French Pointing Dog

Breed Rating

Breed Details

General

The French Pointing Dog is one of the two hunting gun dog breeds from France that are popularly used in France. The term 'Braque Francais' effectively refers to two different breeds, one is Braque Francais, type Gascogne while the other is Braque Francais type Pyrenees. These hunting dogs are a type of gun dogs that point to game bird's location for hunters to hunt. The evolution of these two types is due to different needs of the hunters. One group wanted to keep the classic, heavy gundog of old times while on the other hand, another group wanted a lighter, faster and wider-ranging version of of the classic Braque that would be better equipped to hunt increasingly scarce game and to compete with other pointing breeds in the trials.

The Pyreneenian type French Pointing Dog is also known as Bourbonnais Pointer, Bourbonnais Pointing Dog, French Pointing Dog, and French Pointer. It is the variation of the old classic Braque and is lighter, and better equipped to hunt and consequently more popular among French people. It is a rustic dog breed that is sufficiently solid and well muscled while not being to heavy. It has a slightly round head with flat skull and convex muzzle. Nose is chest-nut coloured with wide nostrils. Eyes can be chest-nut brown or dark yellow. Droped ears are set slightly higher than eye levels. Naturally short tail is docked. The dog can achieve very fast speeds through powerful legs and nimble feet. The coat is short and fine and comes in chestnut or chestnut with white colour while fawn or chestnut spotting covers the body.

This dog is hard working, well mannered and friendly to its family. Medium in size but big in character, the dog is an excellent hunter as well as a great family pet.

Color

According to breed standards, the coat color for French Pointing Dog is usually a brown and white roan or white with brown patches. The standard also permits what is effectively a tri-colored coat: chestnut brown marked with tan (above the eyes, at the lips, and on the legs).

Coat

The coat is short, fine and low maintenance.

Personality

A hard working and excellent hunter when on a job, the French Pointing Dog makes a great family pet when not hunting. It is one of the most popular dog breeds in France and one of the reasons is the ease of adaptability which this breed displays. A calm and even tempered dog when around its family, a wonderful playmate with children, the dog changes swiftly to an excellent hunter when on the hunt. It can also get along well with other dogs and pets. The breed is very obedient, gentle and submissive to its master. Eager to please, it is an easy to train dog. It is relatively relaxed and laid back when indoor but does need lots of physical activities. This versatile breed makes an excellent family companion for both hunters and non-hunters through its versatility.

Care

The shorter and finer coat is easy to maintain and does not need lots of grooming. A weekly brushing should be sufficient to keep the coat in good condition. Dogs that are housebound need not be bathed very often. However, a Pyrenean Pointer that has been hunting must be thoroughly examined for burrs and thorns that may have lodged in the paws of the dog. Likewise, ears must be cleaned and dried to prevent an infection from developing.

Training

Intelligent and obedient, this eager to please breed is very trainable. Training should be done in a gentle yet firm manner.

Activity

Though the dog is relatively inactive indoors, it does need lots of physical activity. A daily walk is a must along with sufficient play and running time in an open and secure area. The dog would ideally need a house with a large yard otherwise, the owner should take it for walking twice a day.