Braque Francais

The Braques français are hunting dogs, from a very old type of gun dog used for pointing the location of game birds for a hunter. There are two breeds of Braque français, both from the south of France, the Braque français, type Gascogne (French Pointing Dog - Gascogne type, larger size) and the Braque français, type Pyrénées (French Pointing Dog - Pyrenean type, smaller size) They are popular hunting dogs in France, but are seldom seen elsewhere.

Hunting use

The Braque français breeds are not just pointers, but versatile hunting dogs that can retrieve, flush, and even trail game in all sorts of terrain. The Pyrénées is a quick dog that can move fast without sprinting, while the Gascogne is a slower moving dog.

Appearance

Both breeds of Braque français are medium to large sized dogs with long legs and long drop ears. The coat is short, and chestnut brown or white speckled with brown in colour, often with one or more large brown spots. The head is usually brown. The Gascogne is about 10 centimetres (3.9 in) taller at the withers than the Pyrenean.

Differences

The Braque français, type Pyrénées dogs are 47–58 centimetres (19–23 in) at the withers, females slightly smaller), giving the impression of "a German shorthaired pointer shrunk down to Brittany size".The larger Braque français, type Gascogne dogs are 58–69 centimetres (23–27 in) (females smaller)

The coat of the Gascogne is thick, while that of the Pyrénées is described as "finer and shorter" than the Gascogne. The Pyrénées is usually more mottled brown on the body.

The head of the Pyrénées is slightly broader, and the ears are not as long. On the Gascogne, if the ears are pulled forward, they will reach the tip of the nose. The Gascogne has slightly pendulous lips, making the muzzle appear square; the Pyrénées muzzle looks more narrow.

Faults (elements of appearance that indicate that the dog should not be bred) in both breeds include no tail (anury), split nose or depigmented nose, syndactyly (toes grown together), surplus toes, or absence of toes.

 Temperament

Ideal Braque Francais temperament is described as "friendly, sociable, gentle and submissive" and, as a soft breed, should not be subjected to harsh training methods. Temperament of individual dogs can vary, and all dogs must be well socialized with people and other animals at an early age in order to be a good pet.