Braque Français (Gascogne Type)
The larger, rarer half of France's own pointing dog, still mostly found where it was made.
Vital stats
| Size | Large · 60–69 cm (dogs), 58–68 cm (bitches) |
| Weight | 25–32 kg — breed literature; the standard sets none |
| Life expectancy | 12–14 years — breed literature, not survey data |
| Energy | High — bred for full days in the field |
| Shedding | Moderate — short coat, seasonal peaks |
| Coat | Short, rather thick · chestnut brown — solid, with white, strongly speckled, or with tan |
| Group | Sporting · Continental Pointing Dogs (FCI №133, Group 7) |
| Origin | Gascony, South-West France |
Breed traits
Friendliness
Care
Mind
Temperament
The standard has almost nothing to say about character: no behaviour clause at all, only a disqualification for any dog aggressive or overly shy. What fills the gap is French breed literature, and it is unusually consistent — gentle, calm, quiet in the house, attached to its family, and soft to handle. The same sources repeat an old claim that these dogs hunt so naturally they barely need formal training; take that as club pride rather than data, but the grain of truth is a pointer that co-operates instead of arguing. The soft side cuts both ways: harsh corrections shut a Gascogne down, and it learns fastest from quiet, patient handling. It still needs a job. Under the gentle manners sits a gun dog made for long days on rough ground, and a bored one will invent work you did not assign.
Habits & quirks
Two breeds, one name
The FCI splits the Braque Français in two: №133, the large Gascogne type, and №134, the small Pyrenean type, each with its own standard. The Gascogne standard's whole history section is that split — two types from the South-West of France and the Central Pyrenees, kept in pure state.
Brown, four ways
The colour section allows exactly four dresses: chestnut brown, chestnut brown and white, chestnut brown and white strongly speckled, and chestnut brown with tan markings above the eyes, at the lips and on the legs. The nose is brown, and the eyes are chestnut brown or dark yellow, with what the standard calls a frank expression.
An old braque's face
Pendent lips with a folded corner, ears set at eye level that frame the head and must reach the rear rim of the nose leather, and always a slight dewlap on the neck. The supple, quite loose skin is written into the standard — character of the breed, not a flaw of the dog in front of you.
A tail with options
The standard calls the tail generally docked, then adds that a long tail, well carried, is not a fault — and neither is a naturally short one. Born with no tail at all is a disqualification. Since docking is now banned across much of Europe, the long tail is what you will usually meet.
Care
| Exercise | This is a working pointer judged with a working trial, made for a full day's hunting in the South-West. Budget an hour or two daily and give the nose real work — field training, tracking, scent games. The calm house dog the literature promises is the reward for that, not the starting point. |
| Grooming | The short, rather thick coat asks for a weekly rub-down and little more. The folded, pendent ears are the real job: check and clean them regularly, as with any drop-eared gun dog, and dry them after wet outings. The loose lips mean a bit of drool after drinking. |
| Training | Gentle and co-operative by every account, and sensitive with it. Keep sessions short, rewards real and corrections mild — a raised voice costs more than it buys. Start recall early: the pointing instinct arrives on its own, and it points at things that then run. |
| Health | A working breed with no breed-wide health survey; French lines are bred for function first, which tends to keep them sound. Hip screening is sensible at this size, drop ears need watching for infection, and the 12–14 years in breed literature is a habit of the type rather than study data. |
Common questions
What is the difference between the Gascogne and the Pyrenean type?
They are two separate FCI breeds with separate standards: №133 for the large Gascogne type, №134 for the small Pyrenean type. The standard's history keeps it simple — large size and small size, both from the South-West of France and the Central Pyrenees. The Gascogne is the heavier, old-style braque, with more skin, more lip and a slight dewlap; breed literature adds that the lighter, quicker Pyrenean type is far more numerous today, in France and abroad.
Are they good family dogs?
French breed literature is unanimous that this is one of the gentlest gun dogs: calm indoors, quiet, patient with children and easy with other dogs. The caveats are working-breed ones — it needs proper daily exercise and a busy nose, and it does poorly left alone and unemployed. One honesty note: this is a rare breed, so those judgements come from clubs and owners, not surveys.
Is the Braque Français the ancestor of other pointing breeds?
Breed literature has long claimed the old braque français as root stock for the continental pointers, and you will find the claim attached to half of Group 7. Treat it as tradition rather than documented pedigree. What the FCI standard itself records is narrower: two types, from the South-West of France and the Central Pyrenees, kept in pure state.