English Pointer vs German Shorthaired Pointer vs Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever – Which one is a better dog breed for you?

"Find similarities and differences between English Pointer vs German Shorthaired Pointer vs Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever" Compare English Pointer and German Shorthaired Pointer. Which is better: English Pointer or German Shorthaired Pointer or Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever?

General Appearance Hair & Care Characteristics Good With Health Factors Reproducibility Show differences only

Name	English Pointer	German Shorthaired Pointer	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
Origins	England	Germany	Canada
All Dog Breeds By Country Of Origin
Group	Gun Dog	Gun Dog	Gun Dog
Popularity Rank	113	10	89
Reviews	0	2	2
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Other Names	English Pointer	Deutsch Kurzhaar, Kurzhaar, GSP, DK, Deutscher Kurzhaariger Vorstehhund	Toller, Scotty, Novie, Little River Duck Dog
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred	Purebred
AKC Group	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1878 as a Sporting breed.	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1930 as a Sporting breed.	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 2003 as a Sporting breed.
FCI Group	Not recognized by FCI.	Recognized by FCI in the Pointing Dogs group, in the Continental Pointing Dogs section.	Recognized by FCI in the Retrievers - Flushing Dogs - Water Dogs group, in the Retrievers section.
Breed Recognition	No set	American Kennel Club Canadian Kennel Club Federation Cynologique Internationale Kennel Club of Great Britain Australian National Kennel Council New Zealand Kennel Club United Kennel Club	No set
Price	$400-$500	$600-$800	$1800-$2000

General Appearance - English Pointer vs German Shorthaired Pointer vs Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever

Size	Medium	Large Medium	Medium
Weight	44-66 pounds (20-30 kg)	Male: 55-70 pounds (25-32 kg), Female: 45-60 pounds (20-27 kg)	37-51 pounds (17-23 kg)
Avg. Weight	55 pounds (25 kg)	Male: 62.5 pounds (28.5 kg), Female: 52.5 pounds (23.5 kg)	44 pounds (20 kg)
Height	Male: 22-24 inches (55-62 cm), Female: 21-24 inches (54-60 cm)	Male: 23-25 inches (59-64 cm), Female: 21-23 inches (53-58 cm)	17-21 inches (43-53 cm)
Avg. Height	Male: 23 inches (58.5 cm), Female: 22.5 inches (57 cm)	Male: 24 inches (61.5 cm), Female: 22 inches (55.5 cm)	19 inches (48 cm)

Hair & Care - English Pointer vs German Shorthaired Pointer vs Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever

Coat	Dense	Dense	Waterproof
Colors	White Brown Yellow Black	Roan Liver White Black	Red Gold
Grooming	Effortless: The English Pointer requires minimal grooming.	Effortless: The German Shorthaired Pointer requires minimal grooming.	Easy to groom: The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever doesn't require a lot of grooming.
Shedding Level	English Pointers shed none to minimal.	German Shorthaired Pointers shed moderately.	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers shed moderately.

Characteristics - English Pointer vs German Shorthaired Pointer vs Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever

Temperament	Active Amiable Kind Intelligent Affectionate Outright Tempered Loyal	Affectionate Bold Intelligent Boisterous Cooperative Trainable	Affectionate Courageous Gentle Responsive Alert Energetic Playful
Intelligent Rank	Average: English Pointer's has average obedience intelligence.	Very smart: German Shorthaired Pointer is an excellent dog breed.	Low to average: This canine intelligence is not the brightest one.
Trainability	English Pointers are very easy to train.	German Shorthaired Pointers are very easy to train.	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers are easy to train.
Playfulness	The English Pointer is a highly playful breed.	The German Shorthaired Pointer is a highly playful breed.	The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever is a highly playful breed.
Sensitivity Level	English Pointers have an average emotional level and are not the most sensitive dog breed.	They are a little bit more sensitive than other dog breeds.	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers have an average emotional level and are not the most sensitive dog breed.
Affection Level	English Pointers are highly affectionate dogs.	German Shorthaired Pointers are highly affectionate dogs.	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate dogs toward their handlers.
Social Needs	English Pointers need for social interaction is average.	German Shorthaired Pointers need for social interaction is average.	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers are a social breed.
Barking	Average: The English Pointer barks occasionally.	Average: The German Shorthaired Pointer barks occasionally.	Average: The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever barks occasionally.
Watchdog Ability	English Pointers are good watchdogs.	German Shorthaired Pointers are average watchdogs.	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers are average watchdogs.
Territorial	English Pointers strongly protect their territory.	German Shorthaired Pointers are average defenders.	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers are average defenders.
Biting Potential	Low The English Pointer has a low chance of biting somebody.	Low The German Shorthaired Pointer has a low chance of biting somebody.	Low The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever has a low chance of biting somebody.
Mouthiness	English Pointers have a strong tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	German Shorthaired Pointers have a higher than average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers have a higher than average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.
Impulse to Wander or Roam	English Pointers have high wanderlust potential, which means that this breed has a strong desire for exploring the world.	German Shorthaired Pointers have high wanderlust potential, which means that this breed has a strong desire for exploring the world.	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers have average wanderlust potential.
Prey Drive	English Pointers have a high impulse to chase and catch something.	German Shorthaired Pointers have a high impulse to chase and catch something.	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers have a high impulse to chase and catch something.
Apartment Friendly	English Pointers are not apartment-friendly dogs.	German Shorthaired Pointers are not apartment-friendly dogs.	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers are not the best choice for an apartment lifestyle, but they don't mind being inside if you walk them several times every day.
Adaptability	English Pointers adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.	German Shorthaired Pointers adapt well to lifestyle changes and different living environments.	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.
Tolerates Being Left Alone	Just like every puppy, they are prone to panic, cry, bark, whine when they left alone by their owner.	Just like every puppy, they are prone to panic, cry, bark, whine when they left alone by their owner.	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers do best when a family member is at home during the day or if their workplace is dog-friendly so they can take the dog at work.
Fighting Dog	Not really In history, this breed was not really used for combat dog.	Not really In history, this breed was not really used for combat dog.	Not really In history, this breed was not really used for combat dog.

