleton.
• Weak character.
Note: Male animals should have two apparently
normal testicles fully descended into the
scrotum.
GGundog Group GSP 5 ANKC © May 2002
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