Braque Saint-Germain

The Braque Saint-Germain (FCI No. 115) (translated into English as the St. Germain Pointing Dog) is a medium-large breed of dog, a versatile hunter used for hunting as a gun dog and pointer as well as for hunting other small game. Braque is a term meaning pointing dogs. The breed was created around 1830 by crossing English and French pointing type dogs.

Appearance

A typical pointer, with a medium build and an attractive fawn and white coat, drop ears, and a long tail which is held level while the dog is working. The Braque Saint-Germain stands 56–62 centimetres (22–24 in) at the withers, females somewhat smaller.

History

Bred first in the royal kennels at Compiègne around 1830 from a mix of English and Continental pointers, the breed grew in fame in Saint Germain en Laye, where it received its name. Although a popular hunting dog, the breed achieved its greatest fame as a showdog. Starting from the first dog show in France in 1863, it was the most shown pointing breed. The French breed club was established in 1913. The breed is recognised internationally by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in Group 7, Pointing Dogs, Section 1.1 Continental Type Pointing Dog. It is also recognised in North America by the United Kennel Club as of 2006. The breed is also recognized by a number of minor registries, hunting clubs, and internet-based dog registry businesses, and promoted as a rare breed for those seeking a unique pet.

Health and temperament

No unusual health problems or claims of extraordinary health have been documented for this breed. Temperament is described in the breed standard as having a soft mouth (for retrieving without damaging the game), handles rough treatment well, and is a "hunter above all" that appreciates living with its human's family.

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.

Braque du Puy

The Braque du Puy was an old breed of hunting dog in France, bred for hunting in the lowlands and known for being fast and flexible. The breed was created in Poitou in the 19th century by crossing other Braques with greyhound-type dogs. One story is that two brothers named du Puy crossed their Braque Francais dog with a Sloughi brought back from Africa by a French soldier.

Colour of the Braque du Puy was white with orange or liver coloured marks, and was a medium to large size. The breed has now either died out or has died out in its original form, although the type may be reconstituted from other breeds and called Braque du Puy (or variants of the name) for the rare breed pet market in various parts of the world. The Braque du Puy was known for its refined, sight hound-like appearance and its skill as a hunting companion. The Braque du Puy was relatively popular at one point although it never achieved the numbers or fame of some other French Braques. The Braque du Puy is now generally considered extinct, although a few fanciers insist that the breed continues to exist in remote regions of Europe, and Braque du Puys are even occasionally offered for sale through rare breed dealers although these dogs are likely recreations rather than the original breed. The Braque du Puy is also known as the Braque Dupuy, the Dupuy Pointer, and the Du Puy Pointer.

Braque du Bourbonnais

The Braque du Bourbonnais is a breed of gundog, of rustic appearance, sometimes born with a short tail, with a coat ticked with liver or fawn.

History

Origins

 It had been described for the first time during the Renaissance (Natural History from Aldrovandi, Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris). In danger of disappearing, it thrived again after World War I with the creation of the first club, in 1925.

 Disappearance

After World War II, the number of births decreased and the club became less active until it ceased to function. From 1963 to 1973, there were no dogs registered in the LOF (French studbook). The reason for this is probably a selection on secondary characteristics (color of the coat, short tail) instead of the hunting capabilities and general construction of the dog; this led to have a Bourbonnais less suitable for hunting than other breeds.

Recreation

In 1970, Michel Comte decided to look for the last dog that had some Bourbonnais blood. He found only mixed breed dogs, which had some characteristics of the Braque du Bourbonnais (size, shape of the head, short tail). After some more or less inbred litters, he registered his first Bourbonnais on the LOF (under Titre Initial procedure) in 1973, 1974, and 1975; from then, several breeders joined him, who, from those dogs, created their own lines, and the number of births increased.,

In 1981, the Club du Braque du Bourbonnais was recreated. Michel Comte was its president until 2001. From this moment, the successes of the Bourbonnais in field trials made the breed thrive.

In 1988, the first Bourbonnais was introduced in the USA. Since then the breed has been growing in that country, which became the second producer of Bourbonnais pointers after France.

Description

Appearance

Head

Rounded in every direction, with lateral sides rounded, with parietal bones and zygomatic arches well developed. The axes of the skull and muzzle are parallel, or slightly divergent towards the front.

Coat

Two coat colors exist in the Bourbonnais, each of them having specific name because the color is specific to the breed:

-Liver, also called « wine dregs » or « faded lilac ».

-Fawn, also called « peach blossom ».

Big spots are tolerated on the body if they are not bigger than the palm of a hand. On the head, the two eyes must not be inside the same spot.

Differences sire/Female

The females are generally thinner, more elegant and longer than the sires (see pictures above).

Short tail

In the past called "short-tail pointer", the braque du Bourbonnais is sometimes born with a short tail (brachyury) or no tail at all (anury). The gene responsible for this characteristic has been identified as being the same as the Brittany Spaniel one, of autosomal dominant type.

