Braque du Bourbonnais

The Braque du Bourbonnais is an all-round gundog from central France, bred to point and retrieve game at a steady, methodical pace. It works close to its handler rather than casting out wide, which suits foot hunters more than open field trials. In New Zealand this close-working style appeals to Fish & Game licence holders after pheasant, quail, or duck from a maimai, since the dog checks in often and rarely strays out of gun range.

Away from the paddock, the Bourbonnais is affectionate and firmly people-oriented. It typically bonds hardest with one household and would rather be underfoot than left to its own devices for long stretches. The breed is intelligent and hardworking, and it takes well to a handler who is consistent rather than forceful.

Adult dogs are medium in size and built for endurance over speed. The coat is short and low-maintenance. Many are also known for a naturally short or absent tail, a trait that turns up in plenty of the breed but not every individual.

Who it suits

This breed suits active households that can offer exercise and mental work every day, rain or shine. It is a natural fit for hunters after a close-working pointer, and equally for committed companion owners with the time to match its drive. It is a poor match for anyone out of the house for long hours, since the breed struggles with being left on its own.

The breed is named for Bourbonnais, the historic province in central France where it developed. It belongs to the braque family of continental pointers, a group shaped over several centuries to find and point feathered and furred game for hunters working on foot rather than on horseback.

French hunting texts from earlier centuries mention short-tailed pointing dogs from the region, and the type was linked to Bourbonnais long before any formal registry existed. Early dogs earned their keep as practical hunting companions rather than as animals bred for the show ring.

A breed club and standard were set up in France in the early twentieth century, which gave the type a formal description for the first time. Numbers dropped sharply through the middle of the century, and at one stage only a handful of dogs remained, partly because strict rules on coat and tail limited the pool of dogs available for breeding.

A revival began in France during the 1970s, when breeders rebuilt numbers and widened the accepted colour range. The breed later spread to other countries, including the United States, where hunters wanting a close-working, versatile pointer took an interest. Numbers in New Zealand remain small: any dog entering the country goes through the Ministry for Primary Industries' import health standard, including an approved quarantine stay, so most Bourbonnais here trace back to a handful of imported lines registered with Dogs New Zealand.

The Braque du Bourbonnais is compact and muscular, built to a medium size. The body runs slightly longer than it stands tall, with a level topline and a deep chest that reflects its stamina for a full day's work. The head is moderate, with a fairly broad skull, a soft expression, and ears set level with the eyes that hang close to the cheeks.

The tail sets the breed apart. Many pups arrive with a naturally short tail or none at all, though a full-length tail also occurs. The breed standard accepts the naturally short tail, and it remains part of what long-time fanciers see as the breed's traditional identity.

Coat and colours

The coat lies short and flat against the body, which keeps grooming simple. Colouring is the breed's most recognisable feature. The base is heavily ticked or roaned, giving two traditional descriptions: a fawn-based pattern often called faded lilac, and a liver-based pattern known by the old terms peach-blossom and wine-dreg. Solid white is not typical of the breed, and the ticking is what gives the coat its mottled look.

The Braque du Bourbonnais combines a settled manner at home with a strong drive once it is out working. Indoors it is gentle and affectionate, and it forms a close bond with its household. The breed generally gets on well with children when raised alongside them and introduced properly, and it tends to be even-tempered rather than excitable inside the house.

With strangers the breed is usually reserved but not aggressive, and early socialisation helps it settle confidently into new situations. It is typically sociable with other dogs, and many get on well in multi-dog households once introductions are handled with care. As a pointing breed with a strong hunting instinct, it may take a keen interest in small animals and birds, including the household cat or a pet rabbit, so supervision around smaller pets is a sensible precaution.

The breed is sensitive and does best with patient handling. Harsh correction tends to make it anxious or withdrawn rather than obedient. It dislikes long stretches alone, and a Bourbonnais left under-stimulated at home can turn restless or pick up nuisance habits such as chewing or barking at the fence line.

Grooming

• Brush the short coat weekly with a rubber curry comb or bristle brush to lift out loose hair.
• Bathe the dog only when it is properly dirty, since frequent washing strips the coat's natural oils.
• Check the drop ears often and clean them to cut the risk of infection, especially after time in water or heavy scrub.
• Trim the nails every few weeks and check the feet after fieldwork for cuts, gravel, or bidi-bidi burrs.
• Brush the teeth several times a week.

