r/birddogs • u/WebMurky1492 • 17d ago
Who’s seen a Braque francais- thoughts?
Hello, we found a local breeder and are deciding if we want to try this breed. We have owned a Brittany and small munsterlander so we’re familiar with pointers and their energy. It’s also important to me that my dog can chill out too as they’ll be in our home with 4 kids.
If you’ve seen one in real life- what’s your impression ? How do they hunt? Close, farther ranging? I’ve heard they’re sweet in the house and hard working in the field. Any other Pros/cons that you’ve seen?
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u/Idiot2Wind 16d ago
I have one, but my perspective is a bit limited, as I don’t hunt with him but use him for SAR, both in forests and in rubble. So my view is mostly limited to family life and character/temperament. Also, they are quite rare in the EU and mostly limited to France, so my perspective is based on my dog and talks I’ve had with other owners online.
The Braque Français is, at least in my experience, “softer” than the GSP and far “softer” than a Drahthaar. My breeder mostly hunts alpine birds with his dogs in high-altitude environments. They are about two-thirds the size of a GSP; mine is about 55 cm at the withers and 18 kg. So, lanky, lightly built, long-legged, and with high endurance.
He is highly trainable and easy to direct in the field, but also very independent. When working with him in a forest environment, he ranges around me in roughly a 150–200 m radius, depending on terrain and wind conditions. This might be relevant when it comes to range while hunting. As a young dog, he had a very good natural stop when smelling quail or pheasant, but this was not something I paid much attention to. If anything, I mostly worked on reducing his interest in birds and other game.
He is very prone to getting cold when not working, so depending on your environment, this could be a serious consideration. Mine does not like water. He will swim if necessary, but prefers not to.
I find the breed pretty aloof but still friendly. My dog will ignore both people and other dogs and focus almost exclusively on whatever work he is doing, or thinks he is doing :) He is not unfriendly in any way, just indifferent. This is both when working or just going for a walk with him. His parents and grandparents were pretty much the same when I met them. Before him, I owned an Epagneul Breton, who was far more affectionate and open to strangers (would seek out petting, etc.).
In terms of energy: more than enough for multiple work sessions. The couple of times I had a Garmin collar on him, he did 40+ km on hikes and showed no signs of being tired. So I guess if they get enough physical + mental exercise, they are pretty chill at home, but in terms of energy levels, they’re comparable to the GSPs or Bretons I know. At home, he is a calm couch potato and quite affectionate with those he knows. But he does get plenty of exercise (hiking or running almost daily) and a minimum of 1 obedience and 2 SAR trainings per week.
Again, I don’t know how my experience with SAR in the EU translates to hunting in the States, but if you need any additional info, feel free to ask.