German Longhaired Pointer
Appearance
The German Longhaired Pointer GLP should be muscular, elegant, and athletic. It should not be bulky or cumbersome, and it should be able to move with great speed and freedom. It has moderate bone, but has substance, and must never look frail or weak. Its appearance should reflect its kind, calm temperament. Like all German Pointers, they have webbed feet.
Coat and colour
The dog coat is medium length, about 3 - 5 cm (1 - 2 in) long on the body, with the feathering somewhat longer. The coat is slightly wavy, but must not be curly. It is not silky or soft, but rather firm and shiny. It always has a double coat, with the undercoat being quite dense, but not so profuse as to make the guard hairs stand out from the body. The color is solid dark chocolate with white permitted on the chest, paws, and down the top of the muzzle. Or dark brown roan, with large patches of solid brown, especially on the head, ears, back, and base of the tail.
Size
The GLP is between 60 - 70 cm (24 - 28in) at the withers for males, and 58 - 66 cm (23 - 26 in) for females. It weighs approximately 30 kg (66lb).
Gait
The strides should be long and free, with strong drive from the hindquarters, and good reach from the front.
Temperament
German Longhaired Pointer are a kind, gentle, friendly, and intelligent dog breeds. They are very affectionate, and may experience separation anxiety. They only make good pets when properly exercised, as they need a "job" to do, and do not adapt well to a sedentary life. The GLP is an excellent family pet, as it enjoys playing with children. It is very sociable with dogs.
Care
The GLP is very trainable, and loves to work. Because of this, it needs large amounts of exercise daily, needing more than most pet owners can give. It is not well suited for urban life, as it thrives on having lots of room to run and swim. Its ideal setting would be in a rural area, with an active owner who hunts with the dog on a regular basis. GLPs need a moderate amount of grooming about once or twice a week. They are highly intelligent, very trainable, and athletic, traits which make them suitable for many dog sports, especially field trials, obedience, and agility.
Health
GLPs, because they are quite rare in most parts of the world, and thus are unprofitable to irresponsible breeders such as puppy mills and backyard breeders, do not have any genetic disorders that are prevalent in the breed. Their ears are mildly prone to infection, a problem which is easily avoided by cleaning the dog's ears on a regular basis, as well as after swimming.