25/08/2025
This is a great read!
💌Breed Standard Discussion:
Taken directly from our breed standard...
📖"with a short back but standing over plenty of ground..."📖
📢You may hear this phrase mentioned at a dog show or out in the field, but what does it actually mean when you hear it?
📝Here is a great article from ShowSight, written by our breed education coordinator, that helps explain this important line in our standard a little more...
[ Critical to creating a short-backed dog standing over plenty of ground are the overall proportions of the GSP. In the Standard, the wording says: “Measuring from the forechest to the rearmost projection of the rump and from the withers to the ground, the Shorthair is permissibly either square or slightly longer than he is tall.”
While it is permissible for a German Shorthaired Pointer to be slightly longer than tall, it is a slippery slope. A longer back allows for more angulation in the rear without the associated foot interference or side-winding that would be seen in a shorter-backed dog. These dogs may have a bigger stride and appear “flashier” in the show ring; however, a longer back can be less stable and prone to injury.
A dog that is square or slightly longer than tall, and has proper angulation, will have the appearance of a “short-backed dog standing over plenty of ground” and will be able to move with an efficient, ground-covering stride." ]
https://showsightmagazine.com/german-shorthaired-pointer-breed-standard/
