General features of the dog, the breed from which the Saint-Germain marriage originated, the activities of the breed club in France, the influence of external events, the popularization of the species. Saint-Germain Braque or Braque Saint-Germain is a medium-sized animal with powerful yet elegant appearance. The rib cage is strong enough, the muscles are adapted to solving tasks that require endurance. The tail should not be docked and, when moving, moves to a horizontal position. The craniofacial lines are parallel or very slightly divergent. The stop is less noticeable than that of the pointers. The ear should not be strongly pressed against the head and form an angle. The eye color is golden yellow. They are harmoniously located on the face, and the expression is soft and frank.
The coat has fawn and white colors, without the presence of black. Ears are painted in body color. The lips, mucous membranes and palate must be definitely pink or light orange (any black color will disqualify the breed).
Saint Germain is described in the FCI standard as a very sociable, balanced and affectionate dog. It is easy to train her, but at the same time, it is not permissible to use cruel methods. Pets are very close to humans and value family life. They are hassle-free animals, obedient and extremely attached to their master. They have a high temperament. Saint-Germain Braque lives well in the city, with regular training.
Breeds from which Saint-Germain Braque descended
The origin of the Saint-Germain marriage dates back to the 1800s. But the history of the birth of his ancestors, there is an opportunity to trace over many centuries. The Braque Saint-Germain originated from the intersection of two canine species used for hunting purposes. The English Pointer and the Gascogne Braque Francais laid the foundation for this variety. The history of breeding these two types of dogs dates back to at least the 1600s, and possibly several centuries earlier.
Experts suggest that the English Pointer was developed by crossing Spanish Pointers with British gundogs, hounds and herding breeds. Research conducted by researchers at the Gascon French Marques reports that these dogs were bred from either spaniels such as the Chien d-Oysel, or from Spanish and Italian Pointing Dogs.
The British preferred that their breeds were specialized, that is, they had a specific purpose. The English Pointer, one of the forefathers of the Saint Germain Brakes, became the fastest and most capable of all Pointing Dogs, although he was not as skilled in any other task. On the other hand, the French preferred their dogs to be able to carry out a variety of tasks. The Gascon French Braque had the ability to carry out much more of the tasks assigned to him than his English counterpart. For example, searching, carrying and scaring game, although it was a less talented pointer.
There is another important difference between the two ancestors of the Saint-Germain Marques - the color scheme of their coat. The English Pointer was distinctively white, with darker shades of markings, while the Gascon French Braque had a predominantly brown base color with white markings.
History of the origin of the Saint-Germain marriage
With the advent of more modern technology in the late 1700s, it became increasingly difficult to exchange dogs between different countries. At the same time, the economies of the European powers became more and more interconnected. After Napoleon's final defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, the French monarchy was temporarily restored to power. In 1824, Charles X (Charles Philippe) claimed the French throne. Like most of the French upper class, Charles X was an avid hunter who was particularly fond of hunting birds.
Soon after he ascended the throne, the monarch of France was presented with a pair of English pointers. It was a dog named "Stop" and a bitch named "Miss", the progenitor of the Saint-Germain marriage. Presumably, these dogs were brought to France and transferred to the king by Count Alexander de Girardin, the main hunter of the French royal court. Many experts considered these pets to be excellent hunters. In fact, the famous French dog expert Adolphe de Rue, who personally hunted using more than two hundred canines in the hunt, argued that the bitch named "Miss" was far superior to the French brack in her working qualities.
Unfortunately for King Charles X, his reign was very shaky. He never gained popularity, and he was forced to abdicate after popular unrest in France. This happened in 1830, after a massive uprising. Royal kennels were disbanded and sold out. The dog named "Stop" died before he was able to leave behind offspring, but the pet, named "Miss", the ancestor of Saint-Germain Brakkov, was able to reproduce several litters.
Subsequently, the bitch "Miss" was sold to M. D. Larminatou, Chief Inspector of the Compiegne Forest, located in Compiegne, north of Paris. The Miss was bred with a brown German Spaniel, but the puppies from this litter were considered to be of poor quality. The breeder of the second litter "Miss" was a brown and white male Gascon French Braque named "Zamor". This dog belonged to Count de Wilhelm and was considered an excellent specimen in all respects.
This crossing resulted in seven puppies, four of which were white with orange markings and pink noses. These dogs, the ancestors of the Saint-Germain Brakes, turned out to be such excellent hunters that Zamor and Miss were bred at least several more times. M. D. Larminath distributed these puppies to friends, colleagues and those who were willing to pay for the animals. The famous French dog expert Adolphe de Rue personally bought a dog and a bitch from the producers "Zamora" and "Miss". This specialist praised their abilities as highly as the qualities of their mother had once.
At that time, such breeding of dogs as between the bitch "Miss" and the dog "Zamor" was a common practice for forest workers. Also, employees usually constantly moved around the French district. Many forest officials from Compiegne moved to the Saint-Germain forests west of Paris. Naturally, they always carried their pets with them. The bright orange and white appearance of these dogs immediately attracted the attention of Parisian hunters. The breed quickly acquired the status of a very fashionable dog in the French capital, at which time it first became known as the Saint-Germain Braque.
The spread of the Saint-Germain marriage at home
From the 1830s to the 1850s, the Braque Saint-Germain was one of the most widespread, valuable and popular breeds in and around Paris. The height of popularity for the breed came at the same time when dog shows were first held in France for the first time, adopting the experience of Great Britain.
