Braque Francais

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The Braque Francais is a medium-sized and even tempered dog that was first developed in France in the fifteenth century as a pointer. However, the breed is intelligent, and has a strong retrieval instinct and a love of water, so it has proven to be more than just a pointer. It is adept at flushing game, trailing it, and retrieving it in any kind of terrain, including water. Although Braques Francais (the correct way to indicate the plural) were most likely originally the product of a Southern Hound / Old Spanish Pointer crossbreeding, they became interbred with other kinds of dogs in the centuries after they were first developed. This has resulted in two distinct breeds of Braque Francais developing: the Gascogne and the Pyrenees.

Appearance
Both of these breeds have floppy, low hanging ears, long muzzles, and chestnut brown heads that sometimes have streaks or patches of white. Their coats tend to be white with thick chestnut spotting and sometimes large chestnut patches. Pyrenees have short, fine coats spread evenly over their bodies. The Gascognes have dense, thick coats that are heavier on their bodies than their heads. Gascognes are a little larger, standing as high as 27 inches at the withers. The Pyrenees reach only up 23 inches at the withers. Their size means that they fit into a truck or duck boat a lot better than many other breeds of gun dog do.

Hunting Characteristics
What makes the Braque Francais one of the best dog breeds for hunting is their temperament. They are calm, easygoing creatures who are happy to just relax and watch the world go by until commanded to go. They'll never get restless and spook the game too early. Yet when the time comes for action, Braques Francais are all "go." Both breeds can run tirelessly at fast speeds, though the Pyrenees are rather faster. Both breeds are very determined, and will never give up when it comes to the chase. Their stamina is incredible, and they will hunt for as long as they are allowed to. What makes them particularly suitable as gun dogs, though, is their desire to please. They work closely with their masters, and tend to be very obedient.

Although more than capable in the water, this breed is most often used for birding. They are born pointers and retrievers. They are very happy to bring birds back in exchange for affection and praise. They rarely have issues of hard mouth.

Training
Braques Francais do not take a lot of effort to train or discipline. They should be trained from a young age to obey basic commands by rewarding success with praise, attention, and treats. They are highly motivated by the desire to please, and attention and treats are all it takes to train them well. If intended to be used for water retrieval, Braques Francais should be introduced to water at a young age, which they greatly enjoy.

Suitability as Pets
Not only do Braques Francais make excellent hunting dogs, they also make excellent pets. They are very sociable, easygoing dogs that get along well with most people, including strangers. (Because of this, they make terrible guard dogs.) They are excellent with children. They are tolerant of and even friendly with other pets, including cats. Whether as a solitary companion or as part of a large family, the Braque Francais will be right at home.

Exercise
They are not good as indoor dogs, though. Although they are calm enough to lie still for hours on end, they are not low energy dogs. They need hours outside every day, and those hours can't be on a leash. They should have a large fenced in area where they can run free and burn off all of their pent up energy. If they are kept inside too long they will start to become troublemaking and destructive.

Feed
Braques Francais need a high energy kibble. It is also a good idea to add a little real meat to their diet on a daily or near-daily basis.