The German Shorthaired Pointer Dog’s Intelligence
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The German Shorthaired Pointer is a smart dog and a fast learner. The downside to this is they are just as quick to pick up bad habits as they are the good. As such their training has to begin early and it has to be consistent and always fair throughout a dog’s life so they understand what owners expect of them. GSPs are never happier than when they are given something to do which is why they are so amenable to learning new things.
They excel at many canine sports which includes activities like flyball, agility, obedience and falconry because they thrive on the attention they are given during their training and the one-to-one contact when they are competing with their handlers. The key to successfully training a GSP is to make their training as interesting as possible and to avoid too much repetition. It’s also a good idea to keep training sessions that much shorter which helps dogs stay more focussed on what it’s being asked of them, bearing in mind that the more intelligent a dog is, the faster they get bored. They do not answer well to harsh correction or any sort of heavy handed training methods, but they do respond extremely well to positive reinforcement which always brings the best out of these intelligent and quick-witted dogs, especially when there are high value rewards involved.
GSP puppies must be well socialised from a young age and they also need to be taught the first commands right from the word go so they understand the ground rules and what owners expect of them. The first commands a puppy should be taught are as follows:
- Come
- Sit
- Stay
- Quiet
- Leave it
- Down
- Bed