Braque Francais - The French Pointer

Mine is still young and gets bored with bumpers really quick, but dead birds he will retrieve all day long.
 
I’ll be picking up a braque d’auvernge very Soon ( a 20+ hr drive to get her ) I hear/read that the 3 major braques ( that I know of ) are all pretty much the same. Great in the house and great in the field. 2 different braque breeders told me they are like mild tempered labs in the house and around kids. [ disclaimer: only AFTER the puppy stage and properly socialized, that usually goes for any dog. ]
 
markvan said:
This has been a great thread to follow !!! Could you fellows tell me how the Braque is at retrieving, could they be used at tower shots for retrieving only.
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I worked with one of the braques mentioned in this thread just for some general bird intro and gun intro. I know every dog is different even among breeds, I hunt 2 vizslas and a setter and have hunted other breeds as well. I would compare it to a high powered shorthair. It acted a little different at and in the house but I chalked that up to the dog is in a new place and is a little on edge. But what a hunter in the field! Was impressed the first time I dropped her down. Pointed well. Retrieved to me just fine. Liked to play a little "keep away" with her owner but will grow out of that. What was most impressive to me was the dog swam like a dolphin. I had a lab that I was training at the time too and when I would throw the bumper and cut em all lose she would be 10 yards ahead of both of them on a 30 yard toss. Very agile and aggressive when it comes to the field.
 
A bit late, but I recall looking at Norm Graziano's dogs when he and his wife were just starting a breeding line down in Santa Ynez, CA. This was in Feb 2011. I was looking to get a pointing dog and had read a bit about these dogs. In the end I went with a EP as I had only one point of reference really, from taking George Hickox classes. These dogs seemed energetic and althletic, but not crazy active like some EPs I've been around. They were calm around their house and active in the short time I was with them in the field. They seemed a bit smaller in stature than the average GSP or EP, their smallest being little female just about 30 lbs. Overall, they had that deep, large lung chest and looked like EPs with short tails. I didn't have any pointer experience at the time, but looking back, I'd say they ranged very close, say no more than 150-200 yards. That's close for open country IMO.

Google says they are now in Sisters, Oregon. I didn't stay in touch and don't have any connection with them. http://www.gundogbreeders.com/breeders-oregon/graziano-s-gun-dogs.html



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i have a 5 mo old Braque out of Brielle Kennels. She has shown a ton of natural ability so far. She has a very natural point, great nose, and high bird drive. It will be interesting to see how she continues to develop. She is pretty calm in the house especially for a puppy. Much calmer than my Vizsla was at the same age. She is good with people and kids. I have been very pleased with her so far. I do need to work on getting her swimming but that is more my fault than hers.
 
I'm not trying to be an ass here but what characteristics are you pursueing in the Braque lines that you were not satisfied with in the more pervasive and established breeds? With such a small breed pool, compared to GSPs, and EPs, the thing that convinced me to go with a EP was the large known performance characteristics. Im on my second EP and find that they have made tolerable house pets, and this latest one came to us a 6 years old and he's a great house pet/companion. But, each dog has an individual personality.
 
A man's choice in a dog is kind of like his choice of wife. We all see things that attract us to our choices. I personally chose a Braque because of the smaller gene pool. In theory you are more likely to get a more homogeneous dog that possesses the traits you desire. Similar to line breeding of more prevalent breeds. Line breeders are trying to get traits to be more consistent in their appearance. I don't think there is always a better this or that, But they are attractive competent dogs at what they do. Not as versatile at others , but not as one dimensional as some. It is important to some people to have good citizens in the house, as many dogs live with their owners nowadays. Mine do, the men who taught me to hunt would crap a brick before letting a hunting dog live in the house. That's my short answer, others will have their own.
 
Very well said Mr. Watermen. My thinking on the different breeds and gene pool is; since most hunting dogs are derived from other hunting dogs, wouldn't the traits be centuries old? Even for the newer breeds? Example: The setter's origin is the spanish pointer, springer spaniel, and several others. So the traits are older than who knows...I think the main difference other than cosmetics of course is that people have tried to add a trait to either make the hunting dog more versatile or to better adapt it to the terrain in which they live.
 
Totally agree, we got a Braque because there is more consistency in the breed. They haven’t been ruined by the show ring, yet. I called everyone I could who had a Braque and they all described them the exact same way. We couldn’t be happier with ours.
Truth be told, I wanted something different as well. Life’s too short to have a lab.
 
I would agree with those that have already replied. I liked the smaller size of dog, their hunting style, and the fact they have been strictly bred for their hunting instead of show dogs. The part that really drew me to them was their temperament. Being that they are family dogs 90% of the time I wanted a dog that would fit my family structure well. With small children I felt this was a good fit. While there are dogs that will run harder and farther I don't need that. I am looking for a family dog first and a hunting companion second. So far I have been very pleased with both. Each person knows what they want in a dog thus so many breeds.
 
I'll agree. The BF is as advertised.

And of the three bird dogs I have had he is easily the best swimmer and takes to the water like a lab. Never a false step or any hesitance. When we are out running when it's warmer it is not uncommon for him to literally dive head first into the pond where we work and completely submerge for a couple of seconds. My other bird dogs would ease in like a 60 year old man in 60 degree water.

And there are two versions of BF type Pyrenees (shorter mountain dog) and the type Gascogne a larger dog with a more hound shaped head. Don't know of anyone breeding those in the US but never really looked.
 
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