Good With - English Pointer vs German Shorthaired Pointer vs Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever

Stranger Friendly	English Pointers are not the most stranger friendly dogs.	German Shorthaired Pointers are average friendly towards strangers.	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers are not the most stranger friendly dogs.
Child Friendly	English Pointers are very kid-friendly dogs.	German Shorthaired Pointers are kid-friendly dogs.	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers are very kid-friendly dogs.
Cat Friendly	English Pointers are not cat-friendly dogs.	German Shorthaired Pointers are not cat-friendly dogs.	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers are average friendly towards cats.
Dog Friendly	English Pointers are very dog-friendly dogs.	German Shorthaired Pointers are dog-friendly dogs.	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers are very dog-friendly dogs.
Office Friendly	No English Pointer is not the best dog breed for office environment.	No German Shorthaired Pointer is not the best dog breed for office environment.	No Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever is not the best dog breed for office environment.
Senior Citizens Friendly	English Pointers are one of the best breeds for elderly people.	German Shorthaired Pointers are usually recommended for elderly people.	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers are one of the best breeds for elderly people.
Pet Friendly	English Pointers do best when they’re the only pet at the family.	German Shorthaired Pointers do best when they’re the only pet at the family.	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers are generally with other pets.
Good For First Time Owners	Yes English Pointers are good for novice owners, due to their easy-going personality.	No German Shorthaired Pointers are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.	Yes Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers are good for novice owners, due to their easy-going personality.
Service Dog	Not really This breed generally not used as a service dog.	Not really This breed generally not used as a service dog.	Not really This breed generally not used as a service dog.
Therapy Dog	Not really This breed generally not used as a therapy dog.	Not really This breed generally not used as a therapy dog.	Not really This breed generally not used as a therapy dog.
Detection Dog or Sniffer Dog	Yes A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.	Yes A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.	Yes A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.
Search and Rescue Dog (SAR)	Yes The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.	Yes The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.	Not really The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.
Boat Dog	Not really English Pointer breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.	Not really German Shorthaired Pointer breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.	Yes Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever breed usually likes being on a boat.
Cart Pulling or Drafting Dog	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.

Health Factors - English Pointer vs German Shorthaired Pointer vs Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever

Health Issues	English Pointers tend to have a lot and frequent health issues.	German Shorthaired Pointers are commonly healthy dogs.	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers are commonly healthy dogs.
Health Problems	No set	Gastric Torsion Hypothyroidism Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD) Osteochondrosis Dissecans Von Willebrand's Disease Entropion Pannus Lymphedema Cardiomyopathy Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA)	No set
Life Expectancy	12-15 years	12-14 years	12-14 years
Calculate dog years to human years by breed here
Hypoallergenic	No	No	No
Energy Level	English Pointers are high energy dogs.	German Shorthaired Pointers are high energy dogs.	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers are high energy dogs.
Exercise Need	English Pointers need a lot of exercises.	German Shorthaired Pointers need a lot of exercises.	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers need quite a lot of exercise.
Sleeping Need	English Pointers don't need too much sleep.	German Shorthaired Pointers don't need too much sleep.	Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers don't need too much sleep.
Avg. daily food consumption	2 to 3 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.	3 to 4 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.	2.5 to 3 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.
Weight Gain Potential	Average.	Average.	Average to High.
Weather & Climate	Prefers average to warm weather conditions	Prefers average to warm weather conditions	Prefers average to cold weather conditions The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever can adapt to well to cold weather conditions, some dogs even can be a good mountain dog.
Stinkiness	Medium The English Pointer has an average chance of bad smell.	Medium The German Shorthaired Pointer has an average chance of bad smell.	Medium The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever has an average chance of bad smell.
Drooling tendency	The English Pointer is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.	The German Shorthaired Pointer is a perfect example for low drooling tendency.	The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.

Reproducibility - English Pointer vs German Shorthaired Pointer vs Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever

Gestation Length	60-64 days	60-64 days	60-64 days
How often can the have a litter?	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.
Litter Size	4-6 puppies	7-12 puppies	6-10 puppies
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