ORIGIN: Germany
USE: multipurpose hunting dog
FCI CLASSIFICATION
Group 7: pointing dogs
Section 1.1 Bracco type continental pointing dogs
With proof of work
BACKGROUND: The history of the German Shorthaired Pointer begins in the Mediterranean, when its ancestors were used for hunting feathered and flying game. These dogs later spread to the German principalities via France, Spain and Flanders. With the development of the two-shot rifle (1750) their use became even more important: game birds were shot in front of the dog. This technique marked the beginning of the transformation of the dog from a point to a multipurpose subject. The decisive document for the organization and development of the German Shorthaired Bracco, the "Zuchtbuch DeutschKurzhaar" (book of the origins of the German Shorthaired Bracco) appeared in 1897. Today the German Bracco is selected thanks to breeding regulations and tests of elaborate hunting.
GENERAL APPEARANCE: dog of harmonious proportions, whose constitution ensures power, resistance and speed. Its proud bearing, its clean lines, its lean head, its well carried tail, its dense and shiny coat and its free and broad gaits underline its nobility.
IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS: the length of the back must slightly exceed the height at the withers.
BEHAVIOR / TEMPERAMENT: firm, balanced, trustworthy, with controlled reactions, neither nervous nor shy nor aggressive.
HEAD: dry, well chiseled, not too light nor too heavy; corresponds in power and length to the characteristics of the body and to sex.
CRANIAL REGION
Skull: sufficiently broad, slightly rounded, with a weakly marked occipital protuberance, medium frontal furrow not too deep and well developed superciliary arches.
Stop: only moderately marked.
FACIAL REGION
Truffle: a little prominent. Sufficiently open, wide and mobile nostrils. Basically brown in color; a light-colored or speckled nose is not allowed except in subjects with a white background color.
Muzzle: long, wide, thick and powerful to allow the dog to carry game easily. Bridge of nose slightly convex when viewed in profile, with all intermediate degrees from nobly snub profile to a simple prominence on a straight line. This phenomenon is much more pronounced in males. A perfectly straight nasal bridge is also allowed, but is less appreciated. A concave line is a serious defect.
Lips: well adapted, not too opaque, well pigmented. Starting from the nose, the lips fall almost vertically to their point of separation and then reunite in a slight curve in the slightly marked lip commissure.
Cheeks: strong and muscular.
Jaws / Teeth: powerful jaws, with perfect scissor-articulated teeth. Complete dental formula.
Eyes: of medium size, neither prominent nor sunken in the eye sockets. Ideal color is dark brown. The eyelids match the shape of the eyeball well.
Ears: high and wide set, medium length. They fall, without turning, flat along the cheeks; rounded at the ends. Not too meaty nor too fine. Pulled forward, they must reach the corner of the lips.
NECK: in length in harmony with the whole, it progressively widens towards its attachment to the trunk. Very muscular and slightly prominent nape. Skin of the chin strap well adapted.
BODY
Back line: straight and slightly inclined.
Withers: marked.
Croup: broad, very muscular and sufficiently long, not abruptly depressed, it inclines only slightly in the direction of the attack of the tail.
Back: firm, very muscular. The spinous processes must be covered with muscles.
Chest: taller than wide, with well-marked bib extending as far back as possible. Sternum and elbow joint are at the same height. Ribs well sprung, neither flat nor tonneau. The last ribs must be well descended.
Lumbar region: short, broad, muscular, straight or slightly convex. Solid connection of the back to the lumbar region.
TAIL: set high, strong at the base and then gradually narrowing, of medium length. Shortened to about half for hunting. Hanging at rest, in action it is carried horizontally, not too high above the line of the back nor strongly curved.
PLUS
Seen from the front, they are straight and parallel; seen in profile they are well placed under the body.
FOREQUARTERS
Shoulders: shoulder blades well placed against the chest wall, oblique and sloping backwards; powerful and lean musculature. Good angulation between the shoulder blade and the arm.
