Braque du Bourbonnais vs American Foxhound - Breed Comparison

Braque du Bourbonnais vs American Foxhound - Breed ComparisonAmerican Foxhound is originated from United States but Braque du Bourbonnais is originated from France. American Foxhound may grow 7 cm / 3 inches higher than Braque du Bourbonnais. American Foxhound may weigh 7 kg / 16 pounds more than Braque du Bourbonnais. Both American Foxhound and Braque du Bourbonnais has same life span. American Foxhound may have more litter size than Braque du Bourbonnais. Both American Foxhound and Braque du Bourbonnais requires Low Maintenance.

Basic Information

Group:
Hound dog
Gun dog
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United States
France
Height Male:
53 - 64 cm
20 - 26 inches
51 - 57 cm
20 - 23 inches
Height Female:
49 - 60 cm
19 - 24 inches
49 - 56 cm
19 - 23 inches
Weight Male:
25 - 32 kg
55 - 71 pounds
18 - 25 kg
39 - 56 pounds
Weight Female:
21 - 30 kg
46 - 67 pounds
16 - 22 kg
35 - 49 pounds
Life Span:
10 - 12 Years
10 - 12 Years
Litter Size:
1 - 12
3 - 6
Size:
Large
Medium
Other Names:
Foxhound
Bourbonnais Pointer • Bourbonnais Pointing Dog • French Pointing Dog • French Pointer • Braques Francaises • Braque Bourbonnais
Colors Available:
red, tricolor, black and tan, blue
White, with fine brown or fawn ticking
Coat:
short, hard
fine, short, dense
Shedding:
Seasonal
Constant
Temperament:
Alert, Energetic, Friendly, Gentle, Independent, Intelligent, Lively, Loyal, Outgoing, Sweet
Affectionate, Alert, Gentle, Intelligent, Quiet
Grooming:
Low Maintenance
Low Maintenance
Trainability:
Hard
Easy
Hypoallergenic:
No
No
Kids Friendly:
Yes
Yes
New Owners Friendly:
No
Yes

History

american foxhoundAs a cousin of the English Foxhound, the American Foxhound is a scent hound and bred for hunting. Robert Brooke brought the first hunting dogs to the colonies in 1650. These dogs were the starting point for several American hound breeds including the American Foxhound.

For almost 300 years the Brooke family owned and bred dogs from this bloodline.

At the same time that Brooke was hunting with and breeding his hounds, George Washington was given French Foxhounds. These were crossed with the Brooke’s dogs to create the American Foxhound. This breed is said to have been originally bred in Virginia and Maryland.

They are the state dog of Virginia. After Red Foxes were imported or migrated, Irish Foxhounds were brought to American and added into the line, increasing the stamina and speed that today’s dog’s still display.

The American Foxhound was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1886. Today’s American Foxhound presents in many different lines but are all considered the same breed even though some ay look very different. These strains include the Trigg, Walker, Penn-Marydel, Goodman, July and Calhoun.

braque du bourbonnaisThe Braque du Bourbonnais is an ancient breed, seen in the 15th century in France in the province of Bourbonnais. He became extremely popular with hunters by the 1800’s as a good pointer. He has become very popular in the United States and all of North America. There are often more puppies born in the U.S. than in France. The British call this breed the Bourbonnais Pointing Dog.

As with so many European hunting and working dogs, the Braque du Bourbonnais almost disappeared following World War I but was saved by the first breed club, established in 1925. Then following World War II, they were again in danger as the club dissolved and birth rates among the breed decreased drastically.

Actually, there were no dogs at all in the French registry between 1963 and 1973. This was attributed to the fact that the registry put more emphasis on the secondary characteristics such as color, length of tail) instead of the hunting characteristics. Because of this some hunter-breeders vowed to bring the real Braque du Bourbonnais back.

Michel Comte took on this task in 1970 but could not find any dogs with pure Bourbonnais blood. So, he took missed breed with characteristics like the Bourbonnais and inbred several litters until he had a dog he was satisfied with. He registered this dog with the LOF in 1973-75. Seeing this several other breeders got into the act and they successfully brought the breed back.

