Braque Francais Pyrenean puppies

About the Braque Francais Pyrenean

The Braque Francais Pyrenean is the smaller of the two French Braque types, a pointing dog from the Pyrenees worked for centuries on partridge and other game in hill country. This is a lean, athletic gundog with a short coat marked in white and chestnut, long soft ears and a great deal of drive in the field. Away from work they are notably easygoing, sociable with strangers, tolerant of other dogs, and steady with children given supervision and early socialisation.

Energy comes first with this breed. They want several outings a day, ideally including free running in a safe area, swimming or retrieving, and they will not settle on a couple of short walks. Grooming is a weekly once over plus nails, ears and teeth. Training goes better with reward and repetition than with pressure, since the breed is willing without being slavish. New owners usually underestimate the hunting drive and lose their dog to a scent line the first time the lead comes off.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Braque Francais Pyrenean 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 very high energy breed. The mistake owners make is trying to tire them out physically. Training, scentwork and puzzles will do more than distance ever will. 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 they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their 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 long drop ears, found by regular checks and cleaning

Your Braque Francais Pyrenean 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 Francais Pyrenean.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 18.1 to 24.9 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Kit sizes: crate 36 inch (36 x 24 x 26 in, 91 x 61 x 66 cm) for an adult of up to 24.9 kg; chew toys made for medium breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.

Buying guides for this

• Best crate for a puppy: wire, plastic or soft, and how to size one with a divider

Other medium breeds

More on the Braque Francais Pyrenean

Previous: Braque Francais Gascogne · Next: Braque Saint-Germain

Sources

• akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
• fci.be for country of origin
• Health notes from Braque Francais Pyrenean breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/braque-francais-pyrenean/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Photo: HeartSpoon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.