I guess I'm used to older dogs at this point in life. Puppies are a pain in the ass. My sister has a 7 month old German Short Hair Pointer. He's sweet. He has a very hard head. Whacking him on the head with your knuckle, or the handle of a butter knife, not only doesn't get obedience, he doesn't even flinch - he doesn't even notice. Like other GSHP's I've met, he has the attention span of a gnat, and the discipline and energy level of a tornado.

He gets that he's the lowest member of the pack and will take orders from anybody (probably including the burglar). And he'll do exactly as you ask. For about three ten thousandths of a second. Then he's off after whatever newly distracted him. At least he pees and poops outside.

And out in the yard he's got to stay on a lead or play fetch. Otherwise he leaps the fence in a single bound and explores the neighborhood. But he's obsessive about fetch. Get his tennis ball going and he will return it for hours. One of the guys who writes a training column (Sorry, I don't remember who) said "a tired dog is a happy dog" and "a tired dog is a good dog". It's probably true, we'll never know. He could have added that a GSHP puppy has hours more endurance than you do. Even using a tennis raquette to protect your elbow, etc., this dog can go on way longer than you can.

He's the kind of dog that makes you think "i'll get him an extra long lead, hang it through the car window, and drive him around the block. Fifty times. At twenty miles per hour. Then you think "Hell. The car will probably run out of gas before he does!"

Names have intentionally been left out to protect...................ME!