Michel became president of the new Club du Braque du Bourbonnais in 1981 and remained so until 2001. During this time the breed excelled at field trials and was first sent to the U.S. in 1988. The breed is now thriving in both Europe and North America.

Description

american foxhound puppy - descriptionGiven the variety of bloodlines and strains mentioned above, there can be many differences in the American Foxhounds. Because of this most American Foxhounds bred to show are Walkers as they most closely fit the AKC Breed Standard.

In general, the American Foxhound has long, straight legs and is taller than the English Foxhound. They have a narrow chest and domed skull with a long muzzle.

They have low, wide set eyes that should be dark – brown or hazel, never blue. They have feet like a fox and laid-back shoulders with a curved tail. Athletic and muscled, the American Foxhound is bred to run. They are one of the rarest breeds in the United States.

braque du bourbonnais puppy - descriptionThis is an elegant breed with a medium sized, muscular bod and a round head. The nose will be the color of the coat and the muzzle is cone shaped with a wide base. He has large dark or hazel eyes, again depending on the color of the coat. The ears can drop below the throat and the neck is very muscular. He has a deep, wide chest and straight, muscular legs. The coat can come in two colors – liver and fawn – and ticked or spotted. They have a typical short pointer type tail.

Characteristics

american foxhound dog - characteristicsWith a reputation as a docile, sweet dog, the American Foxhound is great with kids and animals. They are gentle and often very shy with strangers. They are strong willed and stubborn especially when training them, so they are not a good first dog. They need an owner who has handled dogs before and knows how to be the pack leader without being angry or mean.

The American Foxhound is a scent hound and once he is on the scent it is close to impossible to distract him from it. They have a tendency to ignore commands when they are in this state. A strong owner/leader is needed for this reason. Don’t let him off leash in an unfenced area.

braque du bourbonnais dog - characteristicsThe Braque du Bourbonnais is a gentle, calm dog. He is affectionate and kind when off the job but intelligent, adaptable and serious when hunting. They are intense when learning or hunting and they will learn quickly. They are good with other dogs.

Health Problems

american foxhound puppies - health problemsThe American Foxhound, like most hunting dogs does not carry a lot of genetic disorders. But they can easily become overweight and this can cause major problems. Dysplasia of any type had been mostly unknown in this breed, but due to obesity it is cropping up on occasion. Breeders have not, and do not usually screed for any genetic diseases.

The most devastating health issue the American Foxhound faces is thrombocytopathy. We will go into more detail on this in the Care for Pet section. This is a disease of the blood system, namely the platelets.

This medium sized pointer can suffer from:

Hip Dysplasia – can be tested

braque du bourbonnais puppies - health problemsEntropion - both of these are issues with eyelashes turning inward or outward and both can

Ectropion - injure the eye

Pulmonic Stenosis of the heart – valve doesn’t open

Caring The Pet

Feeding

american foxhound dogs - caringWhether feeding a pup, or an adult American Foxhound, you need to be sure the food is high quality and that you don’t overfeed. The Foxhound is happy to eat as much as you give him. They like to eat. Make sure you measure and don’t free feed. Control what they are eating.

For a puppy feed twice, a day – 2 to 3 cups of high quality puppy food. When he becomes an adult feed him once a day with 2 cups of adult food.

Health issues

As mentioned previously, the American English Foxhound, like most of the hound breeds is a very healthy dog. They do not have many genetic health issues. They do have a risk for thrombocytopathy. This risk is slight, but all owners of American English Foxhounds should be aware of it.

Thrombocytopathy

This disease is a circulatory system disease with poorly or non-functioning platelets. Platelets are designed to assist in the control of bleeding and without functioning ones the dog can bleed excessively from just a minor cut or bleed internally from a minor injury. The disease can be treated but you have to notice it first. Depending on how severe the disease is, the treatment will vary. Some dogs will have to be given platelets.

