Braque du Puy

The Braque du Puy was one of the oldest hunting dog breeds that originated in France. These dogs were bred primarily for hunts in the low lands. They are renowned for their speed, agility and flexibility. The actual place of origin of these dogs is called Poitou, province in west-central France. This region is famous for its marshlands, which explains why a low land hunting dog breed was created here. The dog’s ancestry is shared by a breed that was similar to greyhounds and other Braque breeds. A popular story about the origin of these dogs is that there were two brothers called du Puy who cross bred a Braque Francais dog with a Sloughi dog that had been brough into France from Africa, by a soldier in the French army. Another story about the origin of these dogs says that the Braque du Puy descends from a breed of French Setters. Some of these dogs survived after the French Revolution (1789-1799) due to the efforts of a hunting watchman who was called du Puy.

The common color found in these dogs was said to be a white base with liver or orange markings. These dogs were not very large and were categorized as medium. From photographs, a grey hound contribution to these dogs’ ancestry can be clearly made out, from their long, well toned and muscular bodies, and their slim, but agile limbs. These dogs have been known in France since the 18th century. However, they have now all but died out and are only occasionally seen in rare pets’ markets all over the world.

The head is long, narrow and thin. The skull is somewhat bulbous. The muzzle is long and has a pronounced upward arch. The nose is dark brown in color and is broad shaped. The lips are thin and tight around the mouth, with no loose folds. The ears are rather long, very thin and flexible. They are also slightly curled and somewhat laid back.

These dogs have a short coat which is always smooth to touch. However, the hair on the back could be of a somewhat rough texture. The body is slender, with a long neck without dewlaps. The chest is high and deep and clearly shows the influence of breeding with greyhounds. The sternum is well developed. The tail is long, carried low or very slightly curved. It is mostly covered with hair. The tail should be allowed to grow to is full size and should not be docked.

Males of this breed can grow to a height of about 68 cm and females, slightly smaller, can grow to 66 cm. Both genders weigh approximately 30 kg.

These dogs are well suited to country life, and more specifically to hunting in low lying marshlands and bushy areas. They are fast, flexible and have very good scenting skills. These dogs, however, are not very powerful swimmers and do not do well in water. These dogs need a lot of regular exercise and they should be groomed regularly.