The general characteristics of the two types and the differences between them, the origin of French marriages, external events for the reduction of the number, the popularization and recognition of the species. The French Gascogne type or Braque Francais (Gascogne) is a large dog, powerful in appearance, strong and firmly built. The size required for the Gascogne type is 60 to 62 cm at the withers for the female, and 62 to 65 cm for the male. Females are smaller.
The length of the muzzle is slightly shorter than the length of the skull. The head is quite large, but not too heavy. The lines of the skull and muzzle diverge slightly. Skull almost flat with a weak central groove. The occipital projection is not visible. The stop is not pronounced. The ear should be rounded at the tip and is said to be papilated (the wave was not flat). The skin is elastic and rather loose. The short-haired coat is brown, white-brown with or without mottling, brown, indicated by tan above the eyes, on the muzzle and limbs. The tail is usually docked, but it continues the natural line of the spine. A tail that is long or short from birth is not considered a defect.
The French Braque of the Pyrenean type, or Braque Francais (Pyrenees), has the same general characteristics with the Gascon type, while maintaining all proportions, only smaller. The required parameters for an average individual are from 47 to 55 cm at the withers.
The differences between the two types are as follows. The Gascogne "coat" is thick, while the Pyrenees are thinner and shorter. Pyrenees are usually painted more variegated and brown on the body, and their skin is tighter. The head of the Pyrenees is somewhat wider, and the ears are not so long. Barely folded ears are placed above the line of the eyes. The drawn-out tip of the ears stops 2 cm from the end of the muzzle. If in the Gascon type, the ears are pulled forward, then they will reach the tip of the nose. Gascogne has slightly pendulum (drooping) lips, which makes the muzzle appear square. The lips of the Pyrenean type of dogs are less drooping and slightly protruding. The Pyrenees' muzzle looks narrower. The abdomen is lowered and the forelimbs are lighter than those of the Gascogne type.
Disqualifying faults (elements of appearance indicating that the dog should not be bred) in both breeds do not touch the tail. But, a strong defect is a split nose or its depigmentation, syndactyly (fingers spliced together), redundant toes or lack of toes.
Territory of origin of the breed of French brakes
The origin of the French Braque (Pyrenean, Gascon) or Braque Francais (Pyrenees, Gascogne) is vague and shrouded in riddles and secrets, since the breeds were developed even before the time period when breeders began to keep the first written, if you can call them that way, herd books. It is probably known that these dogs were bred in France until about the end of the 1700s.
French Bracke are hunting old-style gun dogs. Such dogs were mainly used for tracking, indicating the location of birds, scaring them and giving them to the hunter. There are two varieties of the breed, the Gascon type, which is large in size, and the Pyrenean type, which is smaller. They are popular hunting dogs in France but are rarely found elsewhere in the world.
Although it is impossible to be sure without any additional evidence, the history of the breeding of the French bracque of the Gascon type, most likely, leads to the south of the French lands. The Braque Francais are thought to be closely related to a number of similar European Pointer species, such as the English Pointer and the German Shorthaired Pointer, but the exact relationship between these breeds is still unclear.
History of the original breeding of French Gascon-type marriages
There are two primary versions of the origin of the French Marriage (Gascon type). The most widespread version is that these dogs are descended from the dog Oisel (Chien d'Oysel). There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding Oisel's dog. Some sources seem to imply that the breed is extinct, while others seem to identify the Chien d'Oysel as the modern German Wachtelhund Watterhund.
Either way, this variety was of medium size and was a spaniel or very close to the spaniel breed. The coat of these dogs was usually brown or white with gray and brown markings. Chien d'Oysel was mainly used for hunting birds (partridge and quail). This variety is very ancient and it can be noted that it was developed even before the invention of hunting weapons, probably before the 1400s. Oisel's dog has extremely virtuoso data. She will find the intended prey, and then either scare the birds out of hiding, or warn the hunter of their presence. As a result, the hunter threw the net to catch the game.
Chien d'Oysel quickly spread throughout the Mediterranean coast of Western Europe. Once the variety had infiltrated and adapted to its new environment, it regularly crossed with the local canines. In the process of such crossbreeding, many unique breeds were created, presumably including the French Braque (Gascon type). If Oysel's dog is indeed the ancestor of the Braque Francais (Gascogne), it almost certainly overlaps strongly with the native French hounds (Scenthounds). These canines greatly increased the size of the French braces, and also provided them with greater strength and endurance. The infusion of new blood also improved the species' sense of smell and may have determined its coloration and coat pattern.
Although it is impossible to say with any certainty which breeds of dogs played a major role in the early development of the French marques (Gascon type). It is very likely that Petit Bleu De Gascogne or Grand Bleu De Gascogne were used. Many experts are based on the widespread belief that the Braque Francais (Gascogne) were developed from Spanish, Portuguese and Italian Pointing Dogs. All of these canines were previously represented in southern France. It is believed that such dogs were originally bred from scenthounds, which were bred to aid in the hunting of various small bird species. It is also believed that these same Mediterranean Pointing Dogs, especially the Spanish Pointer, were used to develop the English Pointer.
