IMPORTANT INFORMATION

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The history of the Braque d’Auvergne (pronounced Brock Dohvern) is muddied and his exact origins are unknown. Many historians believe the Braque d’Auvergne is an old breed, dating back to the 1700s. There are several smooth coated French pointers, all thought to have descended from the Braque Francais, the original French Braque breed. Braque comes from the French word braquer which means to point or aim. Auvernge comes from the region in France where the breed is most prevalent. The Braque Francais was extremely popular during the 1600s and was used as the base breed for several newer breeds. The Braque Francais was bred to several breeds of unknown pedigree throughout various regions of France to develop breeds that could be used for a specific purpose. The Braque d’Auvergne is associated with the Cantal and Auvergne regions of France. Many believe the Braque d’Auvergne is older than all the other pointing breeds aside from the Braque Francais. There is another theory as to how the Braque d’Auvergne came to be from Jean Servier, the former president of the French Pointer Club, and Colonel David Hancock, a famous historian of dog breeds. Servier wrote The World Encyclopedia of Dogs in 1971 and Hancock wrote The Heritage of the Dog in 1990. Both Servier and Hancock believed the oldest pointing breed in the world was the Braque Francais. Servier claims the Braque d’Auvergne comes from a cross of the Braque Francais, Gascony Pointer and Pyrenean Braque. According to Servier, the Braque d’Auvergne is possibly the oldest of the Braque breeds. Hancock also studied the Braque d’Auvergne and claimed the breed developed when the Knights of Malta imported dogs into the Auvernge region in the 1500s. The knights developed a pointing breed that is very similar to the Braque d’Auvergne. The United Kennel Club accepted the Braque d’Auvergne in 2006.

The Braque d’Auvergne is an athletic gun dog with a well proportioned body and a short, smooth coat. Their head is domed with a long, blunt muzzle. The males are taller and more muscled than the females. They have broad noses with open nostrils and are always black in color. The black portions when viewed in the sun have a velvet blue hue. The very dark ones have a silvery hue if heavily roaned. The two variations on the dog’s ticking pattern are light or heavy. Very darkly roaned are called “Charbonne”. Many of the Charbonne Braques came from Hungary. These rare Charbonne Braques must have the same facial pattern as the light variety. Any brown coloring in the dog is a major fault.

Their eyes are oval and large; the eyes look brown but are really a dark hazel. They have an intelligent and kind expression. The Braque d’Auvergne has ears that hang and turn slightly inwards with rounded tips. Their ears are velvety to the touch. They have a shiny coat that is straight and is always black and white in color. The Braque d’Auvergne does not have a thick undercoat. They generally will have a black head with a small white blaze on the face or head.

Since the Braque d’Auvergne does not have a thick undercoat they are very low maintenance. Their coat is tight fitting to the body and smooth to the touch. A weekly brushing using a natural bristle brush or a soft slicker brush will keep their coat shiny and any loose or dead hairs are removed. After brushing, their coat should be wiped down with using a soft cloth which gives the coat an extra shine. You will notice you Braque d’Auvergne shedding more in the spring and fall and more frequent brushing is necessary. Check their ears each week to ensure they are clean and dry. Wipe the ears out with a cotton ball and hydrogen peroxide. When brushing each week, pick up his feet and check his toenails and pads for any problems that need addressed. Trim their nails when needed to keep them from developing problems.

The Braque d’Auvergne is an affectionate and active dog. They are becoming more popular as a family companions because of their loving nature and trainability. Owners must remember that the Braque d’Auvergne is still a hunting breed with a strong prey drive meant to be a working dog. They are also a high energy and do require a significant amount of time walking or running. The Braque d’Auvergne is usually friendly with other dogs and does well in a multi-dog household. They are generally easy to train and will bond closely with all members of the family.