How to Contain a German Shorthaired Pointer

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German Shorthaired Pointers are playful and smart, and love to hang with their family (assuming they’ve gotten enough exercise). Despite being great family dogs, they are also hunters at heart, with a strong innate prey drive. This can make containing a GSP a challenge.

They love to chase anything that moves. From small furry animals to deer to moving objects that catch their attention. If it moves, the chase is likely on! And that means they could be off and running into a dangerous situation if not properly contained.

So whether your German Shorthaired Pointer is your official hunting companion or a family dog who sniffs and hunts on his own at home, understanding your dog’s prey drive is key. And so is finding a way to keep them in your yard.

These dogs are athletes, and can jump! They can easily jump over a 6-foot fence, which means a physical fence often will not work for them.

Contain your GSP with a GPS fence

One solution that has worked for many GSP families is a fence like SpotOn. It will not only keep your dog safe in the yard, but will also give them the freedom to live life unleashed. That way they get the exercise they need, as these active dogs need to run! So how and why does it work?

  • First, you create a virtual fence by drawing it on the SpotOn app. You can set up a fence at your home, but you can also take it to a campground, vacation rental, or your mom’s house and set up fences to keep your dog in bounds.
  • Next you activate the fence so it syncs with the SpotOn Collar that your dog wears.
  • As your dog gets close to the boundaries, the collar emits system cues (alert & warning tones, vibration and optional static correction). You train your dog to understand that these cues mean they should turn around, and eventually they understand and learn to respect the custom fence boundaries.
  • At any time, you can check the App to see your dog’s location which updates every 6 seconds. If they do breach the boundary, you will get a notification, so you can quickly find and retrieve your dog.  
  • SpotOn GPS Fence is easy to take with you, wherever you go or if you move. Which will come in handy since there are critters everywhere that could lure your GSP into running away.

Will a wireless fence work for a German Shorthaired Pointer?

We have many customers with GSPs who have shared their SpotOn success stories. Like owner Brian and with his dog Melanie. Before SpotOn, nothing could keep Melanie in the yard when a critter was in sight.

‘My dog is like a ninja when it comes to keeping her in the yard. Nothing stopped her from getting out until I got this collar. She isn’t a digger, 6’ fence wasn’t enough to stop her. If there was a critter on the other side she would be over it and gone in a blink. I recently moved to a rental property for work on 5 acres with no fence and she hasn’t left her virtual fence once. I can travel anywhere and create a fence and she stays inside of it. Whether it’s a trip to the park or visiting family I can set it up and not have to worry about her getting away. 5 stars isn’t enough. Worth every penny.’ - Brian K., Owner

Toni P. was one of our first customers, and she and her GSP Finley have been using SpotOn since 2019. SpotOn GPS fences work wonders for Finn - despite the fact that chipmunks are her nemesis! And Toni loves that she can use multiple fences at home and instant fences on the go, since they are frequent campers.

With a SpotOn GPS fence, your dog will get the exercise and mental stimulation they need to respect their boundaries and keep them happily contained at home. And you’ll get peace of mind knowing you can easily see where your dog is on the app.

Get Started with SpotOn 

Say goodbye to the stress that comes with having a high prey drive GSP and choose SpotOn Fence for an accurate and reliable way to contain your dog. 

Author Bio:
Amy McPoland is a dog mom, dog lover and Sr. Brand Strategist at SpotOn Fence.


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