Petzlover
Braque d'Auvergne is originated from France but Mexican Hairless is originated from Mexico. Braque d'Auvergne may grow 7 cm / 3 inches higher than Mexican Hairless. Braque d'Auvergne may weigh 40 kg / 89 pounds more than Mexican Hairless. Braque d'Auvergne may live 5 years less than Mexican Hairless. Braque d'Auvergne may have more litter size than Mexican Hairless. Both Braque d'Auvergne and Mexican Hairless requires Low Maintenance.
Sometime over 5 centuries ago, in the Cantal Region of France, was born a hunting breed, that might be the real ancestor of today’s pointing hunter dogs. Perhaps the oldest of all pointing gun dog is the Braque d’Auvergne. This breed comes from Central France in the region of Auvergne. This breed was developed prior to written dog breeding records in order to hunt in this region and find, point, flush out and retrieve fowl. This breed is clearly one of if not the oldest breeds in the French Braque. There is no agreement among historians on what breed is the oldest of the European pointing dogs and where they were developed – was it Spain or was it France? It is thought that the Braque Francais Gascogne is the original one of these in the early 1600’s while the Braque d’Auvergne came soon after. Due to the different hunting needs in the different parts of France, the Braque Francais Gascogne was crossed with a lot of other local scent hounds. The Braque d’Auvergne is one of the very oldest of all of these. There are records of the breeds existence in the 1700’s. It is probable that the Braque d’Auvergne was developed by crossing local dogs with Gascogne as well as with the Petit Bleu de Gascogne and the Grand Bleu de Gascogne.
In all of Western Europe, the region of Auvergne is not very populated and has unique geography in that is hilly and has many extinct and eroded volcanoes. A lot of the region is still unpopulated. In this environment, wildlife has flourished, and hunting is successful in providing food for the regions people. This circumstance with an abundance of birds, led to the breeding of the Braque Auvergne to specialize in hunting in this area. The breed is not very popular outside of Auvergne and probably never was. That fact allowed them to be devastated by the Second World War. The Reunion des Amateurs de Braque d’Auvergne (RABA) was started to promote the pure breeding and the protection of the d’Auvergnes. But when Auvergnes was occupied during the war, the slowed breeding of the Braque d ‘ Auvergne almost eliminated the breed. There might have only been about 25 dogs left following the end of the war. These remaining dogs were used to revive the breed, but it is still uncommon, but not rare. Individuals have been imported by other countries including North America. The United Kennel Club (UKC) accepted the breed in 2006 but is not accepted by the AKC (American Kennel Club). The breed is still a working breed and outside of France, very rare.
Who can believe that the origin of these dogs which hail from Mexico, goes back more than 3,500 years?
Known as the Xoloitzcuintli dog or Xolo for short, they comes in different sizes – toy-, miniature and standard which means there are different sizes. Both coated- and hairless dogs can be found in the same litter.
There was a time when the dog nearly became extinct buts its numbers have recovered. This is no doubt because there was a time when the natives ate the dog’s flesh.
The Braque d’Auvergne is a well built, strong hunting dog with long ears, a large head and a docked tail. His coat is white with black markings and black ears and head. The breed looks a lot like all the other pointing dogs from France. They are medium in stature and has the appearance of a working gundog. He is athletic, muscular and fit. Docking the tail is outlawed in many countries and all of the United Kingdom. In that case the tail is high on the rump and always straight. Their face and head are big for the size of the body and shaped like an oval. With a long muzzle, deep set eyes and a gentle expression, they are kindly and handsome dogs. Their skin is loose but not droopy or wrinkled like hound dogs.
The Mexican Hairless is truly an ancient dog breed of the Americans. He stands at 35 – 58cm if he is the standard variety whereas the miniature will stand at up to 35cm. Weight can vary too, but with the standard variety, you're talking about 16 to 22kg.
It has faced times of nearly being extinct but it’s numbers have recovered, and the dog is often sought after for those who suffer with dog-hair allergies. You could say that this dog’s most notable characteristic is its lack of hair and the soft skin.
Some of them have small tufts of hair on the hair, mostly around the top of the head. The skin can be various shades of gray to bronze and a yellowish color too. His body is slightly longer than its height and he is slim and well muscled. The tail is long and thin and is sometimes carried high. You can expect 2 – 5 puppies from these dogs.
