Origin
As the name implies, the Braque du Bourbonnais has its roots in Bourbonnais, a historic province in the center of France that corresponded to the modern département of Allier.
The place was a cradle of the grandest dynasty of European royalty. It can be traced back as far as 1598.
These dogs struggled to survive after World War I, but with the creation of its first club in 1925, the Braque du Bourbonnais was able to thrive again.
Following World War II, the breed faced another problem when the number of live births decreased tremendously, which led to the club being less active.
From 1963-1973, the LOF (French studbook) failed to register any new dog due to the reduced gene pool or strict selection on secondary points (color of the coat, short tail) rather than its hunting abilities.
In 1970, Michel Comte, along with other breeders who joined later, decided to look for the last dog that had some Bourbonnais blood n order to help in the preservation and development of the breed. The succeeding years turned out to be very successful.
In 1981, the Club du Braque du Bourbonnais was recreated with Michel Comte as its first president. In 1988, the Bourbonnais was introduced to North America. The breed became so popular in the country, which made the US the 2nd largest producer of Braque du Bourbonnais next to France.
Traits and Behavior
It is a dog that is very energetic and loves to work. They also love to be in their pack, so ideally, if dog owners decide to have a Braque du Bourbonnais as a household pet, they should have more than just one dog of this particular breed.
These dogs can live most of the time outside the house (provided with a kennel). Having a sweet personality, they are gentle and affectionate towards children.
However, they can sometimes become stubborn, which can make training difficult.
Because these are active hunting dogs are usually kept in rural areas, they are not suitable to live in the city, especially in an apartment-type of living condition.
The nose of the Braque du Bourbonnais is powerful enough to pick up any scent and trace it back to its source. Because of this superior quality, the dog might get curious the moment it smells anything unusual and would tend to follow its location.
If you live near the streets, this is quite dangerous.
A fully fenced yard is necessary to keep them isolated on your property. But if you are hunting with this dog, they should always be on a leash so you wouldn’t lose them when they get excited.
Pet Care and Diseases
It is a dog that is very energetic and loves to work. They also love to be in their pack, so ideally, if dog owners decide to have a Braque du Bourbonnais as a household pet, they should have more than just one dog of this particular breed.
These dogs can live most of the time outside the house (provided with a kennel). Having a sweet personality, they are gentle and affectionate towards children.
However, they can sometimes become stubborn, which can make training difficult.
Because these are active hunting dogs are usually kept in rural areas, they are not suitable to live in the city, especially in an apartment-type of living condition.
The nose of the Braque du Bourbonnais is powerful enough to pick up any scent and trace it back to its source.
Because of this superior quality, the dog might get curious the moment it smells anything unusual and would tend to follow its location.
If you live near the streets, this is quite dangerous. A fully fenced yard is necessary to keep them isolated on your property. But if you are hunting with this dog, they should always be on a leash so you wouldn’t lose them when they get excited.
Appearance
Braque du Bourbonnais belongs to medium to large-sized dogs. Males approximately stand at approximately 51-57 cm at the shoulders while the females typically have 47-56 cm height. The average Braque du Bourbonnais weighs around 18-25 kg for males and 16-22 kg for females.
Braque du Bourbonnais is an elegant, short-haired, muscular, medium-sized dog. The eyes are large, hazel or dark amber depending on coat color.
The ears are set at eye level or slightly above. Braque du Bourbonnais have well arched and rounded ribs. The tail is relatively low. The tail is short or naturally absent.
The coat is fine, short with dense hair. The coat can be a little rougher and sometimes slightly longer at the back. It has two colors, either liver or fawn.
General Information
The breed is expected to live for 13-15 years.
A litter may consist of 4-5 puppies. Bourbonnais Pointer and Bourbonnais Pointing Dog are among its few other names.