Exercise and games

This is a high energy breed that is very active and needs a lot of exercise. They are not good for the first-time owner as they are stubborn and hard to train. They need room to run and get frustrated and out of sorts if they don’t have it. They can live in the suburbs but only with a large fenced yard, an even larger dog park and regular walks. This dog needs a lot of exercise. The simplest thing to do is take him hunting.

Feeding

braque du bourbonnais dogs - caringThis breed is prone to weight gain and obesity. Be careful not to overfeed them. Don’t free feed them but give them 2-3 smaller meals per day.

Health issues

Hip Dysplasia – can cause lameness and arthritis

Entropion - both of these are issues with eyelashes turning inward or outward and both can

Ectropion - injure the eye

Pulmonic Stenosis of the heart- minor will have no symptoms but eventually the heart will not be able to function efficiently and could lead to congestive heart failure.

Exercise and games

The Braque du Bourbonnais needs at least a minimum amount of exercise daily , especially if he is not used for hunting. A fenced backyard for playtime would be perfect but long walks will work. He likes to learn tricks, play ball or hide and seek. Outside activities could include hiking, swimming, agility, retrieving, rally and obedience trials, along with the usual field trials.

Comparison with other breeds

  1. American Foxhound vs English Bulldog - Breed Comparison
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  5. American Foxhound vs West Highland White Terrier - Breed Comparison
  6. American Foxhound vs French Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  7. American Foxhound vs Beagle - Breed Comparison
  8. American Foxhound vs Yorkshire Terrier - Breed Comparison
  9. American Foxhound vs Poodle - Breed Comparison
  10. American Foxhound vs Rottweiler - Breed Comparison
  11. American Foxhound vs Boxer - Breed Comparison
  12. American Foxhound vs English Pointer - Breed Comparison
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  14. American Foxhound vs Doberman Pinscher - Breed Comparison
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  16. American Foxhound vs Abruzzenhund - Breed Comparison
  17. American Foxhound vs Affenpinscher - Breed Comparison
  18. American Foxhound vs Afghan Hound - Breed Comparison
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  25. American Foxhound vs Atlas Terrier - Breed Comparison
  26. Braque du Bourbonnais vs English Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  27. Braque du Bourbonnais vs German Shepherd - Breed Comparison
  28. Braque du Bourbonnais vs Golden Retriever - Breed Comparison
  29. Braque du Bourbonnais vs Labrador Retriever - Breed Comparison
  30. Braque du Bourbonnais vs West Highland White Terrier - Breed Comparison
  31. Braque du Bourbonnais vs French Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  32. Braque du Bourbonnais vs Beagle - Breed Comparison
  33. Braque du Bourbonnais vs Yorkshire Terrier - Breed Comparison
  34. Braque du Bourbonnais vs Poodle - Breed Comparison
  35. Braque du Bourbonnais vs Rottweiler - Breed Comparison
  36. Braque du Bourbonnais vs Boxer - Breed Comparison
  37. Braque du Bourbonnais vs English Pointer - Breed Comparison
  38. Braque du Bourbonnais vs Siberian Husky - Breed Comparison
  39. Braque du Bourbonnais vs Doberman Pinscher - Breed Comparison
  40. Braque du Bourbonnais vs American Bully - Breed Comparison
  41. Braque du Bourbonnais vs Abruzzenhund - Breed Comparison
  42. Braque du Bourbonnais vs Affenpinscher - Breed Comparison
  43. Braque du Bourbonnais vs Afghan Hound - Breed Comparison
  44. Braque du Bourbonnais vs Aidi - Breed Comparison
  45. Braque du Bourbonnais vs Airedale Terrier - Breed Comparison
  46. Braque du Bourbonnais vs Akbash Dog - Breed Comparison
  47. Braque du Bourbonnais vs Akita - Breed Comparison
  48. Braque du Bourbonnais vs Africanis - Breed Comparison
  49. Braque du Bourbonnais vs Askal - Breed Comparison
  50. Braque du Bourbonnais vs Atlas Terrier - Breed Comparison