German Shorthaired Pointer

German Shorthaired Pointers are one of the better choices for a family with children. Expect a big dog that is high-energy, sheds a normal amount and needs very little grooming. Fine alone for a few hours.

Source: American Kennel Club breed standard.

The GSP was deliberately engineered in 19th-century Germany as an all-in-one hunting dog — one animal that could point, track and retrieve on land and in water, so a hunter needed no kennel of specialists. That brief produced a dog with genuinely extraordinary stamina, and it did not switch off when the breed moved into houses. GSP owners consistently describe the same experience: a lovely, affectionate, biddable dog that becomes destructive within about a week of not getting enough exercise. "Enough" here means running, not a walk. The short coat is almost no work, which makes the breed look easy on paper; the exercise requirement is the real price, and it is not negotiable.

Day to day. High-energy — this is a dog that needs a real outlet every single day, not a stroll. Skip that and you get chewing, barking and digging, which is not naughtiness, it is boredom. The clever ones are hardest to tire out on foot alone — something to solve at dinner time takes more out of them than an extra mile. On noise, it is about average.

The coat, honestly. This breed sheds a normal amount and needs very little grooming. Almost nothing to do to the coat itself; you will still find hair on the sofa, so keep the vacuum handy.

Being left alone. Fine alone for a few hours. A full working day, every day, is asking a lot.

Training. Eager and easy to train. That makes it a forgiving choice for a family training their first dog, as long as everyone is consistent. If it is a puppy, measure for the adult — this one ends up in the biggest crate made.

• You want a dog with a reputation for putting up with children
• Someone in the house genuinely wants to run, hike or train most days
• You want a dog whose coat looks after itself
• You have room for a big dog and a car it actually fits in
• This is your first dog and you want one that makes training feel possible

• Your daily walk is really a quick trip round the block
• You are in a flat, or nobody can physically hold this dog on a lead

Rough running cost: $$ (middle of the pack) — because it is a big dog, so food, medicines and anaesthetics all cost more.

Those are relative bands, not live prices. For real numbers across every pet we cover, see the pet cost study and the cost calculator.

Picked for this breed’s coat, size, energy and known health issues, not a generic list.

Rescues do have German Shorthaired Pointers and German Shorthaired Pointer crosses, usually adults whose size, coat and temperament you can see rather than guess at.

Vizsla

The "velcro dog" — affectionate to a fault, and genuinely unhappy left on its own all day.

🐘 Big⚡ High energy🧹 Some shedding

Labrador Retriever

Friendly, patient and playful — the classic family dog, and happiest when it has a job and a swim.

🐘 Big⚡ High energy🌬️ Heavy shed

Golden Retriever

Gentle, eager to please and wonderful with children — but that beautiful coat sheds all year.

🐘 Big⚡ High energy🌬️ Heavy shed