Exercise

• Give the dog at least one to two hours of activity a day, split across a couple of sessions.
• Include off-lead running in a safe, secure area, since the breed is built for sustained movement rather than short bursts.
• Add scent work, retrieving, or field training to keep the working mind occupied.
• In hunting households, regular time in the field keeps the dog fit and settled between seasons.

Environment

The breed adapts to town or country living as long as its exercise needs are met, but it is not suited to long hours alone or to a household that sits still most of the day. A securely fenced section helps, though the dog should never be left outdoors as its only outlet. Because the coat is short, it needs proper shelter through New Zealand's cold, wet winters and the southerly changes that can sweep through even in summer.

The Braque du Bourbonnais should eat a complete, balanced diet suited to its life stage and workload. Dogs worked hard through the hunting season use more energy and may need bigger portions at that time of year, while companion dogs need careful portion control to avoid weight gain. Feed measured meals rather than leaving food out all day, and adjust the amount against body condition: the ribs should be easy to feel under a light covering, not visible.

Treats and supplements

Keep treats to a small share of the day's food and use them for training rather than for free feeding. A balanced commercial diet usually covers complete nutrition, so most dogs do not need extra supplements. Talk to a vet before adding joint or conditioning supplements, particularly for a hard-working or older dog. Keep fresh water available at all times, and offer it often during fieldwork or a day in the maimai.

The Braque du Bourbonnais is considered a robust, healthy breed, helped by a reasonably broad working gene pool. Most dogs live 13 to 15 years given good care. As with many medium, active breeds, a small number of orthopaedic and ear-related problems can crop up, and reputable breeders test their breeding stock wherever screening is available.

Preventative care

• Keep core vaccinations and parasite control up to date.
• Book an annual veterinary check-up, and twice yearly once the dog is a senior.
• Maintain a lean body condition to look after the joints.
• Clean and dry the ears regularly, especially after swimming or a wet day in the field.
• Keep dental care and nail trims on a routine schedule.

The Braque du Bourbonnais is intelligent, focused, and keen to work alongside its handler, which makes it a responsive student. The breed is sensitive, so it learns faster through encouragement than through pressure. Heavy-handed correction tends to shut the dog down rather than sharpen it up. Short, consistent sessions hold its attention and build habits that stick, and its natural tendency to stay close makes recall and fieldwork easier to build than in a wider-ranging breed.

Basics

1. Start socialisation early, exposing the puppy to people, places, and other animals.
2. Teach name recognition and a solid recall before anything else.
3. Add core obedience: sit, stay, down, and lead manners.
4. Bring in retrieving and scent games to give the working drive an outlet.
5. In hunting households, build field skills gradually, starting with gunfire desensitisation and basic exposure to pointing work.
6. Keep sessions short and finish on a win.

Breeding the Braque du Bourbonnais should only go ahead with health-screened parents and a solid grasp of the breed standard. Dogs reach physical maturity over their first one to two years, and most breeders wait until a bitch is fully grown before her first litter. Mating, pregnancy, and whelping follow the usual canine pattern, with gestation running to roughly nine weeks.

Litters tend to be a moderate size. Because the breed carries the naturally short-tail trait, one litter can produce puppies with short tails, full tails, and no tail at all. Breeders pair dogs with care, since combining certain short-tail genetics can affect how many puppies in a litter survive. Colour and ticking patterns are weighed against the standard as well.

Raising a litter takes real attention to early socialisation. The dam and breeder handle the puppies often, introduce them gently to new experiences, and start basic habituation before the pups head to new homes, usually from eight weeks old. In New Zealand, litters bred to the standard can be registered with Dogs New Zealand, which keeps a record of the breed's small but growing local lines. Early handling shapes the confident, people-focused temperament the breed is valued for.

Braque du Bourbonnais registration and microchip registration in New Zealand

The National Dog Database has required chipping of newly registered dogs since 2006, and council registration sits alongside that rather than replacing a proper contact record. Holding one with United Pet Club is free for your Braque du Bourbonnais's whole life. Registering your dog takes a few minutes, with nothing to renew afterwards.

A scanned chip is only ever as useful as its record. Pop your Braque du Bourbonnais's fifteen digit number into a free United Pet Club account and the record does the rest: free updates after every move, every brand accepted, searchable day and night. Microchip registration first, account alongside.