Home / Breeds / Compare / German Shorthaired Pointer vs Gordon Setter
The Shorthair is the do everything gundog: point, retrieve, swim and then crash happily on the sofa. From Scotland, the Gordon Setter is a large setter whose traditional work was to range wide over open ground, scenting game birds and setting them for the guns. This page puts the two side by side on the numbers that actually differ: size, exercise, grooming, what each costs to keep, and the health tests a breeder should show you.
The biggest gap is lifespan: the middle of the Gordon Setter range is 12.5 years against 11 years for the German Shorthaired Pointer.
The next biggest gap is daily exercise: the German Shorthaired Pointer plan runs to about 105 minutes a day at the middle of its range, against 90 minutes for the Gordon Setter.
The third gap worth noting is grooming needs: the Gordon Setter is rated 3 of 5 against 2 of 5 for the German Shorthaired Pointer.
| German Shorthaired Pointer | Gordon Setter | |
|---|---|---|
| Group | Sporting | Sporting |
| Origin | Germany | Scotland |
| Height | 21 to 25 in | 23 to 28 in |
| Weight | 45 to 70 lb | 45 to 80 lb |
| Lifespan | 10 to 12 years | 12 to 13 years |
| Coat | Short, thick, water resistant coat. | Silky coat, flat or slightly wavy, with long feathering on the ears, chest, belly, legs and tail. It sheds moderately and needs regular brushing to keep the feathering untangled. |
| Temperament | Enthusiastic, smart, friendly and tireless outdoors | Kind, lively, sensitive and devoted |
| Energy | 5 of 5 | 5 of 5 |
| Trainability | 4 of 5 | 4 of 5 |
| Grooming needs | 2 of 5 | 3 of 5 |
| Shedding | 3 of 5 | 3 of 5 |
| Barking | 3 of 5 | 3 of 5 |
| With children | Good with children | Good with children |
| With other dogs | Good with dogs | Good with dogs |
| With strangers | Friendly with strangers | Friendly with strangers |
| Apartment fit | Not ideal | Not ideal |
| Daily exercise | 90 to 120 min | 60 to 120 min |
| Food per month (model) | $37 (3.4 cups a day) | $39 (3.6 cups a day) |
| Insurance per month (model) | $50 to $85 | $55 to $90 |
| Monthly total (model) | $87 to $122 | $94 to $129 |
| Yearly total (model) | $1,040 to $1,460 | $1,122 to $1,542 |
| Lifetime total (model) | $10,397 to $17,516 | $13,466 to $20,049 |
| Breeder health tests | 5 recommended tests | Panel not published yet |
| Health watch | Generally healthy. Watch for hip dysplasia, eye disease, heart defects, von Willebrand disease and bloat. Breeders should screen hips, eyes and heart and DNA test where lines call for it. | Progressive retinal atrophy (DNA tested), hip screening and cerebellar abiotrophy reported in some lines are the flags. Ask to see health test results for both parents before you commit to a puppy; a good breeder will offer them before you ask. |
German Shorthaired Pointer: scores 16 on the first-time-owner rule (trainability weighted double, then calmer energy, grooming and barking), against 15 for the Gordon Setter.
Gordon Setter: matches the German Shorthaired Pointer on the apartment rating ("Not ideal") and edges ahead on the tie-breaks: barking, then daily exercise, then size.
Both are listed the same way for children and tie on the tie-breaks; supervision matters more than the breed label here.
Level on shedding. Shedding is only a proxy for loose hair in the home; no breed is allergen-free, so time spent with the breed matters more than this row.
German Shorthaired Pointer: runs about $8 a month less than the Gordon Setter on modeled food plus insurance ($104 against $112 at the midpoints).
Scoring rules behind the German Shorthaired Pointer and Gordon Setter verdicts: a first-time-owner score of 2 x trainability + (6 - energy) + (6 - grooming) + (6 - barking); the apartment verdict ordered by apartment rating, barking, exercise, then weight; children ordered by the children rating, trainability, then stranger friendliness; allergy by lowest shedding, then grooming; budget by the lowest monthly modeled total. Level scores are declared ties.
On the modeled figures the Gordon Setter costs more month to month: about $112 a month at the midpoint of food plus insurance, against $104 for the German Shorthaired Pointer. Run across the lifespan ranges, the model gives $13,466 to $20,049 for the Gordon Setter and $10,397 to $17,516 for the German Shorthaired Pointer. These are planning estimates, not quotes.
The German Shorthaired Pointer needs more: 90 to 120 minutes a day, against 60 to 120 minutes for the Gordon Setter. Energy ratings are level at 5 of 5, so the difference sits in the planned minutes rather than in drive.
On our ratings, yes: both are rated 3 of 5 for shedding. The coats still feel different in the house. German Shorthaired Pointer: Short, thick, water resistant coat. Gordon Setter: Silky coat, flat or slightly wavy, with long feathering on the ears, chest, belly, legs and tail. It sheds moderately and needs regular brushing to keep the feathering untangled.
The Gordon Setter, on the published ratings: "Not ideal" for apartment life against "Not ideal" for the German Shorthaired Pointer, barking rated 3 of 5 against 3 of 5, and a daily exercise plan of 60 to 120 minutes against 90 to 120 minutes.
The Gordon Setter has the longer typical range: 12 to 13 years against 10 to 12 years for the German Shorthaired Pointer. Individual dogs vary widely, and weight control and vet care move the number more than breed averages suggest.
Choosing between more than two? Open the comparison tool and put up to four breeds side by side, or read all written breed comparisons.
The German Shorthaired Pointer and Gordon Setter facts on this page follow the standards and club guidance summarized on each breed's profile. Cost figures are modeled estimates for planning, labeled with their basis; they are not quotes and not veterinary advice. Health test panels are the recommendations published by the breed clubs and CHIC, as set out on each breed's health testing page.