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The Deutsch Kurzhaar (DK) or
German Shorthaired Pointer (GSP), is an excellent family companion as well as a versatile foot-hunting dog bred for the average hunter. In spite of the breed's
most endearing and positive traits, owning a DK
or GSP is not for everyone. To help answer some of your questions about whether or not one of these exceptional dogs
may be for you, we have developed an online breed research guide, geared towards those researching the breed as potential owners, as well as
both first-time and veteran owners. In this new owner's guide, you will find information about:
. . . and more! Please feel free to browse through the information of interest to you, and Email Us with any questions you can't find answers to here.
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At vom Covey Run Deutsch Kurzthaars
(DK’s), we feel that educating the
prospective buyer is more important
than simply selling dogs. Even if
you ultimately decide that a puppy
from our kennel is not the right dog
for you, we feel that our
new
owner’s guide,
online resources,
breed history, and
information
about the DK and the
NADKC will help you in your search
for the perfect versatile hunting
companion.
More often than not, we interview
the prospective buyer just as
thoroughly than they interview us,
if not more so. Some inquirers may
decide that the DK is not the right
breed for them and that is perfectly
fine! It’s much better to know this
before having a DK arrive in your
home. We encourage all of our
potential buyers to contact several
different breeders in order to find
the one they are the most
comfortable with, and feel has the
dogs that are the best fit for them.
Should you choose a DK from a
different kennel, we will not be
offended—on the contrary, we
frequently refer folks to other DK
Kennels, and have helped some of
them to purchase their dog
elsewhere. Our main goals are for
you to have the right dog for you,
and for you to be the right home for
a DK.
First and foremost, the DK is a
versatile hunting breed. If you are
not a licensed, active hunter,
chances are most DK breeders
(including vom Covey Run) will not
sell you a puppy. We feel that it is
cruel and unfair to the dog for
him/her to never experience the
express purpose for which it was
designed and bred. Utilizing its
natural instincts through hunting
will allow a DK to gain its maximum
potential development, both
mentally, and physically.
Furthermore, it may be upsetting to
those who choose not to hunt when
the DK acts upon its natural
instincts and brings back prey it
has stalked and captured.
Every DK breeder
encourages owners to test their
puppies through the NADKC and JGV-USA.
The tests are designed to simulate
actual hunting situations, as
closely as possible. Without the
testing system, the NADKC would be
unable to produce the quality of
dogs that it is known for. The breed
tests, (Derby & Solms), are the main
source of feedback to the breeder,
and serve to demonstrate the overall
strengths and weaknesses of each
litter. The tests are judged each DK
against a set of standards, and
there are no winners or losers.
Rather, an evaluation of the dog’s
inherent natural abilities and
trainability is the ultimate
result. Most first time owners who
get involved in the NADKC to train
and test their dogs end up
pleasantly surprised that the
training and testing ultimately
exposes the full potential and
abilities possessed by their dog. We
feel that educating the owner and
allowing him/her question and gain
experience is crucial to having a
well-trained, well-mannered DK.
It is rare to see problems arise in
a DK that are caused by the
existence or absence of innate
abilities of the dog. Most often,
the problem results rather, from an
uneducated, albeit well-intended
owner and/or his/her relationship
with the dog. Training your DK to
run in the tests puts you on a
realistic, regimented training
schedule. Your breeder and fellow
NADKC members are an exceptional
resource for training techniques.
With some consistent efforts on your
part by the time the dog is of the
age to complete the Solms test
(roughly 1½ years old), you will
have a young, well-trained hunting
companion that will out perform
almost every other dog you will run
across.
Some breeders from other registries
will attempt to pass off German
Shorthaired Pointers as Deutsch
Kurzhaars. Generally, they will tell
you that their dogs are “German-bred
GSP’s”, or “full German breedings”,
or “import bloodlines”, or something
similar. Beware however; there is a
difference! If the breeder is not a
member of the North American Deutsch
Kurzhaar Club, chances are they are
not selling Deutsch Kurzhaars. All
true DK puppies will be tattooed in
their right ear and have a
Federation Cynologique Internationale
(FCI)
registered Ahnentafel (pedigree).
The tattoo number in the puppy’s ear
must agree with the number on the
Ahnentafel.
Each DK kennel has its own unique
kennel name, which must be
registered with the German parent
club (the Deutsch Kurzhaar Verband,
or DKV). When a DK breeder produces
their first litter, all the puppies’
names in that litter will begin with
the letter “A”; the second litter’s
names begin with “B”, then “C”, “D”…
and so on, up to ”Z”, at which time
it will start over. The breeder
normally picks the names for puppies
before they are whelped, due to the
necessity of having the litter
registration paperwork sent to and
returned from Germany in a timely
manner. The registration process
must be completed through both the
NADKC breed warden here in the US,
and the DKV breed warden in
Germany. The name given to each pup
becomes the dog’s registered name
and will be on the Ahnentafel
(pedigree), along with the
associated registration number. This
registration number is then tattooed
in the puppy’s ear, normally around
their 7th or 8th
week of life. Of course you
are free to call your DK pup
whatever you like; your pup's call
name may or may not correspond to
his or her registered name.
Once you have decided on the breeder
from whom you plan to purchase your
puppy, the next logical question is
which pup is the right one for you.
At vom Covey Run Kennels, we do not
allow the potential owners to
independently choose their own
puppy, nor to specify a specific
color or coat pattern. Our deposits
are taken solely based on gender.
When a potential buyer commits him
or herself to one of our pups, we
believe that they are, in essence,
buying the parents of the litter. It
is our duty to work with that
individual to determine which puppy
will be most suited for their
lifestyle.
No puppy leaves our
kennel prior to 8 weeks of age.
During this critical period in the
dog’s development we spend a great
deal of time watching the emerging
temperament and learning the minute
differences between each puppy. We
insure each puppy develops the
socialization skills needed to be a
successful companion to his owner
and to fellow hunting dogs. The 8
weeks are then used to ascertain the
needs of the owner and match them
with the appropriate puppy. The more
information the buyer can supply,
the better understanding we have of
their needs and expectations of the
dog. Numerous phone calls, pictures
and emails transpire between the
buyer and our kennel while we raise
the puppies. This correspondence is
crucial in determining which puppy
goes where. After receipt of their
pup, if for some reason the
buyer does not like the chosen pup
we have selected for them, then they
are promptly given a refund or given
a choice placement on the waiting
list for an upcoming litter. It is
with pride we can report this has
never happened.
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