Hi gathumper

sorry for the late reply, i havent been looking here for awhile.
if your still wondering i will tel you about the diff. in the breeds in denmark anyway.

birdwork:

GWP: German wirehair pointer. one of the major allround pointers in northern europe, it works closer to the handler in the fields than most pointers, some think that is a down side but it makes it easy to get on the point also good, if the birds dont stand for the dog, easy learners and mostly natural pointers.

GSP:German shorthair pointer. most of them is extreme pointers, covering a lot of ground in a high pace, crossing up in the wind in a light run or a easy trot with there heads held high, scanning the air for the lightest whiff of bird.
to reach there full potential as a pointer, they need a lot of ground to cover looking for that elusive gamebird. if from good stock they will hunt your ass off even from early age.

waterwork:

GWP: most love it and will retrive at a heartbeat

GSP: got to work on it alot from early age, some never learn. they freeze easy !!!!!

Blood trail / furwork:

GWP: about half the swisshounds( semipro dogs and handlers in denmark that are just a phonecall away when you make that lousy shot, just for the gas money) are GWPs, if that is tradition or natural i dont know, but they are really good and again easy learners.

GSP: can truly exell at this(sako has done 48h x 1000m) but others never learn, its a matter of the right training and luck.

to sum it up:

GWP is a good allround dog, that is easy to train to a good level of work, but you have to work hard if you want them to exel in the birdfield.

GSP bird hunting machines most of them, but all other work can be a bit of a chance game(i love the shit out of them though)

If you get a pup from abroad be weary of GWPs from the northen part of germany some of the old stock there is really great hunters but not worth shit in the house as a family member and training tools is mostly a 3 foot 4x4.

that was my five cents hope this helps.

what ever you choose have fun with it.

peter