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50 free German Shorthaired Pointer trivia questions with answers — nature quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
This German Shorthaired Pointer trivia quiz covers the Deutsch Kurzhaar from the Old Spanish Pointer and the net-and-falcon hunts of the princely courts through the Hühnerhunde of the early 1800s, the Hannover standards of 1879, the 1897 stud-book and Prince Albrecht zu Solms-Braunfels' rules. It leans on the FCI standard itself for the details a fancier should know: heights, the 42 teeth, the ram's nose versus the dish-face, 'bird of prey' eyes, roan patterns, docking and the temperament clause. There are questions on the AKC's figures and 'perfect pointer' label, the 2016 Westminster Best in Show, the breed's place among the HPR versatile gundogs, its work on blood trails and in police nosework, health predispositions, the Weimaraner's years as a 'blue Kurzhaar', the Vizsla connection, and Robert B. Parker's Pearl. Questions run from easy to expert with the difficulty shown on each one, and every answer was checked against a reference page and carries its citation. If you enjoy it, try our Dogs and Weimaraner quizzes next.
30 of 50 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01What is the German name for the German Shorthaired Pointer?
Deutsch Kurzhaar
Kurzhaar means short-hair; the Langhaar and Drahthaar are its long-haired and wire-haired cousins.
Q 02The German Shorthaired Pointer is described as a continental pointing dog of which type?
Braque
The FCI puts it in Group 7, Section 1.1, Continental Pointing Dogs of Braque type.
Q 03The GSP is bred as an all-purpose gun dog able to hunt and retrieve where?
On both land and water
It also follows blood trails to wounded game and, traditionally, defended against poachers.
Q 04All of Europe's pointing breeds are said to derive from which now-extinct breed?
The Old Spanish Pointer
It spread through France and the Low Countries to the princely houses of the German-speaking world.
Q 05Before firearms, how were the ancestors of the German Shorthaired Pointer used in bird hunting?
With nets or falcons
The dog would freeze on the birds so the hunter could throw a net over them.
Q 06In the early 19th century, Germany's mixed population of bird dogs had no breed name. What were they called?
Hühnerhunde or Jagdhunde
The words simply mean 'bird dogs' and 'hunting dogs'.
Q 07Large numbers of dogs of which Iberian type were brought to Germany in the 19th century, shaping the GSP?
Burgos Pointing Dog
Carl von Heppe had described taller, stronger English bird dogs in Germany as early as 1751.
Q 08The first German short-haired and long-haired pointer breed standards were introduced at an 1879 show in which city?
Hannover
The decision to write German breed standards had been taken at the 1878 show in Frankfurt.
Q 09In which year was the first stud-book for the Kurzhaar published?
1897
The Zuchtbuch has been published ever since and remains the foundation document of the breed.
Q 10Which nobleman compiled the standard and trial rules for the German Shorthaired Pointer?
Prince Albrecht zu Solms-Braunfels
The FCI standard credits him with the framework of breeding and trial rules the breed still passes through.
Q 11According to the FCI standard, the invention of what in 1750 made a pointing dog 'even more required'?
The first double-barrelled gun
Game birds could now be shot in flight in full view of the dog, starting the shift from pure pointer to versatile gundog.
Q 12The FCI definitively accepted the German Shorthaired Pointer in which year?
1954
The American Kennel Club had recognised it in 1930.
Q 13The American Kennel Club recognised the German Shorthaired Pointer in which year?
1930
The German Wirehaired Pointer had to wait until 1959.
Q 21The GSP coat comes in brown or black in which three patterns?
Solid, white with coloured head, and roan
Roan may be dark, with coloured hairs predominating, or light, with more white than colour.
Q 22How does the standard describe the texture of the GSP's dense, short coat?
Rough and hard to the touch
It is somewhat thinner and shorter on the head and ears.
Q 23What colour eyes does the FCI standard call ideal for the German Shorthaired Pointer?
Dark brown
Yellowish, light eyes are listed as a fault.
Q 14In 2016 a three-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer achieved what?
Best in Show at Westminster
The dog, known as CJ, was handled by Valerie Nunes-Atkinson, who later joined the show's broadcast team.
Q 15Where did the German Shorthaired Pointer sit on a 2013 list of the most-registered breeds worldwide?
22nd
In Germany itself, new registrations averaged about 1,300 a year between 2007 and 2021.
Q 16How tall does a male German Shorthaired Pointer stand at the withers under the FCI standard?
62 to 66 cm
Bitches stand 58 to 63 cm; a deviation of more than 2 cm counts as a severe fault.
Q 17The AKC gives what weight range for a male German Shorthaired Pointer?
55 to 70 pounds
Females run 45 to 60 pounds, and the AKC height for males is 23 to 25 inches.
Q 18The AKC says GSP owners call their dogs what?
The 'perfect pointer'
The AKC sums the breed up as 'an enthusiastic gundog of all trades'.
Q 19How does the AKC describe the German Shorthaired Pointer's life expectancy?
10 to 12 years
A 2024 UK study was kinder, finding a median of 13.4 years.
Q 20A 2024 UK study found what median longevity for the German Shorthaired Pointer?
13.4 years
That is slightly above the 12.5-year average for all dogs.
Q 24The FCI standard lists yellowish GSP eyes as a fault, likening them to those of what?
A bird of prey
Eyes that are too light are penalised, along with ears set too narrow or twisted.
Q 25The GSP standard says the length of the body should be what, relative to height at the withers?
Slightly greater
The Great Dane, by contrast, is required to be square.
Q 26How many teeth does the FCI standard require of a German Shorthaired Pointer?
42
The bite must be a full scissor bite; missing more than two of certain premolars and molars is disqualifying.
Q 27For hunting purposes, the FCI standard says the GSP tail is docked to about what?
Half its length
Where docking is banned the natural tail should reach the hocks and be carried straight or slightly sabre-fashion.
Q 28The FCI standard describes the ideal GSP temperament as what?
Firm, balanced and reliable
Aggressive or overly shy dogs are disqualified, and 'weak character' is a disqualifying fault.
Q 29Which nasal profile does the FCI standard consider a serious fault in the German Shorthaired Pointer?
A concave 'dish-face'
A nobly curved ram's nose is preferred, especially in males; a totally straight bridge is acceptable but less attractive.
Q 30What colour must a GSP's nose be, unless the coat's basic colour is white?
Brown (black on black coats)
A flesh-coloured or spotted nose is a severe fault unless the coat is white-based.