I'm by no means an expert on the breed, but have a Drahthaar mix, so I've done a lot research into them and happened to meet quite a few Drahthaar owners and their dogs over here in Germany.

The Deutsch-Drahthaar is the same thing as the German Wirehaired Pointer. There is quite a big difference between the Shorthaired and Wirehaired Pointer. On the whole the Shorthaired is considered a much 'softer' dog. One of the two expressions I've heard most when talking to Drahthaar owners are 'a bit wild' and 'a bit sharp'. In fact, they are renowned for being quite 'sharp' compared to other hunting dogs and there is a move to try and lose some of that sharpness within the breeding, as it can be a problem with both animals and humans on a hunt.

They are very hardy dogs and will go through just about any terrain as well as being a kind of jack of all trades - retrieving, finding, killing.

As for a house dog, that 'sharpness' will always be an issue as it was bred into them for the hunt, but from the people I have met (some with children) they said they were affectionate and well mannered in the house. These people do hunt with them though, so the dogs are heavily worked. I think this is important when considering any working breed, that problems will most likely occur if they aren't worked. Most people also said they're suprisingly quiet at home and sleep a lot when not engaged in something.

Personally I really liked all the ones I met and would seriously consider one if I were looking! One advantage over the lab is that they are not so popular, so i would imagine their breeding has been more carefully considered and confined to working lines.