Anyone acquiring a Xolo will discover that this is an intelligent dog breed and that just like with other dogs, you’ll be able to have him trained and socialized easily. Then he is obedient and a pleasure to have around.
He is active too and will require games with balls and ropes as well as a daily walk. The Xoloitzcuintli is noted for its calm demeanor. The puppies are a lot noisier than the adults and very energetic and this continues till they are about 2 years of age when they are considered to be adult.
Well raised Xolos form strong bonds with their human family, becoming loyal and devoted.
This is a gentle, adaptable and obedient breed. With their intelligence and affectionate nature, they make great family dogs and are eager to please their people. Living with other dogs is fine but not with small, prey size animals. The Braque d’Auvergne should never be left alone pets like gerbils and hamsters. They must be socialized to cats as pets and not prey before living with them successfully. They need to work closely with one human partner. They are first and foremost a hunting dog and need some sort of hunting simulation. They are devoted to their families and want to be constantly in their presence. This can lead to separation anxiety if they are left alone too much. They are great with children and need a family.
The Xolo is one of those dogs who don’t get ill easily. He is also intelligent and fairly easy to train. Add to that the fact that he is also a low maintenance dog as he doesn’t have a coat that needs brushing and grooming.
Give your Xolo lots of attention because in exchange for the good care you give him, you’re going to get a loyal, devoted pet who loves to be with you constantly.
The Braque d’Auvergne is a healthy breed but can face some of the same health concerns as other pointers and hunting dogs. The long, droopy ears can get infected easily if wet and need to be cleaned regularly so that food or dirt are not trapped their either. Because of the small gene pool however they may be at risk for several issues. The breeders in France express concerns about possible hip dysplasia and testing is highly recommended. Because they are at risk for other conditions that might not show up until later in life, it is also recommended that they be tested by the Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF) as well as the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA).
The Xoloitzcuintli is a hardy dog in terms of health and can live to a ripe old age in dog years – some have been known to reach 18, 19 and 20 years of age. Without a coat, this dog is susceptible to sunburn so care must be taken when outdoors.
Hairless dogs tend to battle with skin problems such as pimples. Skin allergies can cause itching and scratching and these can lead to bacterial infections. It is interesting to note that the genes that bring about hairlessness also produce troublesome teeth, so that dental disease is quite rife with these dogs.
The Braque d’Auvergne needs a high-quality diet fit for a working dog but not too much to make him obese. They are an active breed to choose a formula that is designed for working dogs.
Although no studies have been conducted on the Braque d’Auvergne’s health issues there are many conditions that similar breeds are susceptible to and the d’Auvergne might be as well. This includes any of the following:
This is an active, working dog who needs a lot of stimulation and exercise. The only real appropriate exercise for these dogs is hunting or outings in the woods. He not only needs the exercise, but he also needs to stimulate his sense of smell and his gundog intelligence. He might excel in lure chase or even a form or barn hunt. They certainly could excel at obedience trials and perhaps rally. If you are a weekend hunter then this is the ideal dog for you. They are so easy to train that they surpass other pointers for success with casual hunters. They hunt at a slower pace than many other gundogs. Their intelligence and athleticism lend itself well to agility and flyball also. They need a large (+acres)fenced in area to run and play.
You’ve got to remember with this dog breed that he doesn’t have a coat so he can burn easily when out in the sun. If you know you’ll be in the sun for long, you’ll have to apply special sunscreen.
You can wipe down your Xolo or bath him from time to time, though not to often so as to strip the natural oils from the dog’s body. The nails will need to be trimmed regularly, as long nails can be a danger as they can hook on things and cause pain and bleeding.
Provide your hairless pet with a nice, soft bed to lie on.
Take him to the vet when he appears to be ill and see that you get his vaccinations done to prevent deadly illnesses such as rabies and parvo.
Check his eyes and ears for infections.
Brush his teeth to remove plaque. Never use human toothpaste. Take a look at the different canine toothpastes available.
Never leave your pet in a hot car with no windows open.
Provide your Xoloitzcuintli dog with high quality dog food so as to enhance health and longevity. Keep food simple for your pet to avoid digestive problems. Boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and cooked potato, carrots and spinach can be chopped up and added to his dry kibble from time to time. Also a little bit of raw meat added in occasionally can also be excellent. Avoid feeding your pet foods such as onions, avocados, nuts, chocolate, coffee and raisins.
Make sure this dog has access to cool, fresh water night and day.