The Braque du Bourbonnais is one of several French pointing breeds, and one of the oldest – he was created in the 15th century. This easy-going, gentle soul has a loving temperament and enjoys being outside with his humans – whether hunting or just taking a casual stroll. Although still considered a rare breed, there are breeders and many fanciers in the United States, most all of them hunters who appreciate his serious nature when it comes to the hunt! This is a thinking breed which can adapt to all sorts of situations while out in the field – virtues that are prized by knowledgeable hunters.
The Bourbonnais loves people (including kids) and doesn’t do well when kept outside or alone in the house all day. He can suffer from extreme separation anxiety when left on his own for long periods of time. Neither does he fare well when kept in an apartment. He tends to get along well with other dogs but this does not mean that a canine companion can take the place of a human! An ideal owner is someone who lives in a home with a large yard, and who is able to spend plenty of time exercising the dog’s body and mind. Being a hunter isn’t a necessity but it is an extra perk! While not an excessively energetic dog, this is still a hunting breed that needs a long walk at least once a day. Once exercised, they are able to be calm members of the family.
The smooth, low-shedding coat of the Bourbonnais makes him very simple to groom. The occasional bath combined with a weekly brush should keep the coat shiny and healthy. There are two characteristics which make the breed unique and one of them is the unusual ticked coat pattern. This flecking or ticking can be either brown (called wine dregs) or fawn (called peach blossom) and is made up of very small flecks of color on a white background which give him his unique and beautiful pattern. The second characteristic is the short, stubby tail that is almost always natural (although occasionally a dog will be born with a long tail which is usually docked).
The Braque du Bourbonnais is generally very easy to train provided that the trainer uses gentle tactics to teach the dog. He is very sensitive and even empathic to the moods of the people around him, so if you are having a bad day you might want to hold off training until you are able to get your feelings under control! This is not to say that the dog should be coddled – like all dogs, they still need firm yet fair leadership and plenty of consistency. It is said that although this is a “softer” breed to train, they tend to take only a little bit longer than other pointing breeds but can ultimately become more reliable and balanced than many of their cousins.
Braque du Bourbonnais do not make good watchdogs (fairly quiet, they aren’t big on barking) and they especially are not guard dogs! Their love of people – even those whom they’ve never met – is far too big. They may try to give chase to the family cat, however. After all, they are a multi-purpose hunting breed. Raising a puppy around a cat may help the dog accept the animal as part of the family, but the prey drive depends on the individual dog and the line from which he comes from.
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