Bella's First Hunt
The Magic Moment!!
Bella's First Hunt
Bella Honoring Ava
A German Shorthair pointer should point. That is the whole reason bird hunters purchase our German Shorthair puppies for sale. But unlike retrieving birds, pointing is a natural instinct. A good German Shorthair puppy will do it without knowing why they are doing it.
Steady to Flush
The pointing instinct is stronger in some shorthair pointer bloodlines than in others. Some individuals claim they can teach a dog to point. Most intelligent dogs can be trained to do just about anything but the dogs I have seen that were taught to point never did it with the same style, intensity, or beauty as a German Shorthair pointer that pointed instinctively. All of our German Shorthair puppies for sale had parents that pointed instinctively
Steady to Flush
Bella's First Grouse
All of our German Shorthair pointer puppies for sale come from breeding pairs where both parents pointed instinctively. They were not taught to point. The instinct to point is a natural trait of the breeding history of the puppy, just like color, size, and temperament. The pointing instinct is stronger in some German Shorthair pointer bloodlines than in others. We can start to identify the pointing characteristics of our German shorthair puppies for sale by the time they are 5 to 6 weeks old. The puppies will flash-point when they see something that excites them. A simple method of seeing this trait is using the classic bird wing and fishing pole. The birdwing does not teach the puppy to point. It just lets us see the intensity of the puppy's natural skills. We start by tying a clipped bird wing to a 6-foot piece of fishing line and then attaching the other end of the line to the tip of the fishing pole. With the puppy in a closed-in area, such as a garage, to avoid distractions; flip the wing about in a subtle manner to get the pup's attention. Some German Shorthair puppies will attempt to chase the wing when they first see it. Pop the wing away from the puppy without letting it catch it. The trick is letting the puppy get close but not too close. The puppy will be excited and will suddenly freeze due to its excitement. Now quietly say, "Whoa" in a quiet, praising, voice to settle the puppy and reinforce the behavior. We are not teaching the puppy to point. We are merely assessing its pointing instincts. All of our German shorthair puppies for sale will demonstrate this behavior. We never teach "whoa" as part of this game. We teach "whoa" usually while the puppy is standing at the door of the kennel. We always teach discipline commands separately from fun activities like pointing and fetching. This keeps the puppy interested in training activities. Keep work time work time, the fun time fun. There will be plenty of time to put the two together. Most first-time German shorthair pointer owners never see their puppy's full potential because they rush to finish their shorthairs too early. This takes the joy out of the dog and affects its style. All of our German shorthair puppies for sale are the products of years of selective breeding which focus on pointing style, stature, and disposition.