However, originally developed by the French Gascony, they were well known and popular in France until the end of the 17th century. One of the earliest descriptions of the species was provided by a French hunter named Selincourt. This amateur hunter described a gun-pointing pointer that was common in France in 1683. Selincourt noted that this dog was distinguished: "Tall at the withers, strong build, large size, long ears, square muzzle, large nose, drooping lips and coat of brown and white colors." This description is remarkably similar to the modern representatives of the Braque Francais (Gascogne). The breed proved to be extremely popular and influential in France and its neighboring countries. Hunters across France crossed the French Gascones with local canines such as pointers and hounds to develop new localized coloration. Most of the resulting breeds were named after their region of origin. Some of the most famous of these varieties include Braque Saint-Germain, Braque du Bourbonnais, Braque de l'Ariege, Braque du Puy and Braque d'Auvergne. Braque Francais were also imported into German-speaking lands, where they are believed to have greatly influenced the development of German Pointer breeds.
Impact of external events on the decline in the number of French Gascon-type marriages
As most regions preferred their own localized species, the breed population of the French Gascon Bracco became increasingly scarce. However, representatives of the breed remained one of the most popular, and quite possibly the most famous friend pets in France until the 19th century. Until this time, the large and specialized Braque Francais (Gascogne) was mostly kept by nobles, who were the only people in social circles who could afford to feed a large enough dog, which they used for no more than a few days a week.
The French Revolution made irreversible changes in the usual life of its indigenous population. She mercilessly dealt with not only people, but also animals. Its dire immediate consequences led to the fact that most of the French nobility was either killed or stripped of their status, power, property, including the possession of vast lands and wealth. As a result of a change in the position in society of the owners of this variety, the number of French Brakes (Gascon) began to decline sharply.
It was then that the rich nobles, at one point, lost their position and could no longer afford the maintenance of such large dogs. And some pets became victims of commoners, who took out all their hatred of the rich class on them. Many purebred dogs were either killed or abandoned to their fate and as a result, unable to adapt to the yard life, died.
Fortunately for Braque Francais (Gascogne), these dogs were able to work on their own, not just in a large pack. This feature allowed some of the newer middle class hunters to keep one such dog and thus preserve the breed. However, many of these newly minted hunters became very interested in and preferred the English Pointers, which were strictly specialized gun dogs, as opposed to the generic French Bracque. As a result, the English Pointer began to gradually displace and replace its French "counterpart", which was widespread in most of the French lands.
Reasons for breeding French Pyrenean type marriages
But, there was still one part of France where English pointers were never popularized at such a rate as to supplant the French marques (Gascon). This is the southwestern region of Gascony and the Pyrenees. Until the late 1800s, there was only one type of Braque Francais, the Great Gascon. However, increasing urbanization has created a need for keeping pets of much smaller parameters than the Gascon type of canine. The French population preferred and could keep medium-sized dogs with features that would make them suburban pets during the week and game pets exclusively on weekends.
Hunters in the Pyrenees began to cross their Braque Francais (Gascogne) with smaller pointer and exploratory canines. With the help of this selection, dogs have been created that have a convenient reduced size. This lesser variety was called French (Pyrenean) marques. They got their name based on the region where they were bred. It was during this time that more of the canine species, which until then were largely preserved in the territory of Gascony, became known as the French Braque (Gascony).
Popularization of French marriages
The standards for both varieties were first written by specialists in 1880, and both dogs have traditionally been represented by the same breed club in France. By 1920, the two sizes were formally split into two breeds (before they were simply considered two branches of the same breed) and cross breeding between them was no longer allowed. The first president of the French Braque Francais Club, Dr. C. Castes, became a fan of the Gascon type, and the second president of MB Senac Lagrange became a fan of the Pyrenean type of these dogs.
The events of the two world wars proved to be very difficult not only for the French people, but for both types of Braque Francais. Their numbers have plummeted due to the hardships caused by these conflicts. Both breeds subsequently gradually recovered, although the smaller French Pyrenean marriages have now become significantly more common. Until recently, both types of these dogs were found and bred almost exclusively in France. This situation began to change only by the 1970s.
In 1976, Mr. Michel Gelinas from Quebec imported the first French Braque (Pyrenean) into North America. It was a bitch that Michel named "Maffia de l'etang du Marcenac". The Gelinas family subsequently brought several more representatives of the breed with them and began their breeding program. To further popularize the Pyrenean marriages in Canada and the United States of America, Mr. Michel Gelinas wrote an article in 1992 that described the external features of the breed and the manifestations of its character. Many people, after reading the article, have significantly increased their interest in the breed, and its numbers have successfully begun to multiply.
Recognition of French marriages
Several breed representatives were subsequently imported into the United States of America. Currently, there are at least two French Pyrenees breeders in the United States and a couple more living in Canada. The breed has received full recognition in the Canadian Kennel Club and the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVDHA).
In 2006, both types were fully recognized by the United Kennel Club (UKC) International Dog Register. Although this organization preferred to use different names for these two breeds: French Small Braque (Braque Francais de Petite Taille) and French Large Braque (Braque Francais de Grande Taille). So it remains unclear to the end whether any Braque Francais de Grande Taille were imported into North America. But, if so, then only a limited number of breeders possessed French marriages (Gascon).
At the moment, French marques (Perineesian) remain a very rare breed in North America, and, according to statistical estimates, there are currently less than two hundred representatives of the breed in this area. Unlike most modern species, both types of Braque Francais remain largely working dogs. Although many members of the breed are raised and kept as beloved family companions. But, also the vast majority of these dogs are virtuoso hunting dogs, or at least occasional hunting companions.
