Braque Français

The Braque Français is a French pointing dog of a very old type, used to show hunters where game birds are hiding. There are in fact two breeds under the name, both from the south of France: the larger Gascogne type and the smaller Pyrenean type. They are popular hunting dogs in France and seldom seen anywhere else.

History

Over the centuries these pointers were taken to other countries and crossed with other breeds. When people went looking for the original dogs at the end of the nineteenth century, they found two separate regional varieties.

The first breed club was formed in 1850, and standards for both breeds were written in 1880. Both are recognised by the Société Centrale Canine in France and by the FCI. The French club does not allow inbreeding or linebreeding, and will not register a dog that has a common ancestor in the first three generations of its pedigree.

Among the major English-speaking kennel clubs, only two recognise them. The Canadian Kennel Club accepts the Gascogne type in its Sporting Dogs Group. The United Kennel Club in the United States accepts both, in its Gundog Group, as the Braque Français de Grande Taille and the Braque Français de Petite Taille. The second name means only that the Pyrenean is the smaller of the two; it is not a little dog.

Appearance

Both breeds are medium to large, with long legs and long drop ears. The coat is short and either chestnut brown or white speckled with brown, often with one or more large brown patches. The head is usually brown.

The Pyrenean type stands about 47–58 cm at the withers, and the Gascogne about 58–69 cm, with females a little smaller in both. The Gascogne has a thick coat, while the Pyrenean’s is shorter and finer and usually more mottled with brown on the body.

The heads differ too. The Pyrenean’s is slightly broader with shorter ears and a narrower-looking muzzle. The Gascogne’s ears reach the tip of the nose when drawn forward, and its slightly hanging lips make the muzzle look square.

Hunting use

These are versatile hunting dogs, not only pointers: they also retrieve, flush and trail game over all kinds of ground. The Pyrenean is the quicker of the two, covering ground fast without sprinting, and the Gascogne works at a slower pace.

Facts on this page were checked against Wikipedia and may have changed since.