Wonderful breed with a few things to know before you commit to a German Shorthaired Pointer

I've had my German Shorthaired Pointer for 1 years and overall it's been an amazing experience. intelligent and trainable. affectionate with family. The personality of this breed really is special — versatile, friendly, eager.

That said, there are a few realities I wish someone had been more upfront about. needs hours of daily exercise was a real surprise. And extremely high energy took some adjustment. These aren't dealbreakers by any means, but they're worth knowing going in.

Health-wise, cone degeneration. We had one scare a couple years in that cost a few thousand dollars. Pet insurance is strongly recommended. But despite these things, I'd still give the breed 4 stars — the companionship and personality far outweigh the challenges.