Breeder information for the Braque du Bourbonnais

• Beth & Ron Cepil/Phantom Kennels no longer breed this dog, and no longer have their kennels.

• Lonn Kuck is now breeding the Braque du Bourbonnaise. Call: 208-286-9638 or write: Lonn Kuck; 10399 Rolling Hills Drive; Star, Idaho; 83669. Email him at: LonnKuck@aol.com

• Another breeder is: Greg Tessmere. Call: 715-675-7330.

• Jeff Bradach says he will share information. He owns other Braques (there are several different types of Braques), and he might be a breeder. Email: jbradach@ix.netcom.com or, See his Web site: Jeff・s Pointing Dogs Page. He doesn・t give his phone number or location, so you・ll have to ask him or email us at askus@idfishnhunt.com

• The Braque du Bourbonnais does seem to consistently take to water well. Its small size, short hair and mild temperment is ideal for families. It criss-crosses the field like a Brittany, until it finds scent, then stalks on its belly almost. The Bourbonnais is intelligent, trains easily, has a soft-mouth on birds, fetches well, works within a comfortable range, desires to please, and is easy to live with. Covers the hunting field thoroughly, and takes hand signals well. Has a wonderful style, head high, low belly, dramatic and exciting point. Is prone to hunt long past exhaustion, so be careful. Does not, however, tend to get dehydrated. Though it hunts fiercely, it doesn・t tend to be hyper. It will be protective of its territory and gives warning. It definitely has a natural birdiness, an innate pointing instinct, and has proven it can hunt with the best. Fortunately, it trains easily, because its sensitive nature will not take a heavy hand; the breed has a tough exterior, and gentle interior.

• The Braque Francais is perhaps the oldest of all pointing breeds. The breeding of this French pointer led to other Braque lines in France and in other areas of Europe.

• The Bourbonnais shares a common ancestor with the Brittany, but is more closely related to pointers and hounds. The early developers of the Brittany used the Bourbonnais to get the coloring, pointing instinct, and taillessness. You can see all these breeds in the Bourbonnais, in temperament, looks, and style. I love Brittanys, so I tend to see the Brittany side of my Braque du Bourbonnais, named Irma. But she is also related to the German Short Hair, and that・s more what she looks like. Irma has the temperament of a Brittany and the hunting madness of a Short Hair.

• Breeders became so obsessed with breeding for taillessness, color and conformation rather than for their working/hunting abilities that sportsmen lost interest in the Bourbonnais and soon the breed wasn・t being registered any longer. By the 1960s the breed was close to extinction.

• A petition was presented in 1975 to the Federation Cynoloquia Internationale (FCI) an international kennel club to open an "initial registry" for the Braque du Bourbonnais. The Bourbonnais with the requisite characteristics could then be registered even though it had no pedigree.

• There is no official breed club for the Bourbonnais in North America as yet, so breeders register with the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA).

• The Bourbonnais is no longer born tailless and is docked. The standard allows tails up to six inches.

• The standard colors for the Braque du Bourbonnais are shades of "faded lilac" and "wine." There is a mottled or streaked appearance to the wine-colored Bourbonnais・. Beige is also acceptable, or "fawn." Brown, beige and cream-colored spots and lines blend together to create a "peach blossom" shade. Solid spots of color are OK, but may not cover both eyes, and any trace of black, or a black nose is forbidden.