GERMAN SHORTHAIRED POINTER
FCI Standart nr 119

Utlisation: Versatile hunting dog

General apperance:
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 emphasize its nobility

Head :
Lean, well defined, neither too light nor too heavy; as to strength and length has it matched the substance and the sex of the dog.

Cranial region :
Skull: Moderately wide, flatly rounded, scarcely pronounced occipital bone, frontal furrow not too deep, and noticeably developed superscalar ridges.
Stop : Moderately defined.

Facial region:
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 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 males. A totally straight nasal bridge, although still acceptable, is less attractive; a concave bridge (dish-face) is a serious fault.

Lips :
Tight fitting, not too pendulous, good pigmentation. The nose-labial line slopes almost vertically and then continues in a flat arch to the moderately pronounced corner of the lips.

Jaws/Teeth :
Strong jaws with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite. The upper incisors should reach over the lower incisors without gap and the teeth should be positioned vertically in the jaws. 42 sound teeth, in accordance with the teeth formula.

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 are supposed to reach more or less the corner of the lips.

Body
Top line : 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 fore chest, with the sternum reaching back as far as possible. Sternum and elbow joint not the same level. Ribs well sprung, neither flat nor barrel-shaped. False ribs well reaching down.

Underline : With elegant arch, slightly tucked up towards rear, dry.

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 tail docking is prohibited by law, the tail can remain in its natural shape. It should reach down as far as the hocks and be carried straight or slightly sabre tail fashion).

Limbs

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 nor out, well set back.

Forearm : Straight and sufficiently muscled. Strong bone, not too coarse.

Pastern joint : Strong.

Pastern: Minimal angulations of pastern and forearm, never standing upright.

Forefeet : 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 in movement.

HINDQUARTERS :

General appearance :

Viewed from behind straight and parallel. Good angulations in stifles and hocks, strong bone.



Upper thigh :

Long, broad and muscular, with good angulations between pelvis and femur.

Stifle :
Strong, with good angulations of upper- and lower thigh.

Lower thigh : Long, muscular with clearly visible tendons. Good angulations between lower thigh and hocks.

Hock joint : Strong.

Hocks : Strong, vertical.

Hind feet :
Round to spoon shaped, with well tight and adequately arched toes. Strong toenails. Tough, resistant pads. Foot set parallel, neither turned in nor out, in stance as well as in movement.

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.

SKIN : Close and tight, not wrinkly.

COAT
Hair :
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 whit 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 hind legs as well as at 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 speckled flews are permissible.

SIZE :
Height at the withers : Dogs 62 to 66 cm.

Bitches 58 to 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 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 too short.
Chest too deep.
Tail strongly bent or carried too high above the top line.
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).
Snip muzzle, concave bridge of the nose (dish-face).
Pincer bite or partial pincer bites (For dogs older than 4 years a so-called pincer bite due to age shall not affect evaluation as long as a « Deutsch-Kurzhaar-Club » has certified that at a previous show a correct bite was confirmed).
Distinct roach back, slight swayback.
Considerable lack in depth of chest. Poorly developed fore chest. Ribs too flat or barrel shaped.
Distinctly turned in or turned 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.

ELIMINATING FAULTS :

Distinctly non-typical gender characteristics.
Absence of more than 2 teeth from the total of 4 PM 1 and 2 M3. Absence of 1 tooth or more teeth other than PM 1 and M3. Non visible teeth have to be considered as missing except when certified by a « Deutsch-Kurzhaar-Club » that at a previous show or trial their existence was confirmed.
Overshot and 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, ectropion, entropion, 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).
Dewclaws with or without bony skeleton.
Weak character.
N.B. : Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.