Data on the appearance of a Bourbon marriage, appearance parameters, characteristic behavior of the animal and its health, care criteria, interesting facts. Puppy price. These dogs are constant hunters and human helpers. Their popularity at one time served the breed a disservice. But today you don't have to worry about their existence. These cops are still hunted and kept as companion dogs.
Bourbon marriage appearance data
Bourbon marriage, this is a typical French dog that has been known for a long time. Their images can be found on an old engraving by Aldra Wandy from 1580. The dog belongs to the canines. She has the smallest height among marriages. His ancestor, like the progenitor of all other French marriages, is the old continental marriage. He was based in the province of Bourbon. There the dogs took root and became ordinary rural pets. These animals have perfectly adapted to the conditions of the local climate and relief - to its hills, fields and floodplains.
We hunted with them mainly for birds. In 1881, Delarue wrote about Bourbon marriages in one of his books that these dogs were trained from birth. He lavished praise on this little cop. The Count of Milan also mentioned them in 1900 in his famous edition of The Inventory of All Breeds of Dogs. He talks about Bourbon marriages and even names several champions. The Count was the first to describe the standard of this breed. He says that the head of these dogs is pear-shaped, and the whole body is covered with thick burgundy specks. Milan speaks of them as strong and hardy animals.
The official standard was established in 1925, during the creation of the Bourbon marriage club. It was adopted by the club committee and is followed to this day. These canines were popular between 1900 and 1920. All the main nurseries in France then had one or more Bourbon marriages, so they are already well known.
But a little later, difficulties arose in the selection process. The breeders wanted the dog to have a beautiful color and a short tail from birth. But, of course, this is not what you need to focus on when selecting. First of all, it is necessary to strive to improve and consolidate the hunting qualities of dogs. Therefore, here the breeders lagged behind a little.
Fashion, if not exterminating the dogs, then at least cripples them, and the "Bourbon" is no exception. Immediately after the war, the breed practically disappeared because most of the individuals died. There are only a few copies left that are suitable for breeding. Dog handlers had to work hard to restore the Bourbon marriage.
The Second World War became disastrous for the species, it was extremely difficult to restore it. This is a very ancient breed. She has changed quite a lot in appearance, but she retained her hunting qualities. These dogs are not intended for hunting competitions on the ground, rather they are suitable for gun hunting. For this, they were taken out. That is, the goal is not a competition, but a hunt.
Bourbon marriage is a popular breed abroad. She sells well there. These canines are found in the United States of America, Canada, Argentina, Angola, Germany and Italy. But in England they are not.
The favorite game of Bourbon marriages is the red partridge - the woodcock. They also hunt pheasants with them, but mainly partridges and woodcocks. Dogs should be trained on snipe and ducks from early childhood. These cops are intended mainly for hunting in the forest as well as on the plain. Therefore, we can say that the breed is quite versatile, since dogs hunt almost everywhere. They are used near the Mediterranean Sea, in the north of France, as well as abroad in Denmark and Canada, where the climate is much harsher.
Hunting is best when the dog works in a team with the owner. Individuals of this breed always understand their owners and try to please them. Nowadays it has become fashionable to hunt with two dogs and to work in complex hunting. We can distinguish two types of stance according to the stance of another dog.
First, the dog makes a stance when it is performed by the dominant individual. Then, he stops far enough away from the first dog. The situation in this case does not require the second individual to make a stance. But according to the laws of hierarchy, the animal stops and even lies down. This is how the cop emphasizes respect for the dog that first found the game.
Another type of stance occurs when both dogs track and stop at the same time. In this case, you can be sure that they stood up exactly on the trail. Because the second individual also smells the game and at this moment it does not perform a ritual stance, but does it simultaneously with the other cop.
The Bourbon marriage only stands up on the trail of the game. These canines are required to find it quickly, that is, to be a search dog. This means that their main characteristic is a keen sense of smell. When a dog is looking for a bird, it does it quite actively. Their search is broad, energetic, but not without a systemic one.
Description of the parameters of the appearance of the Bourbon marriage
Bourbon marriage has a slightly over-average size with short hairline. It has a square format, and the whole body is covered with thick burgundy specks. The dog has developed muscles and strong bones. She has a proportional, compact and athletic build. She is hardy, strong, active. It is used as a hunting, gun dog for searching and carrying feathered game.
