Judging the Shorthaired Pointer

This article was originally published in Showsight Magazine, October 2014 issue.

Judging the Shorthaired Pointer

Judging the GSP should be simple because the breed is not extreme and does not place emphasis on one or two specific attributes.

It is first and foremost an athletic, hardworking gun dog and should be considered as such when its structure and movement are being evaluated.

A medium-sized breed, the Shorthair should be balanced front and rear, with every aspect of its structure carefully thought out for it to do the multiple jobs for which it was developed.

Temperament is of utmost importance for a dog to work well with people and other dogs. They should exhibit confidence, intelligence, and a willingness to please.

In the field, they should show a keen enthusiasm for work, with assertive, bold, and forward movement. Confident dogs will not exhibit nervousness, tucked tails, or shyness.

In the show ring, look for the confident dog moving with a purpose.

Fault finding when judging potential breeding stock is non-productive both in the ring and in the whelping box; rather, look for the positives, i.e., breed type and soundness when moving.

As you view the whole dog, look for size, balance, and proportion. Is the bone in proportion? Does the headpiece fit and is it correct for the dog’s sex?

Note the length of neck and legs in proportion to the body. Does it have a short, firm back, correct tail set, tight feet, well-let-down hocks, and is the dog in good condition?

The underline and topline should not be parallel, even on the dog that is slightly longer than tall. There should be a slight slope from the base of the tail up to the withers, and the coat should feel harsh to the hand.

The Head section of the Standard contains a lot of information, but the GSP is not a “head” breed. Instead, the attributes in this section are to produce a functional head with distinctive breed type.

You are not looking for planes or boxes, descriptive terms in other sporting breed standards. The stop effect is created by eyebrow placement and not within the bone structure.

Dogs with balanced front and rear angles will have a smooth, ground-covering stride with little effort expended, allowing them to work longer while holding a firm topline. One should see extension from the shoulder, not lifting at the elbow or hackneying at the pastern.

The rear leg should extend behind, but rear feet kicking up and the hock lifting in a piston motion (creating a bicycle or paddlewheel motion behind the body) provide very little forward propulsion. Upright blades and short upper arms restrict forward reach and, if set too far forward on the ribcage, limit the dog’s ability to balance and transfer weight efficiently while moving.

Viewed from the front, one should see depth of chest with slight rib spring. The legs should be parallel with the elbows back under the dog; they should not appear to originate from the same place, nor should the elbows “wing” out away from the body. As the dog moves, one should see clean forward movement.

Viewed from behind, the upper thigh and second thigh should be approximately equal in length and appropriately muscled on both the inside and outside. The hock should be well let down, neither turning in nor out while the dog is standing or moving. As the dog comes up to speed, it is desired to single track.

The tail is an extension of the spine and used as a rudder for balance on both land and in the water while the dog works. Tails set too high or low because of a dropped-off croup will not move efficiently and tire sooner. The length of the tail is man-made and should not factor into the overall evaluation of the dog’s conformation.

The nose should be large, dark brown, and broad, resembling the end of a double-barrel shotgun. The correct bite is scissor, with molars properly intermeshing, but teeth aren’t counted. Extreme over or undershot bites are a disqualification. A muzzle that is too short or lacks depth will affect the dog’s ability to pick up and carry game over distance.

The neck tapers at the nape and widens slightly as it blends into the shoulder. There should be sufficient length of neck for the dog to pick up and retrieve game but not so long that it tires over distance. The shoulder blade should lay back and blend smoothly onto the rib cage. The upper arm should be long, returning back at a complementary angle, placing the elbows in a supportive position alongside the rib cage.

The prosternum should have proper fill in older dogs. Note the depth of chest, at least to the elbow, and adequate length of ribcage with slight spring—not width—allowing adequate heart and lung function. The back is short and strong, with a perceivable slope from the withers to the base of the tail and a perceivable rise from the bottom of the chest up into the tuck-up. Neither is exaggerated.

Some dogs with level toplines or rears higher than their withers may be stacked with the rear quarter stretched well out behind to give the impression of a sloping topline. The Standard allows for a square or slightly longer-than-tall dog; the latter does not mean a long-bodied dog with short legs. A slightly longer-than-tall dog will still be in proportion, whereas a long-bodied dog with short legs will not.

The term “short back standing over a lot of ground” is based on a well-laid-back shoulder blade and a complementary forward tilt of the sacrum (pelvis), with forequarter angles matching hindquarter angles. Imagine a trapezoid superimposed on the side of the dog, with the sidelines running through the middle of the shoulder blade and pelvis.

A GSP’s feet should be tight with sufficient arch in the toes, not flat or splayed. They may be round or spoon-shaped and are webbed. There should be good depth of pad to cushion and protect while working long hours over rough terrain or in areas known for sand burrs, thorny brush, and rocky soil. Their nails are heavy and tough and should not be guillotined back to the end of the toe. Nails should be trimmed to a length that allows the foot traction without slipping but not so long as to cause the toes to turn sideways or the feet to spread.

There is no preference for a specific coat pattern or head marking. While you may prefer one as opposed to another, do not let that factor into your decision when evaluating structure and efficient movement. Light colors come forward and dark colors recede. You may have two dogs with the same exact structure that may not appear that way because of their coat pattern or head marking. This is why it is important to put your hands on the dogs.

The liver color may vary from very dark (like bittersweet chocolate) to lighter shades. The liver GSP is genetically “bb.” Regardless of darkness of color, the nose pigment will always be liver, and there are no black hairs intermingled with the liver color to make the ticked and roan areas look darker.

The white piebald and extreme white piebald coat patterns have been in the breed since the very first dog, Hecktor I, was registered in the German studbook in 1879. Judges should view dogs with this coat pattern no differently than their solid liver, liver-patched, roan, or ticked counterparts.

Judge the total package; do not get caught up with personal color or coat pattern preferences. Let movement be the deciding factor if two dogs are very close in positive attributes to the Breed Standard. Always keep in mind this is a hardworking gun dog bred for multiple purposes. Type and soundness should always be foremost.