Ariège Pointer

The Ariège Pointer is a French hunting dog of the pointer type. It comes from the Ariège department of Occitanie, in the south-west of France, and is also known by its French name, Braque de l’Ariège. It is considered well suited to hunting wild hare and partridge.

History

The dogs used by hunters in the Ariège were said to descend from crosses between the Perdiguero de Burgos, a Spanish pointer, and the Bracco Italiano. Numbers fell over the course of the two World Wars. In 1990 a team of breeders led by Alain Deteix committed themselves to saving the Braque de l’Ariège, and the breed’s revival dates from their work.

Appearance

This is a normally proportioned dog with drop ears and a short coat. The coat is mostly white and speckled, with larger patches on the head and ears in shades described as orange, liver or chestnut. The tail is traditionally docked. Males stand about 60 to 67 cm at the withers and females 56 to 65 cm. The dog should look powerful and robust without being heavy.

Temperament

The Ariège Pointer is quick, energetic and very independent. Because of this it needs regular training and plenty of activity.

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