The pointing dog breeds of Europe all derive from the now-extinct Old Spanish Pointer, which spread through France and the Low Countries and reached the princely houses of the German-speaking world,[3]: 2 [4] where at first they were used in bird-hunting with nets or falcons, and later by huntsmen with guns.

[4] Bird dogs were also brought from England; Carl von Heppe [de], in his Aufrichtiger Lehrprinz of 1751, describes these as taller and stronger than the local type.

[13] The breed has some genetic predisposition to neurological diseases including coccygeal muscle injury, GM2 gangliosidosis, hemivertebrae, pyogranulomatous meningoencephalomyelitis and sensory neuropathy.

[14]: 4  Other disorders associated with the breed include cataract, cranial cruciate ligament rupture, eversion of the cartilage of the nictitating membrane, hereditary lupoid dermatosis, progressive retinal atrophy, nasal carcinoma, oropharyngeal neoplasia, Von Willebrand's disease and XX sex reversal.

[1] In addition to hunting and field trials, German Shorthaired Pointer performs well in many dog sports such as agility, dock diving, and obedience.