Schweenie vs Braque du Bourbonnais - Breed Comparison

The 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.

The Schweenie is a hybrid dog, with the parent breeds being the Shih Tzu and the Dachshund.

The Schweenie dog has been around for about 4 decades when breeders were looking for a dog that would be free of the health issues of the purebred parent breeds.

Because the Schweenie is a mix breed, it doesn’t qualify to be part of the American Kennel Club. He is however recognized by the Designer Breed Registry and some other clubs.

This 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.

The Schweenie will be a smallish dog standing at roughly 27cm to 50cm and weighing 4 – 9kg.

Because of the Dachshund parent, he will likely have a long body. The coat is shortish to medium length and can be a variety of colors – from a rusty color to brown, black, grey and even a cream shade. The ears are floppy and the tail medium length.

Temperament:

He is a small dog who is smart and bright and who wants to please his human owners. He loves people and wants to be around them and involved in their activities.

Small and cute though he is, he can be a stubborn dog and become a little big aggressive too if he is feeling a bit moody. He will need to be trained and socialized if you want him to obey your simple commands such as sit, stay, lie down and come.

He is intelligent enough to learn these simple commands with ease.He is both alert and vigilant, and this makes them good watchdogs.

The 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.

The Schweenie can be somewhat reserved and they need exercise regularly as well. If they don’t get enough exercise, they tend to become jittery and this can make them become a bit snappy. The are more prone to be snappy and aggressive with children who haven’t been taught how to treat animals gently and with respect.

They’re small enough to adjust to life in the city or countryside but will still need to be exercised.

The little Schweenie, with the right kind of owner can become a great little pet and companion.

This medium sized pointer can suffer from:

Hip Dysplasia – can be tested

Entropion - 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

With good care, your Schweenie can live to be 12 to 15 years of age. Every dog, no matter how healthy, can get some of the health problems that plague many dogs.

Intervertebral Disk Disease:

This is where the cushions between each vertebra come into contact with the spinal cord. It can result in nerve damage and sometimes even paralysis. Because the Shih Tzu is one of the parent breeds, you will need to be aware of this ailment as these dogs are more susceptible to this disease.

Hypoglycemia:

Hypoglycemia is fairly common in small dogs and it is where there is a drop in blood sugar. It can be brought on by stress. It can also be referred to as low blood sugar and it can be deadly. If your pet is hypoglycemic, you will notice a loss in appetite, extreme lethargy, trembling and unusual behavior. You will need to get your Schweenie to the vet immediately for tests and treatment.

Feeding

This 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.

Your Schweenie will need to be brushed at least twice a week to rid him of loose hairs. Because of his floppy ears, you will need to clean them and check for redness. If you don’t like the idea of probing inside the ear, professional groomers or the vet will do it for you.

Trim his nails if they don’t wear down on their own.

Provide him with a nice dry, warm spot to sleep.

Provide him with nice chewy toys that will keep him occupied.

Exercise him every day. Taking him on walks and playing ball games with him will keep him fit and trim but also help with staving off boredom.

Ensure his vaccines against deadly diseases are up to date. See that he gets to the vet when he appears to be under the weather.

He is a small dog so you have to be careful about how you feed him. You need to feed him a nutrient-rich dry kibble. Read the packaging and buy dog food according to his size, age and activity levels.

Try and include some home-made food into your dogs diet. A little bit of boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta, sweet potatoes, carrots and spinach all chopped up will do him good and can be added into the dry kibble twice a week. Some raw meat should also occasionally be added in as this can help to prevent some skin problems. Be sure that cool, fresh water is available for your pet at all times.