Head position

High or prolonging the shoulder.

Temperament

They have a good temper and can be a good agreement dog. But it is mostly a hunter. It is a continental dog, and must be judged as such.

Allure and style

They show a lot of activity, even if he does not go very far. Their natural pace is gallop, but under cover he can use trot. They can change direction quickly, like polo.

 Pointing

They must point with authority, in a classical position.

Braque d'Auvergne

The Braque d'Auvergne is a breed of dog originating in the mountain area of Cantal, in the historic Auvergne province in the mid-south of France. It is a pointer and versatile gundog. The breed descends from ancient regional types of hunting dogs.

Appearance

The Braque d'Auvergne is a strong, substantial dog, between 53–63 centimetres (21–25 in) at the withers. It has a large head, long ears, and pendulous lips. The tail was traditionally docked to half its length. The short, glossy coat is white with mottling of black that gives a blue impression, and large black spots. The head and ears are always black.

Temperament

The Auvergne is lively, sensitive, obedient, and affectionate. Intelligent and good natured, it makes a fine family dog and an excellent hunting partner. It gets along well with other dogs. The Braque d'Auvergne is a natural hunter who tends to work closely with its partner, checking in frequently. This trait, combined with its gentle nature and desire to please, make it a highly trainable pointer.

Exercise

This hunting dog does best with regular outings during which it can exercise its body, nose and its mind.

History

The Braque d'Auvergne has been recognised by the Kennel Club (UK) with effect from 1 April 2016. The breed will be classified in the Gundog Group (HPR) on the Imported Breed Register.

The Braque d'Auvergne is an ancient French HPR gundog breed and has had an FCI breed standard since 2004. A Kennel Club (UK) breed standard is being developed and when this is published, the breed will be able to be entered at Kennel Club (UK) licensed shows.

Bracco Italiano

The Bracco Italiano  is a breed of dog developed in Italy as a versatile gun dog.

Description

The Bracco - or Italian Pointer- should be athletic and powerful in appearance, most resembling a cross between a German Shorthaired Pointer and a Bloodhound, although it is nothing like them in character. It has pendulous upper lips and long ears that create a serious expression. It should be "almost square", meaning that its height at the withers should be almost the same as the length of its body. It should not however be actually square as this would render its famous rear driving push off and front/rear extension to be compromised, thus losing much of its powerful grace. The tail has historically been docked, mostly due to the strong possibility of injury in rough/dense terrain when hunting, however there has been a sea-change in the European Union, with some now working the breed with full tail.

Coat and colour

The coat is short, dense, and glossy. The texture should be fairly hard, though somewhat shorter and softer on the head, throat, ears, legs, and feet. Shedding happens a couple of times a year, and a hound glove really helps in removing dead coat.

The most common colours are Bianco-Arancio - White-Orange and Roano-Marrone - Roano-Brown, chestnut, or amber coloured patches on the face, ears, base of tail, and body.

Black on the coat is a fault, as are "three-color" dogs, such as orange/white with chestnut spottings above the eyes, on the muzzle and legs, such as the pattern of a Doberman or Rottweiler. weight is 25–40 kilograms (55–88 lb).

Movement

The gait, when hunting, starts out as a gallop, but slows to a long trot as the dog comes into scent. This trot should be long and fluid, with plenty of reach and drive (the 'almost square' body contributes to this). As a Bracco comes closer and closer to scent, the gait slows to a creep, and settles into a "point", with a front leg usually held up in the classic pointing dog position. The point may be held (no movement) or the dog can "creep" along with the bird's movement - especially convenient with birds that run, like the pheasant. Either is acceptable in Italy. The head should be held above the topline, which facilitates the air scenting for which this breed is known. A well-built Bracco, with a full and developed musculature covering, is an attractive mover and covers a lot of ground.

Temperament

Braccos are very much a people-loving dog and thrive on human companionship, having a strong need to be close to their people. They are a particularly good family dog, and many have a strong love of children. They get along well with other dogs and pets, if trained to do so - it is, afterall, a hunting breed - and must be taught what to chase and what not to. They are very willing to please as long as they have decided that your idea is better than theirs. Obedience training is a must for a Bracco, and the more is asked of them, the better they do. Harsh reprimands do not work with this breed unless the reprimand is a fair one - and harshness must occasionally be used with some dogs to remind them who is actually in charge. Although not an aggressive breed, many Braccos will alert if there is a reason, and some will bark or growl if there's a good reason.

The breed loves to hunt, and they excel at it - in fact, a non-hunting Bracco is not a happy Bracco, and will act out in various other ways. Hunting without a gun is an area in which the Bracco can excel and this can be a great opportunity for training the dog to connect with the owner. They are an active breed, but require more mental exercise than physical exercise to keep them happy. A Bracco owner can teach games like hide-and-seek (an object or person) which fits into the breed's original and current usage, and keeps them mentally active.