German Shorthaired Pointer vs African Wild Dog

Compare the German Shorthaired Pointer to the African Wild Dog. Use the tool below to compare temperament, size, personality, maintenance requirements, and everything else between German Shorthaired Pointers and African Wild Dogs.

Quick Summary

Below are a few quick comparisons between the two breeds.

Owner Experience - The German Shorthaired Pointer is a good choice for new owners. The African Wild Dog is strongly discouraged for new or inexperienced owners.
Children - The German Shorthaired Pointer is very child friendly. The African Wild Dog is not child-friendly and is not recommended for families with young children.
Grooming - The German Shorthaired Pointer is very easy to groom. The African Wild Dog has very high grooming needs.
Barking - Both the German Shorthaired Pointer and African Wild Dog are very vocal and will bark/howl frequently.

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German Shorthaired Pointer vs African Wild Dog

Breed Name	German Shorthaired Pointer	African Wild Dog
General Details
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred
Is Hypoallergenic	No	No
Lifespan	12-14 yrs.	10-12 yrs.
Height	22-24 in.	24-30 in.
Weight	45-75 lb	44-66 lb
Intelligence	High	High
History
Origin Country	Germany	Egypt
Origin Year	1800 AD	Unknown
Temperament
Overall Friendliness	Very Good	Very Poor
Family Friendly	Very Good	Very Poor
Kid Friendly	Very Good	Very Poor
Pet Friendly	Very Good	Very Poor
Stranger Friendly	Very Good	Very Poor
Personality
	Affectionate Enjoys Attention Does Not Like Being Alone Willing To Please	Aggressive
Living Environment
Apartment	No	No
Indoor	No	No
Small Yard	No	No
Medium Yard	No	No
Large Yard	Yes	Yes
Temperature Tolerance ¹	40°F to 80°F	40°F to 80°F
Barks/Howls	Very Often	Very Often
Exercise Needs
Energy Level	High-Very High	High-Very High
Exercise Required	High-Very High	None
Top Running Speed	18 mph	41 mph
Strength	High	High
Grooming Needs
Coat Maintenance	Low	None
Shedding	Medium	Low
Dander	Medium	Low
Drool Amount	None	Low

¹This is estimated min/max temperature range for a healthy adult dog. Dogs that live indoors, puppies, seniors, unwell dogs, and/or dogs with improperly groomed coats may overheat sooner and get cold more quickly.

Instincts & Behavior Comparison
Breed Name	German Shorthaired Pointer	African Wild Dog
Breed Mentality
Dominant/Alpha	No	Yes
Family/Pack	Yes	No
Independent	No	No
Breed Focus
Distracted Easily	No	No
Average	No	No
Focused & Patient	Yes	No
Breed Instincts
Aggression	Average	High
Burrow/Digging	Average	High
Chasing	High	High
Follow Commands	Average	Very Low
Fighting	Below Average	High
Guarding	Below Average	Average
Herding	Very Low	High
Hunting	High	High
Protection	Average	Below Average
Remove Vermin	High	High
Sledding	Very Low	Very Low
Watch	Average	High

Health Comparison
Breed Name	German Shorthaired Pointer	African Wild Dog
Lifespan
Lifespan	12-14 yrs.	10-12 yrs.
Common Health Issues
Canine Distemper	No	Yes
Rabies	No	Yes

Appearance Comparison
Breed Name	German Shorthaired Pointer	African Wild Dog
Coat
Fur	Yes	Yes
Hair	Yes	No
Coat Type
Single Coat	Yes	Yes
Smooth Coat	Yes	No
Coat Texture
Rough	Yes	Yes
Straight	Yes	No
Coat Length(s)
Short	Yes	Yes
Coat Color(s)
Black	Yes	Yes
Black Roan	Yes	No
Black&white	Yes	No
Liver	Yes	No
Liver Roan	Yes	No
Liver&white	Yes	No
White	Yes	Yes
White&liver	Yes	No
Tri-color	No	Yes
Yellow	No	Yes