Breeds / Medium
Braque du Bourbonnais puppies
Affectionate, willing and quietly energetic, the Braque du Bourbonnais is a versatile French pointing dog that bonds closely to its handler. It is sensitive to harsh training and needs a great deal of exercise.
The facts
- Size class Medium
- Country of origin France
- Adult weight 15.9 to 24 kg
- Adult weight in pounds 35 to 53 lb
- Adult height 48 to 57 cm
- Energy level High
- Grooming Low
- Coat type Short smooth
- Typical lifespan 10 to 12 years
- Good with children Fine with supervision
- Good with other dogs Usually good
Where these come from:
About the Braque du Bourbonnais
The Braque du Bourbonnais is a French pointing dog from the Bourbonnais region, an old versatile hunter that finds, points and retrieves for a walking gun. It is a medium sized, sturdy dog with a short dense coat ticked in fawn or liver over white, and many are born with a naturally short tail or none at all. The character is affectionate and biddable, closely attached to its handler, and calmer in the house than its drive in the field would suggest.
It needs real daily work: several outings, free running in a fenced space, swimming or retrieving, and training games indoors when the weather is against you. Grooming is a periodic brush, with the ears checked for wax and the strong, fast growing nails kept short. It is very trainable but sensitive, so heavy handed corrections backfire. Puppies want early, patient socialisation with children and visitors, which is where the natural reserve in the breed shows up first.
What to expect at eight weeks
At eight weeks a Braque du Bourbonnais puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A medium breed puppy at eight weeks is a manageable armful that will not stay that way. Most of the growth happens between now and six months, so buy for the adult dog where you can. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and it will need a job to do long before it needs long walks. Grooming is straightforward, but start handling the coat, feet and ears in week one anyway so it is never a fight later. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.
Health worth knowing about
Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.
- Hip dysplasia, screened by radiographic hip evaluation of breeding stock
- Inherited eye disease, screened by an ophthalmologist evaluation of breeding stock
- Ear infections in the drop ears, found by regular checks and cleaning
From Braque du Bourbonnais breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/braque-du-bourbonnais/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.
Your Braque du Bourbonnais puppy's first six months
- Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
- Worming and parasite schedule.
- Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Medium for a Braque du Bourbonnais.
- Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 15.9 to 24 kg adult range.
- Puppy names and the first week checklist.
Other medium breeds
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Not veterinary advice. Breed information is general. Your own dog, and your own vet, always win.