German Shorthaired Pointer vs German Wirehaired Pointer
Side by side
German Shorthaired Pointer
German Wirehaired Pointer
Adult weight
Males 25–32 kg (55–71 lb); females 20–27 kg (44–60 lb) (breed club figure)1
Males 25–32 kg (55–71 lb); females 20–29 kg (44–64 lb) (breed club figure)2
Fully grown
11 months, both sexes4
Shedding
Sheds through the year
Holds loose hair until it is brushed or clipped out
Grooming
A brush once a week
Exercise
Plenty
Class
Field
Field
Which suits you
Shedding
Their coats shed differently: the German Shorthaired Pointer sheds through the year, the German Wirehaired Pointer holds loose hair until it is brushed or clipped out.
Temperament
They differ most on affection (German Shorthaired Pointer: a lap or leaning dog; German Wirehaired Pointer: affectionate on its own terms) and on loyalty (German Shorthaired Pointer: bonded to its family; German Wirehaired Pointer: sticks close to its people).
Alike
They are much the same size as adults, about 26 kg (57 lb) for the German Shorthaired Pointer and 27 kg (58 lb) for the German Wirehaired Pointer.
Alike
Both are rated the same on intelligence: needs daily brain work.
Neither is the better dog in general. Which suits you depends on your home, your days and the care you can give.
What they're like
German Shorthaired Pointer
Pointing dogs · Medium
In temperament it is friendly, intelligent and willing, with plenty of drive and stamina.
German Wirehaired Pointer
Pointing dogs · Medium
Temperamentally it is affectionate and eager with its own people, energetic and determined at work, and often reserved with strangers.
Breed traits
Day to day
German Shorthaired Pointer
German Wirehaired Pointer
Activity
Needs lots of exercise
Needs lots of exercise
Intelligence
Needs daily brain work
Needs daily brain work
Handler demand
Needs an experienced owner
Needs an experienced owner
With people
German Shorthaired Pointer
German Wirehaired Pointer
Affection
Differs
A lap or leaning dog
Affectionate on its own terms
Loyalty
Differs
Bonded to its family
Sticks close to its people
Independence
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Around the home
German Shorthaired Pointer
German Wirehaired Pointer
Sensitivity
Differs
Needs a calm, predictable home
Average
Voice
Barks to alert, then settles
Barks to alert, then settles
Prey drive
Likely to chase small pets
Likely to chase small pets
Puppy growth
Reference curves · both sexes
Summary
Detail
Both grow to much the same adult weight, about 26 kg.
German Shorthaired Pointer
German Wirehaired Pointer
More comparisons
Compare the German Shorthaired Pointer with
Sources
- 1American Kennel Club. German Shorthaired Pointer breed page. ↑
- 2American Kennel Club. German Wirehaired Pointer breed page. ↑
- 3
- 4Hawthorne et al., 2004. Body-weight changes during growth in puppies of different breeds. Journal of Nutrition 134(8 Suppl): 2027S–2030S (WALTHAM). ↑
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8Morrill et al., 2022. Ancestry-inclusive dog genomics challenges popular breed stereotypes. Science 376: eabk0639 (Darwin's Ark). ↑
- 9Dogs Trust. Finding a good, responsible breeder. ↑
- 10American Kennel Club. Screening puppy buyers: how top breeders find the best homes. ↑
- 11
Parts of this page were written by AI ·