Braque du Bourbonnais

Overview

The Braque du Bourbonnais is a compact pointing dog from central France. It stands 19 to 22 inches at the shoulder and weighs 35 to 55 pounds. The build is muscular but light-footed. The signature coat is finely ticked in one of two patterns, and many puppies are born with naturally short or bobtails, a hallmark of the breed.

This is a working versatile hunting dog first and a companion second. It's affectionate at home, gentle with family, and biddable in the field. Numbers remain modest outside France, and reputable breeders often work directly with hunting owners. The Braque du Bourbonnais suits active people who plan to hunt, run field trials, or train intensively in dog sports.

History & origin

The breed dates to the Renaissance in the Bourbonnais region of central France. Written records from the 1500s describe pointing dogs of the Bourbonnais with the ticked coat still seen today. The breed developed alongside other French braques as a versatile hunter, pointing game and retrieving after the shot. It was popular with rural nobility and later with farmer-hunters.

The breed nearly disappeared in the twentieth century. Standardization efforts in the 1920s narrowed the gene pool by favoring dogs with naturally short tails, and both world wars devastated the breeding population. By the 1960s few pure examples remained. In 1970 the last dog registered under the old standard died, and the breed was considered extinct in some references.

Michel Comte led a revival starting in 1973, gathering surviving dogs of Bourbonnais type from rural French hunters. The FCI recognized the reconstructed breed in 1982. The American Bourbonnais Club formed to promote the breed in the United States. The AKC placed it in the Foundation Stock Service in 2015. Numbers remain small but stable, with hunt-focused breeders producing carefully-planned litters.

Appearance

The Braque du Bourbonnais is compact and muscular. Height is 19 to 22 inches at the shoulder; weight ranges from 35 to 55 pounds. The body is roughly square or slightly longer than tall, with a deep chest and firm topline. Movement is efficient and light, and the breed can cover ground for hours without tiring.

The head is pear-shaped when viewed from above, with a moderate stop and a squared muzzle. Ears are medium-length and set slightly above eye level, hanging close to the head. Eyes are hazel or dark amber. Roughly half of Bourbonnais puppies are born with naturally short or bobtails, and the standard accepts either short or long. The coat is finely ticked in faded lilac (fawn base) or fleur-de-peche (liver base), giving the dog its distinctive muted color.

Temperament

This is a warm, biddable, sensitive pointer. Bourbonnais bond hard to family and want to be with their people. They're gentle in the house, playful outside, and generally welcoming toward strangers once introductions are made. Toward other dogs they're sociable, especially those raised with them. Aggression is atypical.

In the field the breed switches on. Bourbonnais point instinctively and retrieve to hand, and they work close to the handler rather than ranging wide like a setter. Prey drive is high but controllable. Cats can work if raised with the dog. Small pets like rabbits are usually a poor match given the breed's hunting purpose.

Living with one

Energy is high. Adults need at least an hour and a half of hard exercise daily, ideally with hunting-style work incorporated. Long walks alone aren't enough. Fetch, nose work, tracking, and formal hunt training all suit the breed. Puppies grow slowly and shouldn't do repetitive impact exercise before 15 months.

Housing is best in a house with a securely fenced yard. Apartments are possible but require dedicated owners who commit to daily hard exercise. The breed is calm indoors when properly exercised, but it does need room to stretch and access to outdoor work. Rural or suburban homes suit it best.

Climate tolerance is broad. The short coat handles hot weather better than cold, but the breed is athletic enough to manage both with sensible precautions. In freezing cold, a coat helps on long outings. In hot humid weather, exercise should shift to morning or evening. The Bourbonnais is an outdoor athlete but a social indoor companion.

Alone-time tolerance is moderate. Bourbonnais are Velcro dogs and prefer company. Adults with proper exercise manage a workday, but the breed is prone to separation-related behaviors if routinely left for very long periods. Crate training and midday enrichment help. Owners with home offices or flexible schedules are the ideal match. Noise level is low; the breed rarely barks without reason.

Training & exercise

Trainability is high. Bourbonnais are smart, sensitive, and eager to work with a handler they trust. Reward-based training with food and clear structure works well. Harsh handling shuts them down quickly; the breed's sensitivity is real and pushed too hard, it stops trying. Short focused sessions get more done than long serious ones.

Early socialization is important. Puppy classes and controlled exposure to novel environments, strangers, and other dogs before four months build a confident adult. Underexposed Bourbonnais can develop wariness with unfamiliar people. Field training should start early too; the breed's instincts come naturally but they benefit from structured development.

The common mistake is underestimating the exercise and training commitment. A Bourbonnais without a job becomes anxious, destructive, or vocally frustrated. Owners who commit to hunt training, versatile hunting dog trials, agility, or nose work produce settled adults. This isn't a dog for someone who wants a low-maintenance pet.

Grooming & care

Grooming is minimal. Weekly brushing with a rubber curry or hound glove keeps the short coat clean and controls shedding. The breed sheds moderately year-round with heavier drops in spring and fall. Baths every six to eight weeks are enough unless the dog gets into something in the field.

Ears need weekly checks. Drop ears trap moisture and debris after hunts. Clean with a vet-approved solution weekly. Nails need trimming every three weeks. Teeth benefit from brushing several times a week. Check paws, ears, and feathering for burrs and ticks after every hunt or walk in tall cover. Otherwise the breed is genuinely low-maintenance in the grooming department.

Health & lifespan

Typical lifespan is 12 to 15 years. The revival from a small gene pool means responsible breeders think carefully about genetic diversity and inbreeding coefficients. Modern Bourbonnais are generally sound, but the population's history calls for careful health screening.

Hip and elbow dysplasia occur at moderate rates. Both parents should carry OFA or PennHIP certifications and elbow clearances. Progressive retinal atrophy and cataracts are documented. Eye clearances through CAER should be current within the year before breeding. Cardiac issues appear at low rates but merit screening.

Other conditions include hypothyroidism, epilepsy, and skin allergies. Bloat is a risk in any deep-chested breed. Responsible breeders screen hips, elbows, eyes, cardiac health, and thyroid, and share the paperwork on request. Given the breed's small population, ask directly about coefficient of inbreeding and any documented health issues in the line.

With kids & pets

Braque du Bourbonnais raised with children are gentle and patient family dogs. The breed's warmth and biddability suit families with kids of most ages. The high energy level means older children who can share in exercise and training are a natural fit. Supervision with toddlers is important because of enthusiastic play rather than any temperament concern.

First-time owner note

Not the easiest first-dog choice. The exercise commitment, sensitivity, and rarity of good breeders raise the difficulty level. Owners with sporting-breed experience or serious hunting plans succeed most easily. Casual pet homes usually underuse the breed and produce anxious under-stimulated adults.

Fun facts

• The breed nearly went extinct in the twentieth century and was revived starting in 1973 from a small pool of surviving dogs.
• Roughly half of Bourbonnais puppies are born with naturally short tails, a trait the breed is famous for.
• The coat colors have poetic French names: faded lilac (fawn ticked) and fleur-de-peche (peach blossom, liver ticked).
• Written references to Bourbonnais-type pointers date to the 1500s in central France.

Famous & in culture

• The breed appears in French Renaissance hunting art and is described by name in seventeenth-century French sporting texts.
• Michel Comte, the veterinarian who led the 1973 revival, is celebrated in the breed community as its modern savior.