Arm: as long as possible, well muscled and lean.
Elbow: close to the body, but not tight, turned neither in nor out, placed a long way back. Good angle between arm and forearm.
Forearm: straight, sufficiently muscular; strong bone without being coarse.
Carpus: strong.
Pastern: minimal inclination of the metacarpus in relation to the forearm; never vertical.
Front feet: rounded, up to the shape of a spoon; fingers rounded and sufficiently curved. Strong nails. Solid and resistant bearings. Whether stationary or in action, the feet must not be turned neither in nor out.
BACK LIMBS
Seen from behind, straight and parallel; good angles; powerful bone.
Thighs: long, broad and muscular; good angle between the pelvis and the thigh.
Stifle: strong, at a good angle with the leg.
Hock: strong .
Leg: long, muscular and sinewy; good angulation with the metatarsus.
Metatarsus: vertical and strong.
Hind feet: like the previous ones.
GAIT / MOVEMENT: they cover a lot of space, with a great push of the hindquarters and a corresponding wide stride; forelegs and hind legs straight and parallel, with a very straight posture. Ambiance not desirable.
SKIN: well adherent, wrinkle-free.
COAT
HAIR: short and dense, it must be dry and hard to the touch. On the head and ears the hair must be finer and shorter; visibly longer on the underside of the tail. Hairless areas not allowed.
Color
Brown without spots
Brown with small white spots or mottling on the chest and limbs
Dark brown roan with brown head and brown plaques or mottling. The background color of this coat is not brown with white or white with brown, but the coat forms such an intimate blend that the two colors cannot be separated, a much appreciated feature. Lighter shades at the tip of the tail and inner faces of the hind limbs.
Light brown roan with brown head and brown or plaque-free plaques or mottling. In this case the brown hairs are less numerous and white predominates.
White, with brown markings on the head, and brown plaques or mottling.
Black, with the same shades of brown or roan. Yellowish tan markings allowed.
A slate or white spot with speckled lips are allowed.
SIZE
Height at the withers
Males: 62 to 66 cm
Females: 58 to 63 cm
DEFECTS
Any deviation from the above must be considered a defect to be penalized according to its severity
General defects of construction, little marked sexual characteristics
Muzzle too short
Lips too heavy or too light
Absence of two teeth in all (PM1 M3)
Too light eye or vairon
Ears too long, too short, too heavy, too tight, butterfly-shaped.
Presence of baleen
Slightly convex back (carp)
Croup too short
Chest too deep
Tail carried too high or curved
Elbows turned in or out. Feet of duck or dog. Subject open or closed in front
Straight back angulations
Hocks slightly curved or cowhide or closed
SERIOUS DEFECTS
Heavy general constitution, lymphatic, coarse bone
Marked stop
Nose: Light or speckled in color (except for dogs with white coats).
Pointed muzzle, concave nose bridge
Partial or wholly pincer articulation (in subjects over four years of age this articulation developed with age will not be considered a defect if a German Bracco club confirms that in a previous exposure the articulation was correct)
Carp back pronounced or saddled
Chest height clearly insufficient, chest not very marked; narrow or tonneau rib cage
Elbows strongly open or closed
Soft or swollen carpus
Pastern straight
Strongly cow hocks or dogs, in station and on the move
Oversized hind limbs
Fingers spread apart
Flat feet
Heavy gaits
Differences of more than 2 centimeters in stature from the standard
ELIMINATING DEFECTS
Severe deviation from sexual characteristics
Absence of more than 2 teeth. Invisible teeth will be considered absent unless a German Bracco club certifies their presence in a previous exam
Upper or lower prognathism, deviated incisor arch or any defect of the same type
Extranumeral or misaligned teeth
Very loose eyelids, entropion, ectropion, distichiasis
Cleft nose, cracked palate
Strongly saddled back, deformed spine
Deformed rib cage
Spurs
Any character flaw
NB Males must have normal-looking testicles fully descended into the scrotum.