I'm at my fourth pointer now - two of them GSP's.
First was a female, got her as a puppy from a good breeder, she lived to be 17.5 years old!
Second is still with us, now 11 years old male named "Buddy". We rescued him when he was 3 years old. He was a mess - physically, but mostly mentally.
Thing is, these dogs need LOTS of exercise. And by this you have to understand: lots - lots more than all other breeds which are said to need lots of exercise.
Buddy came to us from a well-intended family who did their best but their best wasn't good enough. Going to the dog park for an hour, and jogging with the dog once a day was not enough. When at home he was misbehaving in the house so he spent most of his time running circles around the pool in the fenced yard... And because he wasn't working out enough, he didn't eat much.
So he came to us once his family realized they weren't providing him with what he needed. He arrived here at least 10 pounds underweight. Not house trained. Not able to follow commands to be trustworthy off leash. You would open the door, he would rocket out and run crazy fast in the woods and the farm field behind our house and run and run and disapear in the distance.
We started by offering him lots of play time, with a long rope at first, then without rope but constant play (frisbee, ball etc) so he would catch and retrieve. We would go in the field and do the same, so he would run, catch, retreive - repeat for hours. Within about two weeks, he started eating a bit more. Slowly gained weight. For about one year it was a LOT of work. House train him took about one year.
After a few months we were able to let him run free but with a shock collar operated via remote - with a warning button (making a "beep" and a shock button (which we didn't need to use often - pretty quickly, Buddy did learn that warning beep does mean "better listen to the voice commands I hear!"). We kept using this collar during our long hikes in the woods for a few years (and still need to use it from time to time, for "reminder" sessions when he starts to forget to listen to our "come back" command).
As the years went by he settled into a lifestyle that matched his unstoppable apetite for exercise. After a while we were able to simply open the door and he would go out and run freely around the house (one acre lot and farm field behind our property), running for hours. Sometimes a full day. Imagine that for a second. A dog running all over from morning to evening. Then starting again the following day. It's like doing an Ironman every day.
Now he's 11. His older sister was put down last fall, and he took it hard. His behaviour is still strange at times; his first three years left scars. When he doesn't have enough workout during a week, behaviour problems resurface. It's a good thing that the family members (myself, wife, two boys) are all good at taking him out, playing with him and making sure he still runs lots, despite his age. And, his youger sister (Millie, 4 years old Weimaraner) helps too (although she's quite a potato so she doesn't make him run much!).
Having a GSP is a comitment that's different in some ways to having other breeds. But if you can provide the dog with what it needs - hopefully your GSP won't need as much running as mine! - You will be rewarded with some of the most lovable companion you can imagine. Yes, Buddy shows affection - after a very exhausting day, he will settle quietly and snuggle and sleep. For a few hours... Until sunrise
Jay knows I'm not exagerating when I talk about Buddy's need for exercise - he's seen him here, he can testify about the fact that there are many dogs who need to run lots - and then, there are GSP's!
Lou
Proof that Buddy can stay still:
Give buddy free access to the farm field - he will eventually find a souvenir to bring back home (and unlike Jay's NOS, this creature doesn't have quills...)
Buddy LOVES to swim! (listen to the underwater barking). He likes it so much that if we are on the road driving and he sees water outside, he goes nuts inside the car. (bit of a safety hazard...)
