Adopt a German Shorthaired Pointer (short coat)

Meet Gunner. This BIG fella is no fella at all, he's still a puppy at heart since he's only 1.5 years old. He's 80 lbs, tall, lean and strong. He's an owner surrender from MO, since the local rescue was full, we helped. His original owner purchased him as a pup, when he and his girlfriend broke up, he gave Gunner to his sister who didn't have the time or interest to keep him long term and now he's in NJ.

Gunner is a nice boy, but large and still a puppy. He has an awesome disposition. He's friendly and playful, but does play rough - not aggressive - and can knock over small kids due to his size - again not aggressive. He's crate trained, housebroken, knows a couple basic commands, but loose leash walking isn't in his bag of tricks yet and he likes to pull. He's very friendly with kids and he likes other dogs just fine, but his size can intimidate some. His foster home has 6' fencing and Gunner is fine with that. He doesn't have a super high prey drive so IF might work with the correct training. We won't place him in a home with cats since we don't know how he'll be.

He'd do great with an active family, someone that wants to get him out and about, take an obedience class and bond with this guy while working on his basic commands too. A home with kids, not too small though, and other dogs would be just fine - more than fine - GREAT!

Here's more details from his foster dad:
Crating – Gunner is sleeping and eating in his crate every day. He is also crated if left alone in the house. He is essentially a big puppy and we don’t trust him to roam freely. On two occasions he has been crated for a short time (30 minutes) while we’ve had visitors or if he cannot be watched for some reason. Generally speaking, Gunner will be crated with no complaints in the evenings. He has whined for maybe a minute or two a few nights. He will remain quiet until he hears someone stir in the morning. However, he is very vocal if crated during the day while we are home. My suspicion is that he would settle down pretty quickly if he didn’t hear us moving about. He is always hesitant to enter the crate and requires encouragement.

Kids – Gunner has been great with the kids (5, 7, and 10). The only issue is his size. He could easily knock down small children and does play a little rough, but not mean. My recommendation here would be that he not be placed in a home with very small children.

Dogs – The only dog he is consistently interacting with is our other GSP. He has encountered other dogs at our local pet store and has not exhibited any concerning behavior. He has a playful spirit, which could be a problem for small or senior dogs. He likes to rest his head or paw on the back of our GSP which drives her crazy. I think his size can be intimidating for some other dogs. Again, Gunner has a tendency to play a little rough but I don’t think it is intentional. He’s essentially a big puppy that doesn’t understand his own strength.

Toys – Gunner has a powerful bite and has quickly destroyed several tennis balls and toys. He should have access to antlers/beef bones or similar objects to satisfy his chewing desire.

Fencing – We have a six foot wooden fence around our back yard. Gunner has respected the fencing and hasn’t shown an interest on going over under or through. He will require a six foot fence though, I’m sure he could clear anything less without trying.

Hunting Potential – This one is tough, I haven’t had a chance to really evaluate his abilities. I have placed a few pheasant wings around the yard/house to test his interest. He immediately picked up the scent and discovered the wings. He has not yet displayed any pointing, but it is very early and it doesn’t sound like he has had any experience hunting. He does have a soft bite and releases toys when told, both good signs. I’ll continue to test his interest but if someone wants to hunt with him it will take some work.

Cats – Gunner’s only experience with cats has been through a glass door at the pet store. He seemed curious but not aggressive. His size would lead me to recommend a home without cats.

Commands – Gunner knows sit, down, and likes to shake hands. We have been discouraging shaking hands because he does tend to use his paws to swat during play. His paws are big and they can hurt (he has caught a few of us in the face). Gunner does not do well on a leash. He is very powerful and pulls quite a bit. My recommendation would be for Gunner to receive formal obedience training with his new owner. He has obviously been allowed on furniture in his past life and we are also working to discourage that behavior.

Overall – Gunner is a great dog. He has a friendly personality and his good looks help him make friends wherever he goes. He is social and likes to pretend he is a lap dog. He has plenty of energy but calms down quickly when asked. In many ways he is a better behaved than our current GSP was at his age. I think the biggest challenge with Gunner is his size. He can play rough but I don’t think he understands his own strength. 

If interested please fill out an adoption at www.gsprescuenj.com