Editing German Shorthaired Pointer (section)

== Characteristics ==

[[Image:Metsosuon kennel 1.jpg|thumb|Liver roan (right) with liver patches, and ticked with liver patches (left)]]
[[File:Etzel vom Thüringer Zipfel.jpg|thumb|Solid brown]]

The German Shorthaired Pointer is of medium size: dogs stand some {{val|62|–|66|u=cm}} at the [[withers]], bitches some 3 or 4 cm less.{{r|fci2}} The [[coat (animal)|coat]] is dense, short and rough-textured. It may be either brown or black, in any of three patterns: the solid-coloured, either with or without small flecks of white on the chest and legs; the white, with coloured head and coloured flecks or patches on the body; and the roan, either dark – in which coloured hairs predominate over white – or light, in which there are more white than coloured hairs.{{r|gab|p=84|fci2}}

The head is of moderate size, with a convex profile and a long, broad, and strong muzzle suitable for carrying game; the eyes are brown, the ears are rounded and set on high, and hang close to the head.{{r|fci2}} Where not prohibited, the tail of a working dog may be [[docking (animals)|docked]] to about half its length; it is carried roughly horizontally when the dog is moving and hangs down when it is at rest.{{r|fci2}}

It is a tough, healthy dog. A 2024 UK study found a median longevity of 13.4 years for the breed, slightly above the average of 12.5 for all dogs.{{r|sr}} The breed has some [[genetic predisposition]] to [[neurological disease]]s including [[coccygeal muscle injury]], [[GM2 gangliosidosis]], [[hemivertebrae]], [[pyogranulomatous meningoencephalomyelitis]] and [[sensory neuropathy]].{{r|ron|p=4}} Other disorders associated with the breed include [[cataract]], [[cranial cruciate ligament]] rupture, eversion of the cartilage of the [[nictitating membrane]], [[Dog skin disorders#Lupoid dermatosis|hereditary lupoid dermatosis]], [[progressive retinal atrophy]], [[nose cancer in cats and dogs|nasal carcinoma]], [[oropharyngeal neoplasia]], [[Von Willebrand's disease]] and [[XX sex reversal]].{{r|gough|p=116–118|wang}}