Based on the established criteria, the height at the withers can vary in males from 55 cm to 56 cm and bitches from 47 cm to 50 cm with a variation of 1-2 cm. The weight of breed specimens in males is from 17.5 kg to 25 kg and in females individuals from 15 kg to 22.5 kg. Bitches have a more stretched body due to their procreation function.
The Bourbon dog is quite heavy and his run is hard, but active. The head position is high enough, but he must quickly pick up the track on the run, the hind legs push off the ground well. When the bourbon takes the bottom track, it tilts its head to the ground. Can hold a rack for a long time.
- Head perfect, pear-shaped. Set on high. The skull is rounded with a noticeable transition to the neck. The frontal part is moderately rounded. The furrow on the forehead is well developed. The bump on the back of the head is visible, but not very prominent. Cheekbones are flat. The brows are not very developed, low.
- Muzzle - long, oblong-rectangular, parallel to the skull of equal length, tapering towards the nose. The bridge of the nose is smooth. The stop is harmoniously defined, manifested. The lips have brown pigmentation, do not droop. Scissor bite. The flews overlap the lower jaw, but are not flabby. The jaws are long and strong. The canines are powerful, the teeth are large, white, close to each other in a scissor bite. The mucosa is well pigmented in a brown tone.
- Nose large-eye-catching. The nostrils are wide. The lobe is pigmented with a light brown color. It can be lighter or darker depending on the color of the dog.
- Eyes bourbon marriage of medium placement, on one, front line. They are round and medium in size. Coloring of the cornea is dark amber brown (depending on the color of the coat). The eyelids are dry, outlined with dark or light brown pigment. They have an attentive and peaceful look.
- Ears fastened high, reaching the length of the upper surface of the neck. They are not large, the cartilage is pendant, elastic, thin, rounded at the ends. The auricles are adjacent to the skull and have a slight fold.
- Neck - Moderately long, rounded, with strong, prominent muscles, widening towards the shoulders. The withers are visible above the line of the spine. Suspension is not observed.
- Frame fits into a square, with powerful muscles. The ribcage is beautifully rounded, it is perfect in all three planes, good width and depth, oval. The back is well cut, very powerful, well muscled, tense, slightly rounded at the back. The loin is strong, fairly short as measured by the length of the last rib. The croup is strong, rather muscular. The ribs are rounded, convex. The belly line is perfectly matched in the lumbar region.
- Tail low location, short. Its permissible length is fourteen centimeters. It is thickened at the base and gradually decreases towards the end. When running, the dog carries it up, slightly above the level of the spine.
Extremities:
- Front - when viewed from the front and from the side, must have a perfect set and strong bones. It is necessary that the dog has very straight limbs, as it is stocky and unpretentious. The limbs are not wide apart, with strong dry muscles. The shoulder blades are inclined, tightly pressed, and elongated. The elbows are directed backward. The shoulders are well connected to the shoulder blade and the body, set obliquely. The pasterns are slightly vertical.
- Rear - go vertically downward, from the middle axis of the body, stand parallel to one another, with strong bones. The thighs are well muscled, almost equal in length to the lower leg. The joints are harmoniously curved. Metatarsus almost vertical.
- Paws - of medium size, gathered in a rounded-oval shape, strong. The toes are curved and tightly knit. Their claws are hard and strong, colored with dark pigment. The pads are firm and firm.
- Coat bourbon marriage is not too delicate, as it must protect the dog from adverse weather conditions. The outer hair is short and grows densely. On the back, the coat is slightly longer. The undercoat is softer and thicker.
- Leather - dense and there is no fatty layer under it. It is firm and elastic, fits the body well. No depressions or folds are observed.
- Color - bluish-purple, that is, a white base and a brown speck on it. There is also gray and beige, in which there is a speck of the same color, but their pigmentation is more pronounced. On the muzzle, near the cut of the eyes, speckles are also allowed, but it is necessary that it be distributed around the axis of symmetry that separates them. This is only allowed if the spots are on the sides of both eyes. The specks on the body are not too frequent.
