Make her watch a debate.
Plenty of exercise to burn off nervous energy
A few walks a day. Play time. Roughhousing.
I have a 3 yr old Dalmatian but a German Shorthair owner is always in the dog run with me. I thought my dog had a lot of energy! He said it needs a lot of exercise. I run with my dog also. Anyway, exercise seems to be the cure for your dog.
For nerves, try a Thundershirt and DAP calming diffuser. They don’t cure, but can help.
Dogs that were bred to do a job are high energy precisely so they can do that job for hours at a time. Also, the lack of a job does get on a gundog’s nerves. Even if they’ve never been trained to hunt, their genes tell them they need to be doing their job.
“One of the most energetic breeds, the German Shorthaired Pointer is a hunting dog by nature. Protective, clever, eager and willing to please, it is very fond of its human family. Happy-go-lucky, it loves nothing more than to engage in some type of constructive activity with its owners such as a long walk, jog, hike, hunt, or a game of Frisbee. This breed is not suited to life in a kennel. Faithful, spirited and friendly, it likes and mixes well with children. Dominancy and energy levels vary slightly from puppy to puppy even within the same litter, however those bred for working in high-performance field competitions usually require more activity than the average Shorthair, but are all still very high energy dogs who need a lot of daily exercise. Best suited for an active family. When they lack in exercise they can become high strung and frustrated. The GSP will not listen if it senses that it is stronger minded than its owner, however it will also not respond well to harsh discipline. The GSP needs an owner who displays a natural air of authority providing firm, but calm, confident and consistent with rules it must be made to follow. The GSP crave order and need structure in its life. If this breed lacks in either exercise or leadership it can develop separation anxiety and possibly become destructive and nervous.”
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/germanshorthairedpointer.htm
Time, all it takes is time and patience. I have a red heeler, and the first year was insane. I took to sitting outside every day of the year. I moved my recliner out under cover, a television and my radio. Throwing the ball, and requiring a controlled chase and retrieve. Altering the game, making a bed outside and turning the deck into a monster sized dog playpen turned him into a controlled ball of energy. He had so much room that he will not leave the yard without permission. He still plays hard at age 5 but in one hour increments, plus a morning and evening stroll of at least 30 minutes a whack. I am now in the process of getting a trailer for my bicycle, he tires too easily for long bike trips. Now if I can only teach him how to peddle.
LOTS of exercise. Just that simple.
When my daughter’s Ridgeback was younger he jogged several miles every day with her.
Her Pit mix is staying with me for a couple of weeks while the Ridgie is recovering from surgery & I walk her a couple miles every morning. Makes a huge difference. For both of us... / grin
Research dogs laughing. Psychology Today. Apply carefully. Rinse. Repeat.
1. Exercise
2. Thundershirt
3. Attention—lots of little treats and take the dog with you almost everywhere, talk to the dog.
Another blurb from the same site:
“Exercise is of paramount importance for these tireless, energetic animals [German Shorthair Pointers]. They are more than a match for even the most active family and they should not be taken on as family pets unless they can be guaranteed plenty of vigorous exercise. They need to be taken on a daily, brisk, long walk, jog or run alongside you when you bicycle. If under-exercised, this breed can become restless and destructive.”
Exercise. Mental stimulation ie training
We have Golden Retriever that is 12 YO. Experiences Separation Anxiety. We use Composure from Amazon. Our Vet recommended it - natural ingredients - not a drug. Works great.
I don't mean training the animal to do something specific - to be calm on command - I mean put them to work.
Mental exertion is almost as good as physical, and you can do it inside. Making the dog think will cure another cause of excessive energy - boredom.
Try taking your dog to classes - start with basic obedience and move on to something like Rally, Field Trials, Agility... there's a bunch of dog sports out there.
I recommend you find one suitable for you and your animal and get started!
You have yourself a human dog.
No dog in the world thinks they
are as human as a German Shorthair.
You should work on getting her particularly
loyal to one person. It helps if that is
the same person who feeds her. Give her simple
commands and reissue the commands as she loses
attention. Talk to her a lot and adjust your
tone. I used to toss a tennis ball up on the
roof and she would retrieve it. When she
learned the sound of the ball rolling down
the roof she would run to that area and
catch the ball on the fly.
My dad’s best Shorthair was used for
both pheasant and deer hunting. Once
when my dad was falling a large oak
down the hill from his house the tree
twisted as it fell. It pinned my dad.
The dog had been lieing down on pop’s
jacket but he rose and ran up the hill
and brought my mom back to help my dad.
If the dog is left alone all day while your at work you will need tons of exercise.Fetch,fetch and fetch some more
We had a wonderful German Shorthair growing up.
The single smartest dog I’ve ever seen.
We lived on the beach in Oregon and the dog would take long walks by herself.
In the summer months she would bring us a collection of shoes that she would find at various neighbors houses (left outside due to sand). They almost always got ‘em back...
She was a natural pointer - I would be walking with her, then she would ‘point’ - I never heard or saw anything but after a few more steps ‘swoosh! Up would fly a pheasant or quail.
My advise? Have fun with your dog.
Doggie downers. :-)