Braque Francais Pyrenean

The braque type is old in France, with pointing dogs of this general kind recorded in the south-west from at least the fifteenth century, and they contributed to the development of several other continental pointing breeds. Historically these dogs were kept regionally and varied a good deal from valley to valley.

When French breeders set about formalising the type in the second half of the nineteenth century, the first club dating from around 1850 and a written standard from 1880, they found two distinct regional forms. The larger, heavier dog of the Gascony plain became the Braque Francais type Gascogne, while the smaller, quicker dog of the Pyrenean foothills, which had been favoured by hunters on foot in broken hill country, became the Braque Francais type Pyrenees.

The Pyrenean type is by far the more numerous of the two today. It is recognised by the Societe Centrale Canine in France and by the FCI in Group 7, and small populations exist in Canada, particularly Quebec, and in the United States, where the breed has been recorded in the AKC Foundation Stock Service. It is still essentially a hunter's dog rather than a show or pet breed.

The Pyrenean is a compact, athletic pointer. Males stand about 19 to 23 inches at the shoulder and females about 19 to 22 inches, with most adults weighing between 35 and 55 pounds. It is noticeably lighter and shorter-coupled than the Gascogne type, and the whole dog gives an impression of energy without coarseness.

The coat is short, fine and close, requiring no maintenance beyond a weekly brush. The colour is chestnut brown, either solid or, far more usually, broken with white and heavily ticked or roaned so that the dog looks speckled. Tan markings may appear above the eyes and on the legs, and the shade of brown ranges from a light liver to a deep chestnut.

Compared with its larger relative, the Pyrenean has a slightly broader skull, shorter ears set at eye level, and a narrower muzzle without pendulous lips, which gives a tighter, less houndy face. The tail may be naturally short or docked where local law allows. In the field the dog covers ground at a fast, easy gallop and quarters close in front of the gun.

This is a gentle, sweet-natured breed. Braques Francais are strongly bonded to their families, affectionate with children, and generally very sociable with other dogs and with livestock they have been raised around. They are eager to please and dislike conflict, which makes them one of the easier pointing breeds to live with.

They are sensitive rather than tough-minded. Shouting or heavy correction is counterproductive; a quiet, encouraging approach gets far more out of them. Many are somewhat reserved on first meeting a stranger but warm up quickly, and they will announce visitors without being in any sense a guarding breed.

The trade-off for the amiable temperament is a need for company and activity. These dogs were kept as close hunting partners and they expect to be with their people; left alone all day in a garden they become bored, noisy and unhappy. Prey drive is present but the breed is naturally close-working and rarely ranges as widely as a big-running pointer.

Most individuals settle well indoors once exercised, and their moderate size makes them easier to accommodate than many gundogs of similar drive.

The breed's job is versatile hunting on foot: quartering close, pointing partridge, quail, woodcock and pheasant, flushing on command, retrieving from land and water, and trailing wounded game. That all-round competence is exactly what French hunters in hill country wanted, and it is still what the breed is bred and tested for.

For non-hunting owners the same qualities transfer to field trials, hunt tests, tracking and scent work, agility and long-distance walking or running. The breed's biddability and gentleness also suit obedience and therapy work.

It makes a poor apartment dog and a poor guard dog, but a very good companion for a rural or semi-rural family that spends time outdoors.