Characteristic Behavior of a Bourbon Marriage
When these pets look at their owners or other family members, joy shines in their eyes. This state illuminates their entire life with the owner. When Bourbon marriages live in a home, they blend in beautifully. With children, they are playful and cheerful. They always want affection and respond to a soft, warm attitude with love. It can be noted in terms of their content and teaching that bourbons can adapt to anything. Therefore, they live in nurseries and apartments, hunt in difficult or easy terrain for diverse game. This is where the power of the Bourbon marriage lies.
Dog health bourbon marriage
It's great that the Bourbon marriage is an unpretentious, robust breed. Even in appearance, we can say that his health is excellent. Of course, there are individual characteristics that are characteristic of each canine species. Life expectancy, like other hunting dogs, depends on how long the animal is used. But, we can say for sure that breed specimens can reach twelve to fifteen years.
This is not to say that they have some very big flaws. There is only one drawback typical of any fairly large canine. This is a dysplasia problem. Dysplasia is a hereditary disease of the hip joints, that is, their abnormal development. The program for combating this genetic disease consists of systematic radiography of animals participating in breeding work.
Their main skin problem is flea bite allergy. The damaged skin becomes irritated and the dog becomes severely itchy. The pet becomes irritable and itches constantly. To avoid such a nuisance, it is necessary to treat his hairline with an antiparasitic agent once a month.
Bourbon marriages are very exercise-tolerant and have a short search area. That is, they don't need to run a lot. Therefore, dogs remain active for a very long time and work great. You can take marriage no earlier than six months on a hunt. They will be active, but a little distracted. Naturally, dogs that go hunting every day and individuals who work once a week experience a different load. If the dog is overworked, it may develop arthrosis. Depending on the level of activity and the intensity of work, a Bourbon marriage may well hunt for up to twelve years.
The weight gain of a pet during the hunting season is impossible, because physical activity requires a lot of energy. But, it is necessary to be vigilant outside the hunting season, because during this period the dog can gain extra pounds. The owner should not allow his "bourbon" to be too thick or, on the contrary, thin. Therefore, food should be selected depending on the needs of the animal.
The first thing to do upon returning from the hunt is to carefully examine the dog. Check if she has picked up burrows or parasites, in particular ticks. This can lead to a disease called piroplasmosis. Therefore, carefully examine your pet's skin, especially around the paws, head and the inside of the ears. On the pads, between the toes, remove adhered particles of twigs, thorns, dry grass.
Criteria for caring for a Bourbon marriage
- Wool comb once a week, and when it changes, every other day. They are bathed twice a month.
- Teeth keep clean. Teach your dog to brush them from a young age. You can let her chew on the bones from the hard veins.
- Ears long-eared marriages must be cleaned systematically.
- Eyes Wipe regularly to avoid infections, especially after hunting.
- Claws - cut with claws.
- Feeding depends on the activity of the dog. Outside the hunting season, they are fed with less calories.
- Walking Bournese marriage take a long time. They should imply reasonable physical activity. When a dog lives in an apartment, you need to go out with it at least for a weekend in the forest.
Features of learning bourbon marriage
A Bourbon marriage must be skillful in eyeliner and calm in raising the bird. By the time the "Bourbon" starts working, he needs to be taught a lot. To teach to stand still when the bird rises, to teach to the sound of a shot so that the dog is not afraid of him. They start training from scratch and do a lot of repetitions to consolidate the teams.
To train the dog to be calm when the bird takes off, you need to take a cage with a partridge and release it from there. When the "Bourbon" runs to free the game, a leash is put on the dog and restrained. All repeat again until the desired result is fixed. When accustoming to the sound of a shot, the principle is almost the same. The leash is attracted if the animal is frightened and tries to escape. Then they repeat the lesson without a leash.
Bourbon marriages need to be ironed and praised quite often, they are quite touchy. Calm behavior must be developed not only when lifting the bird and firing, but also when working on the rack. If the animal is mistaken, it is necessary to repeat the exercise stasis so that it does not decide that this behavior is correct.
Interesting facts about Bourbon marriage
In puppies of the Bourbon marriage, the instinct to stand is usually genetic. It manifests itself quickly, and puppies learn well with further training. To determine the makings of young dogs, you can use a fishing rod on which the wing of a partridge is fixed.
Bourbon marriage puppy price
It is possible to buy a Bourbon marriage puppy abroad. We do not have this breed. Therefore, you can find out the exact cost of such a dog by contacting the breeder.
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