The Saint Germain Bracque was the most frequently exhibited variety of all types of pointers, especially at the first French dog show held in Paris in 1863. The elegant and beautiful Braque Saint-Germain won its rightful place as one of the most popular French dog breeds, and kept it unchanged for several decades. Before World War I, it was the most frequently exhibited and awarded Bracke breed.
In the end, such popularity not only did not benefit the variety, but it also began to damage the breed. Unscrupulous sellers, for their own profit, began to sell various other non-purebred dogs, passing them off as Saint-Germain brackes. And even more dishonest dog breeders showed other breeds in competitions under the name of Saint-Germain Braque. In particular, many English Pointers were passed off as Braque Saint-Germain.
White and orange coat colors have occasionally been seen in other French Bracke varieties over the centuries, and many of these dogs have also been sold, bred or exhibited as Saint Germain Bracques. Paradoxically, this infusion of new blood was probably very beneficial for Brack Saint-Germain, as it meant that the breed no longer descended from two separate dogs, but from them transformed into one.
For a long time, there has been a serious controversy among lovers of Saint-Germain marriage about the influence of these other breeds. Some researchers argue that the impact was negligible and that the breeds are still mainly descended from the offspring of the canines "Miss" and "Zamor". Other experts believe this was so significant that Miss and Zamor actually provided only a small fraction of the breed's overall base.
Activities of the Saint Germain Braque breed club in France
The introduction of the new gene pool almost completely ceased by 1913. In the same year, in Paris, the "Braque Saint-Germain breed club" was founded, the purpose of which was to preserve a closed breeding book, preventing "dirty" bloods, and to promote the breed in its worldwide recognition. However, the club could not agree on a single standard, instead proposing to register two different varieties of Saint-Germain marriage.
One representative had a strong build, a rounded chest and long, low-set ears. This type was larger and slower than the other. Many argued that these dogs were not fast, and could not travel long distances. They also lacked the gradation of the English pointer. Another type of Saint-Germain braque was smaller and thinner in structure. These specimens had an elegant appearance, slightly shorter limbs, high-set ears and a quick gallop. In these two types, probably, the genetics of the various reeds and, accordingly, the English pointers were manifested to varying degrees.
Influence of external events on the Saint-Germain marriage
Just as Brack Saint-Germain began to standardize, he almost disappeared. In 1914, France took part in the First World War. The conflict completely destroyed the French country, especially the region around Paris. Most of the bloody battles on the Western Front took place less than two hundred miles from the city. During the war and its aftermath, the selection of Saint-Germain Braque was almost completely discontinued. A large number of individual representatives died due to a lack of basic care and attention. As a result of this situation, the main stock of the Braque Saint-Germain fell sharply, and the once widespread and popular breed became very rare.
With the species barely beginning to recover, World War II broke out and Paris and the surrounding area were overrun by the Nazi blitzkrieg. By the end of World War II, Saint Germain was very close to extinction. After the end of World War II, a number of dedicated breeders made a commitment to revive the Brakka Saint-Germain. At this point, there was only one type of Saint-Germain marriage, since both of the previous ones were completely merged into one breed.
By the late 1950s and early 1960s, this species had established a solid reputation among French hunters. Also, pedigree specimens, during this period, took part with great success not only at dog shows in the show ring, but also in field trials. Xavier Thibault was considered one of the most successful breeders of the time. Dogs from his line called "Feux Mignon" were regarded as the breed with some of the best hunting performance.
Disagreements within the Club of Saint-Germain Braque
However, the breed has failed to make a successful leap in the direction of its popularity. Perhaps this is due to the fact that Saint-Germain was divorced too much due to external data, as well as serious athletic ability and great efficiency for all tastes of dog lovers. The breed club began to experience disagreements due to a lack of common interest and conflict between those who wanted to breed the Braque Saint-Germain for show shows and those who wanted to breed it exclusively for hunting birds.
By 1982, there were only twenty-three breed members in the club and eventually, within a few years, it ceased operations. Even after the club was rebuilt, the same problems that had plagued it during the last period came up again. By the end of the 1990s, the popularity of the breed had increased markedly, and more than a hundred new puppies were registered every year.
In 2001, the first distinctive features of the breed were approved. At that time, experts reviewed and approved new rules to improve the dire situation for expanding the small gene pool of Saint-Germain Braque. A (once forbidden) limited number of crosses with English Pointers were allowed. However, within the club, disagreements and internal strife began again between its members.
Several well-known breeders have either switched to other breeds or stopped breeding Braque Saint-Germain altogether. By 2004, only about thirty new puppies were registered. Recently, the situation has improved and in 2009, more than a hundred puppies were registered. To expand the gene pool of the breed, several crosses with English Pointers were also carried out. However, Saint Germain Braque still suffers from a very small population, lack of general interest and a very limited number of serious breeders.
Popularization of Saint-Germain marriage outside the homeland
Throughout its existence, the spread of the Saint-Germain marriage was almost completely limited to the territory of the French state. Almost all breeding stock is currently in France and essentially all breeding takes place in that country alone.
Several individual dogs have found their way to other countries, but the breed has not yet established itself in any of them. It is unclear if any members of this species ended up in the United States of America. If they are present in the United States, then only a few isolated individuals. However, the breed has received full recognition in the United Kennel Club (UKC) since 2006. The Marriage Saint Germain is considered a very vulnerable breed that could easily disappear in the near future if its situation does not improve. Nowadays, Saint-Germain marriages are bred in almost equal numbers to standardize performance and appearance. Breeders continue to maintain good hunting skills in the breed.
