Trying to decide whether to keep my dog

Hi I'm hoping someone can give me some guidance or make me feel I am not alone with my problem.
Last year my husband and I brought home a puppy German Shorthaired Pointer, I would like to point out that I have never had a dog but my husband has had a Doberman. I have had issues with her from the beginning, she basically walked all over me! She went back to the breeder for a week's training and has become alot better. Then the worst happened yesterday, I took her to the park with a friend and her two dogs. There was a 5 yr old boy playing with a ball, my dog just raced for it, I was trying everything to get her back. The boy dropped his ball and she just knocked him over and jumped all over him. His mother (understandably) was very abusive to me, I was crying my eyes out!
Now I don't know if we should keep her or re-home her, sadly my husband has had an operation on his leg and may not be able to walk her again, so she will be my responsibility. But at the moment I dont want to walk her, she has always pulled on the lead for me and lunges at people and animals when we are out walking. She is not aggressive she just get's excited and wants to play with everyone and everything!
Im sorry to have gone on for so long, I just wanted to paint the picture. Hope someone can make suggestions!x

Firstly, welcome to Dogsey - sorry it's not in better circumstances for you!

Secondly, I'm sure loads of more experienced people will give advice, but I didn't want to just read and run.

OK, given that by the sound of it, you will be the main caregiver for your dog, a bit of an odd question. Do you like dogs? Do you like your dog?
Would your husband be very upset if you rehomed the dog?

Do you or your husband take your dog to any training classes locally (i.e. general training/obed). Other than the weeks training with the breeder, have you followed up on this?

When she knocked the little boy over, was she playing (i.e. excitable, licking, wagging, jumping) or was there more menace in it? My boys can easily (and have) knocked both adults and children over - it's mostly due to sheer excitement, and never in aggression/violence.

Can you imagine a scenario where you walking her, she is calm and attentive to you and hangs off your every word?

If that is something that you long for and would enjoy then I would say keep going. You need to find a training school where you can go and learn how to handle her.Someone else training her will not get the same results. Dog classes are about training the owner much of the time.

If however you have no urge to be with her or work with her to attain that then I think you have some thinking to do.

It sounds as if she just has loads of energy and needs a way of channeling it all.

If you are nervous of what she will do on a walk then she will pick up on it.I say find a training class. Use her energy in a paroductive way and use walk times to work on it together to keep it posisitve and strengthen the bond between you. Ultimately you are going to be her best freind......it just takes time and effort. good luck and keep us all informed!

is the breeder close by? if the breeder worked with the dog before and the dog improved a lot, it could be worth while asking the breeder to work with you and the dog, thus training you how to do what she does?

maybe even have a weekend away if the breeder is a fair distance away?

Sorry you are having troubles

As others have said first you have to decide if you want to work with her? If most of the time you love her and are willing to put the time in then I am sure you can help her

Glad that it just sounds like she isnt agressive just a bit bouncy and out of control

Amazing that the breeder helped her out, but like Shona said you both need trained, she needs to learn to behaive and you need to know how to train her

Of course you and the mother were upset - we all make mistakes, until you get help keep her on the lead unless you are sure the area is 100% safe

As the owner of a shorthair myself I would say rehome her.....
unless you are prepared to train, work and love her for hours and hours.
They are needy dogs, single-minded but sensitive.
Shorthairs need to work - they have very strong instincts to hunt and flush and retrieve. If they have no outlet for their instincts they will get very frustrated and anxious.
Either go to a Working Trials or Gundog trainer, or find a trainer who knows about these dogs. This is a wonderful rewarding breed, but only if you have the time and energy and are prepared to put in the work.
I recommend you contact the GSP Rescue people http://www.gsprescue.co.uk/. They will advise you on the breed and you can discuss rehoming or not with them.

edited to add -
Just noticed I`m just down the road from you! PM me if you would like to meet up and have a walk with my own shorthair. I can also recommend this local training club http://bwts.org.uk/ who know about gundogs and will help you.

I cant add anything really , except maybe invest in a longline for your dog , it gives them a little more freedom on walks but you stay in control ... also maybe get a halti , that will help with the pulling , but please see it as a tool to use while you train her to stop pulling rather than a solution to it

I would be a good idea to get in touch with the breeder before the rescue, as she has given help before she may take the dog back, or help with a new home if she cant take the dog back or help, then the breed rescue would be my next port of call.

The training from the breeder will only help if the handler carries it on, though.
I`ve edited my post as I realised the OP is local to me - there`s a good local WT club that should be able to help.

Please remember too that if you only got her last year she is still a pup - albeit she is now a "big" pup but will still mentally be puppyish. You know the old saying - "You cant put an old head on young shoulders".

As others have said depends on how much you want to try with her, I too would go back to the breeder, they sound really caring and wanting to help and would be upset if you tried to rehome her without them knowing.