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The German Shorthaired Pointer
or Deutsch Kurzhaar is commonly referred to as a "wash and wear" breed. The GSP
or DK needs very little grooming. With its short coat it does shed, but not to the point that it becomes a nuisance or even terribly noticeable. They do come in and out of coat, as do many other breeds. With intact females, along with shedding their winter coat, they tend to blow coat when they have their estrus seasons twice a year, as well. A shedding blade can help remove excess dead hair from the coat when this occurs. Bathing and brushing, too, will assist in removing the loose, dead hairs. German Shorthaired Pointers need their toenails clipped regularly, and regular cleaning of their ears and teeth are needed, as well.
Bathe your DK
or GSP only when needed. You don't want to bathe them too often as it rids them of the natural oils in their coat. When bathing them, make sure to use a high quality shampoo MADE FOR DOGS! Human hair and dog hair have very different PH levels, and human shampoo and hair care products are not suitable for your dog. Rinsing them down with plain water after hunting
generally works well.
 Your GSP
or DK will enjoy a nice brushing of his or her coat with a soft rubber curry brush daily. Not only does this help in the removal of dead hair, dead skin and dirt. but it also gives them a wonderful massage, which they enjoy very much.
If you plan to show your GSP, very little extra grooming is required. Bathe your GSP (preferably not the day of or the night before the show, to allow some natural oils back in the coat), trim your GSP's whiskers and eyebrows, clean up any stray or longish hairs like those on the backs of the thigh, on the tip of the tail, and in the tuck up area. Brush or polish the coat with a soft rag, curry comb, brush, or your hand! Make sure teeth are scraped free of all tartar, and trim or grind (with a Dremel-Tool) nails short. Training your GSP to be groomed on a table or crate top will help out at shows
and zuchtschaus!
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