Dog breed · France
The Braques Français are hunting dogs, 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 français, 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.
Appearance: Both breeds of Braque Français are of medium to large size, with long legs and long drop ears. The coat is short, and chestnut brown or white speckled with brown in colour, often with one or more large brown spots. The head is usually brown. The Gascogne type is about 10 centimetres (3.9 in) taller at the withers than the Pyrenean.
History: 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.
The first breed club was formed in 1850, and the standards for both breeds were written in 1880. It is recognised by the Société Centrale Canine in France, and world-wide by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale. 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. 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 and the United Kennel Club recognises both breeds, in its Gundog Group, with the names Braque Français De Grande Taille and Braque Français, 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.
