How to Find a Reputable German Shorthaired Pointer Breeder

Searching for the best German Shorthaired Pointer breeder can quickly become overwhelming. Countless GSP breeders, puppy listings, social media pages, and websites claim to produce healthy, well-bred German Shorthaired Pointer puppies.

So how do you actually tell the difference?

The best GSP breeder for your family should be able to show you more than attractive puppies and impressive pedigrees. A responsible breeding program should have a clear purpose, appropriate health testing, proven dogs, thoughtful puppy raising practices, and a commitment to the dogs it produces long after they leave the breeder.

1. Look for a GSP Breeder Who Health Tests Their Dogs

Health testing should be one of the first things you investigate when searching for a reputable German Shorthaired Pointer breeder.

A veterinary examination alone is not the same thing as health testing breeding dogs for conditions that may affect the breed.

Depending on the individual dog and pedigree, responsible GSP breeding programs may utilize testing such as:

• OFA hip evaluations

• PennHIP

• OFA elbow evaluations

• Cardiac evaluations

• Eye examinations

• Relevant DNA testing

At Nosam, our breeding dogs complete breed-appropriate health testing before joining our breeding program.

Health testing cannot guarantee that a puppy will never experience a health problem. Dogs are living animals, and not every condition has a genetic test. Instead, testing gives breeders additional information to make more educated breeding decisions and reduce avoidable risks.

When researching a breeder, don't be afraid to ask what testing has been completed and where you can verify the results.

2. A Breeder Saying Their Dogs Hunt Isn't the Same as Proving It

The German Shorthaired Pointer was developed as a versatile hunting dog.

Natural hunting ability, trainability, cooperation, retrieving instinct, pointing instinct, search, and temperament are key to preserving what makes a GSP a GSP.

You will see plenty of breeder websites that say:

“Our dogs come from hunting lines.”

“Our dogs are excellent hunters.”

But ask the next question:

How has that ability been evaluated?

A breeder taking their own dog hunting and saying it performs well is very different from entering that dog in a judged event where its abilities are evaluated against an established standard.

Programs such as AKC Hunt Tests and NAVHDA testing provide breeders with an outside evaluation of their dogs.

At Nosam, proving our dogs is an important part of our breeding program. Our dogs have earned hunting and performance titles, and we continue training, testing, and competing with the dogs we intend to use in our program.

Titles aren't collected simply to put letters around a dog's registered name.

They provide information.

A judge doesn't care who bred the dog or how much its owner loves it. The dog has to demonstrate the required abilities.

That outside evaluation gives us information we can use when making future breeding decisions.

3. Temperament Should Matter to GSP Breeders

Most German Shorthaired Pointers aren't spending 365 days a year hunting.

They're living in someone's house.

They're riding in vehicles, meeting visitors, going to the veterinarian, traveling, interacting with their families and learning how to settle when the day's activities are finished.

That's why temperament is a major consideration in our breeding decisions.

We want GSPs with the drive to work when asked but the ability to live successfully with their families.

A breeder should know much more about their breeding dogs than their pedigree and appearance.

How do they behave around the house?

How do they handle new environments?

How trainable are they?

How do they respond to pressure?

Can they settle?

Are they confident?

What are they like to actually live with?

These characteristics matter—especially when we're deciding which two dogs should produce the next generation.

5. Ask How the Puppies Are Actually Raised

Responsible breeding doesn't stop when puppies are born.

Those first eight weeks are an enormous responsibility.

At Nosam, we raise our puppies using a structured puppy-development program that includes age-appropriate exposure and experiences as they grow.

Our puppy raising includes early handling, Puppy Culture principles, grooming and nail-care exposure, early crate introduction, environmental enrichment, confidence-building experiences, and other developmentally appropriate exercises.

We also introduce our future hunting dogs to experiences that help prepare them for the work we hope they'll eventually perform.

The goal isn't to create a completely trained eight-week-old puppy.

That's impossible.

The goal is to give each puppy a strong foundation its new family can keep building on.

When comparing GSP breeders, ask what actually happens between birth and eight weeks.

You should get a much more detailed answer than, “The puppies are raised around our family.”

6. Good GSP Breeders Don't Necessarily Let Buyers Pick Based on Color

This surprises some puppy buyers.

We match Nosam puppies to families rather than selling them by traditional pick order.

Why?

Because the puppy someone thinks is cutest at five weeks old may not be the puppy best suited to their lifestyle.

As puppies develop, we evaluate characteristics such as temperament, confidence, drive, independence, structure, and overall personality.

Meanwhile, we're learning about our puppy families.

Is this puppy primarily going to be an upland hunting dog?

