🦮 Large · Germany
A versatile German pointing dog with a harsh, weatherproof coat built for work in water and thick cover, requiring extensive hunting-based exercise throughout the day.
Robust, alert and eager to work, with a strong bond to its handler that makes it poorly suited to a purely sedentary life on the sofa. It shows pronounced pointing and retrieving instincts.
Needs several hours of exercise and mental stimulation daily, ideally through hunting, tracking, water retrieving or dummy training. Without a job to do, it becomes discontented and difficult to manage.
The harsh, dense coat protects against wet and thorny terrain but needs regular brushing and occasional trimming to remove excess undercoat. Check the ears for moisture after water work.
Not suitable for first-time owners, since the breed was developed purely as a working gundog for practical hunting and becomes unbalanced without appropriate occupation.
Hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia occur as in most large pointing breeds, so breed clubs require x-ray screening of breeding stock.
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This information is for general guidance and does not replace veterinary or breeder advice. Temperament and health vary individually within every breed.
Souldog