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About the Braque Francais

The Braque Français, which translate to French Pointer, come 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 Trançais, 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.

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Temperament

Its hard to improve on the description of the Braque that was given by Todd Carpenter - GunDog Magazine, Sept. 9, 2011.

"The Braque Francais combines a laid-back and loving disposition with an eagerness to please and a fierce drive to hunt. If you're looking for a versatile hunting dog that will love you, be part of the family, require minimal training and hunt up a storm, consider the Braque. It would be hard to cook up a better dog."

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This description sums up nearly ever Braque that I have met. The one thing I think I would add to this is: They are hunting machines with an off switch!

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History

The original Braque Français type of pointing dog has existed since the fifteenth century. Over the centuries the dogs were taken to other countries and were crossed with other breeds. When a search was made at the end of the nineteenth century to find the original dogs, two separate regional varieties were found. They may be descended from the Old Spanish Pointer or Pachon Navarro, and the now extinct Southern Hound.

The first breed club was formed in 1850, and the standards for both breeds were written in 1880. It is recognised in its home country by the French Kennel Club (Société Centrale Canine, S.C.C) and internationally by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale.[1][2] The S.C.C. prohibits inbreeding or linebreeding and will not register any dog with common ancestors in the first three generations of its pedigree.[4] Of the major kennel clubs in the English-speaking world, only the Canadian Kennel Club in Canada and the United Kennel Club in the U.S. recognise them. The Canadian Kennel Club recognises one breed, the Braque Français (Gascogne) in its Sporting Dogs Group[5] and the United Kennel Club recognises both breeds, in its Gundog Group, with the names Braque Francais De Grande Taille and Braque Francais, De Petite Taille - petite taille (smaller size) means the Pyrenean is smaller than the Gascogne, and does not mean that it is a little dog.[6][7] The breeds are also recognized by many minor registries, hunting clubs, and internet-based dog registry businesses under various versions of the names, and promoted as rare breeds for those seeking unique pets.

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STANDARDS

The American Kennel Club (AKC) does not register Braque Francais. However, the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) recognizes the Braques Francais - Pyrenees. The Club du Braque Francais (CBF), in France, is the official club serving the breed. Working from the CKC and CBF standards, here are breed guidelines for the Braque Francais - Pyrenees:

Height: Females are 18 1/2 to 22 inches (47 to 56 cm), with males 19 1/2 to 21 3/4 inches ideal.

Weight: 38 to 55 pounds. Our Ruger  weighs about 51 pounds. Remi, weighs about 41 pounds.

Hair and Color: Braques have short, straight, easy-care hair on relatively tight skin with little or no dewlap on the neck. Acceptable color combinations are brown, brown and white, heavily spotted brown and white, and mottled.

Appearance: Subjective terms applied to the Braque include noble, well muscled and robust. The tail can be docked, or short at birth. The muzzle isn't square, but should not be "snipey" or pointy. The nose is brown, not split, with open nostrils. The length of the nose should be just less than that of the skull.

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© 2019 by Windy Ridge Farm and Kennel

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