The German Shorthaired Pointer: a Hunter's Guide is a book written about the most popular pointing breed in the world by a hunter. It discusses the history of the breed to modern times, selection and care of puppies, and tactics for reading and hunting a pointing dog. The book also lays out a minimal force training system for training pointing dogs that owners of other pointing breeds will also find useful. This system is designed to help the amateur trainer produce a quality hunting dog and family companion without resort to expensive training equiptment and harsh methods.
David Gowdey grew up in northern Arizona, where he developed a deep and abiding love for the outdoors and for hunting and fishing. He spent much of his youth and adolescence exploring rural Arizona's mountains and deserts, usually accompanied by one of his family's beloved German Shorthairs.
After graduating from Northern Arizona University, he spent time as a fly fishing guide, professional fly tier, and upland hunting guide. After a few years working from Montana to California and Arizona he went to the University of Aberdeen in Aberdeen Scotland to pursue a Master's degree in Strategic Studies.
After graduation he entered the US Foreign Service and served as a US diplomat in Dublin, Ireland and Quito, Ecuador before a final tour at the State Department in Washington, DC. While in Washington, David became one of the top experts in the world on the global problem with uncleared land mines. He put together the US Humanitarian demining program, and was recruited by the United Nations to set up a similar program at the UN - a program that became the UN Mine Action Service. After he established the program, he continued to work on the global problem with uncleared land mines - eventually working to establish or improve mine action programs in 14 countries.
In 2004 he left international humanitarian work to focus on environmental work. For the next four years he worked as the leader of major conservation organizations in Wyoming and Arizona. In 2008 he accepted a position at Tulane University.
Throughout his career David kept his passion for hunting, fishing, and his beloved German Shorthaired Pointers. He is the author of numerous articles on upland hunting, dog care, and other outdoor topics. His articles have appeared in the Pointing Dog Journal, Gray's Sporting Journal, Outdoor Life, Quail Unlimited Magazine and other periodicals. He has hunted upland game on three continents, worked as an assistant gamekeeper on a Scottish estate, and guided upland hunters throughout the American west. He has been breeding, raising, training, and hunting with German Shorthaired Pointers for more than 35 years. In December of 2008 he wrote a book on the German Shorthair from a hunter's perspective entitled "The German Shorthaired Pointer: A Hunter's Guide" available from Amazon.com.
