Any German Shorthair Pointer owners?

[Bob Weisner]

Hi.

Are there any German Shorthair Pointer owners on the Sawmill Creek forum?
I got some questions about my GSP.

Thanks,

[Jack Wood]

Well I did own a Weimaraner which is pretty close. He was the best dog I have ever had and very smart!:)

[Steve Ash]

Nope, I have Labs, but I sent you a PM. I have a friend who breeds GSP and competes in field trials who might be able to help you out.

[Arnie Grammon]

Had a GSP some years back.....he was probably the huntin'-est dog I ever owned. We had him for a few short years......he got hit out in front of the house as we were setting down to an outside picnic table dinner. My children were devestated......especially my daughter.

He was a great family dog and loved kids......but all you had to do was shuck a pump shotgun in front of him and he would go absolutely beserk with excitment. He jumped all around barking as you held the gun and told him "let's go hunting".

Maynard was a GREAT dog. He is still missed.

Arnie

[Bob Weisner]

Will a GSP calm down after it is neutered? The Vet found something he did not like when my dog was in for his yearly checkup. The Vet said that he (the dog) , will need to be neutered. It is not Cancer, but he wants to catch it before it turns to Cancer.

My concerns are:

1. My dog is already a little bit wimpy, is this operation going to turn him into more of a coward? His idea of being a watchdog, is to sit in his chair while looking out a closed window and barking at the mailman or whoever is outside. Yet, wags his tail when they are in the house :o

2. will this operation do anything to control his barking?

Thanks,

[Arnie Grammon]

My opinions only.......

Will a GSP calm down after it is neutered?

No. Being somewhat hyper is part of the personality. In your case, his demeaner will probably not change one way or another.

will this operation do anything to control his barking?

He will likely bark just as much as before.......and treat the mailman the same as well. I have had three or four dogs neutered.....and it just makes them better dogs....they have less distractions. By the way, they don't entirely lose their sexual drive, it just diminishes.

I really don't see any drawbacks to neutering your dog......should be a better dog once healed.

Arnie

[Ron Stefanelli]

He may become shy and embarassed around other dogs, you know, when they do that sniffing thing. If so, ask your vet about "Neuticles".

Ron

[John Stevens]

His idea of being a watchdog, is to sit in his chair while looking out a closed window and barking at the mailman or whoever is outside. Yet, wags his tail when they are in the house :o

Not a GSP owner, but I have a little experience here. There's a difference between a watchdog and an attack dog. A watchdog does exactly what yours does--watches for strangers and barks to sound an alarm. This alone is very effective at preventing home break-ins, because intruders don't want to be caught in the act.

If your dog was likely to attack any stranger who came in the house, you'd have to lock him away every time a guest or repairman came to your house. If your dog attacked an innocent person, you might never forgive yourself...never mind the legal hassles, and the decision whether to put your dog to death.

IMO, the best is a dog who dearly loves you and your family because you spend lots of quality time together. A dog like that will lay down its life to protect you if you're threatened, and it doesn't need to be trained to be vicious. I was once involved with a criminal trial of a child molester who snuck into a home to abduct a 6 y.o. girl. The family owned a medium-large dog that loved children and was friendly with strangers. When the molester entered the home, the dog didn't do anything until he put a knife to the girl's throat and tried to leave with her. To make a long story short, the molester didn't get the girl, and he was very easy for the police to ID--he was covered with his own blood. (BTW, no knife wounds to the girl or the dog.)

[Michael Gibbons]

I currently have a GSP and his name is "Patch". He is almost a year old and he is a goof. He is not nuetered but that may be a possibility in the future. He barks at strangers but will let them pet him. Especially the UPS man with new stuff for the shop. I have Patch on self feeder and waterer. I've heard that when fixed, a dog will become a little over-weight. I don't know if this is true. The nuetering I'm told will help cease his wandering especially when he smells a female in heat.

[Brian Austin]

Different breeds will act differently after neutering. My GSD actually has MORE energy after her operation 5 months ago. She's still a young 'un, though, which will have an impact on energy levels.

Watch the weight and adjust accordingly. I don't use a self-feeder so I can't tell you how to meter it. As you're probably aware, the dog should look fairly lean with little to no ribs visible but can be felt easily when petted. You could switch to a lower fat food if the dog appears to be gaining weight. Lots of exercise will also keep it in check, especially for any working dogs like yours.

As for the watchdog/guarddog statement above, it's right on target. If your dog is a family dog (as our's is), you want the dog wary of strangers but not aggressive. The dog should be somewhat reserved unless you "approve" the stranger to the dog. Warning signs on most dogs are the neck "hackles" going up when approached by a stranger. That's generally a fear response and is unpredictable from dog to dog. My GSD will back off but start barking aggressively. If approached, she'll feint toward the stranger but not attack...yet. She's beginning some basic bitework training to build confidence (her mother and father are both Schutzhund (protection dog) trial winners several times over) but we're not going the full route. Too much time.

Getting off track here...

If it's for your dog's health, I'd do it, regardless of energy levels and/or aggressiveness concerns. A lot of that stuff can be adjusted with training and exercise.

[Ian Barley]

I had two boxers and one of them was a monorchid - only one testicle descended - quite common but almost invariably the undescended testicle will become a problem later. It sounds from your description like something similar in your dogs case.

Will castration make him "wimpy"? Only if he was gonna be anyway. Is that a problem? I have never had a dog that needed to be made more agressive in any household situation. Trust your dog. He is a better observer of human nature than you are because that is what he does all day. I was once attacked by a youth while walking my two, very placid and gentle natured boxers. Before I knew what was happening they had disabled my assailant and turned into animals that I had never seen before. As soon as the young "gentleman" involved had been dealt with and they were happy that I was back in control they reverted to normal.

A good guard dog is one who realises that his pack - your family - is led by one of the two legged dogs - ideally you - and that his best interests are served by keeping you in control. A dog with an aggressive nature is gonna challenge for dominance with at least some of the other two legged dogs and becomes a liability quite quickly.

If your vet says that he needs the work trust the vet. Don't worry about the dogs character - the only troublesome dog is a stroppy dog.

[Nick Mitchell]

Bob, sounds like you wanted a Cane Corso and not a German Shorthaired Pointer.

The GSP is not a guarddog it is an athlete, and a great one at that. It was developed to be an all-purpose sporting dog by the average German sportsman after the common man was allowed to hunt game and not just the nobility. The GSP is a remarkably intelligent dog and one that needs a great deal of exercise , both physically and mentally.

In every litter there are leaders and there are followers. Your dog is not a wimp.

Keep him occupied and do something to raise his confidence level. While you must remain the alpha male, try and build a partnership with your dog to raise his self-esteem. Even something as common as a pat on the head can make certain dogs feel too subservient, which if they are a follower to begin with can make them feel even less.

Barking is usually caused by boredom and a feeling of inadequacy. Easily fixed if you have the time.

Unless you plan on breeding your dog then get him neutered. He'll be fine.

If you think a GSP is a lousy guarddog, you should try a Scottish Deerhound...you'll be lucky if he ever gets off the couch to say hello when you get home ! But outside....watch out! :D