Does the family want to pursue NAVHDA or AKC Hunt Tests?

Are they interested in conformation?

Do they want to participate in performance sports?

Are they primarily looking for an active family companion?

Does their experience level match the puppy?

Those things matter considerably more to us than which puppy has someone's favorite markings.

Our goal isn't simply to sell the puppy.

It's to create the best possible match between puppy and family.

7. Look at the Dogs a Breeder Has Actually Produced

When researching top German Shorthaired Pointer breeders, don't look exclusively at the sire and dam of the litter you're considering.

Look at the breeding program as a whole.

What has the breeder produced?

Are previous puppies hunting?

Have they earned titles?

Are owners returning for another dog?

Are dogs from the program succeeding in different venues?

Does the breeder retain puppies and prove their own breeding decisions?

A breeding program should be able to show you the results of previous generations—not simply tell you what it hopes the next litter will become.

At Nosam, we've produced dogs that have successfully participated in hunting tests, NAVHDA, conformation, and performance sports while also being loved family companions.

We're proud of those accomplishments because they show whether our breeding decisions are producing the kind of German Shorthaired Pointer we're striving for.

8. Look for a Breeder Who Will Take Their Dogs Back

Responsible breeders remain responsible for the dogs they produce.

Life can change unexpectedly. Divorce, financial problems, illness, housing changes, and other circumstances can leave an owner unable to keep a dog they intended to own forever.

A reputable breeder should have a plan for that possibility.

We don't want a Nosam dog ending up in a shelter because an owner is afraid to contact us.

Our commitment to our puppies doesn't end when they leave our property.

9. Ask What the Breeder Requires From YOU

A responsible breeder should be interviewing buyers, too.

Not every German Shorthaired Pointer is appropriate for every household, and not every breeder produces the same type of GSP.

We want to understand what prospective families expect from their puppy, their experience with sporting breeds, their activity level, and what they hope to do with their dog.

Likewise, we want buyers to understand our expectations.

We would rather determine before a deposit is placed that we're not the right breeder for someone than discover it after a puppy goes home.

A breeder asking you questions isn't trying to make purchasing a puppy unnecessarily difficult.

They're trying to determine whether one of their puppies is appropriate for your home.

10. Be Careful With “Champion Bloodlines” or "Hunting Lines"

“Champion bloodlines” is one of the most commonly used phrases in puppy advertising.

But it can mean almost anything.

A champion or Hunt-tested dog appearing several generations back in a pedigree doesn't tell you what the dogs being bred today have accomplished.

Instead, look at the actual sire and dam.

What titles do they have?

What health testing have they completed?

How have they been evaluated?

What are their strengths?

Why did the breeder choose to breed these particular dogs together?

A thoughtful breeder should be able to explain the purpose behind a breeding beyond simply producing puppies.

Questions to Ask a German Shorthaired Pointer Breeder

Before placing a deposit on a GSP puppy, consider asking:

• What health testing has been completed on the parents?

• Can I verify those results?

• Have the parents been evaluated in hunting tests, NAVHDA, field trials, conformation or other performance venues?

• What are the parents like to live with?

• Why did you choose this particular breeding?

• How are the puppies raised?

• How are puppies evaluated before going home?

• How do you determine which puppy goes to which family?

• What support do you provide after the puppy leaves?

• What happens if I can no longer keep my dog?

• Can I see accomplishments from dogs you've previously produced?

• What does your puppy contract require?

The answers should help you determine whether the breeder's priorities align with your own.

Finding the Best GSP Breeder for You

No single German Shorthaired Pointer breeder is automatically the right choice for every puppy buyer.

Different breeding programs emphasize different traits, pedigrees, hunting styles, and goals.

That's why researching the breeder matters as much as researching the breed.

Look for verifiable health testing.

Look for dogs evaluated outside the breeder's own backyard.

Look at temperament and structure.

Look at how puppies are raised.

Look at what previous generations have accomplished.

Look for a breeder willing to stay involved throughout the dog's life.

German Shorthaired Pointers at Nosam Kennels

Nosam Kennels is located in Central Kentucky and breeds German Shorthaired Pointers, emphasizing health, correct structure, temperament, natural hunting ability, trainability, and versatility.

Our goal is to produce GSPs that can transition from the bird field to the show or performance ring and then come home to live as part of the family.

Our breeding dogs are health-tested and proven through outside evaluation, and we raise our puppies with intentional early development before thoughtfully matching them with their families.

Whether someone wants an upland hunting partner, performance prospect, show prospect, or active family companion, we believe the foundation begins the same way:

Breed with purpose. Prove what you produce. Raise puppies intentionally. Stand behind them for life.