Savvy and Cleo head out for a rooster in the drink. The Braques didn't hesitate to make a splash when necessary… in fact, they seemed to relish the opportunity.

A few select breeders continue to import Braques to add variety to the gene pool. Boisen had just finished another trip to France before we hunted together, and his young male Dakota -- a handsome, smart and mischievous little fellow -- was the result.

"Braques are calm, biddable and easy-going in the house -- real family dogs," says Boisen. "But they are strictly business in the field. They have a great nose, they know how to find birds, they're easy to train." To keep those traits going, Boisen plans further "Braque-shopping" trips to France.

Standards
The American Kennel Club (AKC) does not register Braque Francais. However, the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) recognizes the Braques Francais - Pyrenees. The Club du Braque Francais (CBF), in France, is the official club serving the breed. Working from the CKC and CBF standards, here are breed guidelines for the Braque Francais - Pyrenees:

Height: 181⁄2 to 22 inches (47 to 56 cm), with 191⁄2 to 213⁄4 inches ideal.

Weight: 38 to 55 pounds. Boisen's Savvy -- a handsome, mature male and the workhorse dog on our hunt -- weighed about 54 pounds. Cleo, a lovely female, scaled about 41 pounds.

Hair and Color: Braques have short, straight, easy-care hair on relatively tight skin with little or no dewlap on the neck. Acceptable color combinations are brown, brown and white, heavily spotted brown and white, and mottled.

Typical Braque Francais coloration and pattern. The chocolate brown color is a standard. So is the regal head.

Appearance: Subjective terms applied to the Braque include noble, well muscled and robust. The tail can be docked, or short at birth. The muzzle isn't square, but should not be "snipey" or pointy. The nose is brown, not split, with open nostrils. The length of the nose should be just less than that of the skull.

Hunting
The best part of my Braque Francais research was the hunting. Boisen works prime acreage in South Dakota's central pheasant country, and the dogwork was exceptional.

First impression: The Braques accepted my little Brittany into the clan without a snarl or growl. Maybe it was clear that Savvy was boss.

Boisen's Braques had been through the bird-finding drill. The ringnecks had seen some pressure, had their track shoes on, and were difficult to pin. But the Braques did their job exceptionally well.

"Savvy hunts just a little bigger," Boisen explained, as we walked a grassy creekbottom.

"But Cleo stays closer. It's a good combination. You hit the ground just a little farther out, and you cover the close-in nooks and crannies you might otherwise miss."

Savvy worked at an ideal pointer range. He ate up some country, but not too much. Cleo hunted close enough that a flushed bird would present a good shot -- something to allow when hunting with clients who are more focused on shooting their birds than on good dog work.

One morning along a slough in a freshly-cut cornfield, Savvy and Cleo made five finds in as many minutes. They nailed the birds with staunch, beautiful points, several of which saw Savvy locked in with head low to the ground and butt up high, Cleo honoring, or vice-versa.

Retrieving
Not all pointing breeds like to retrieve. Braques are different. "Braques are natural born retrievers," Boisen says. "They just do it. It's a part of their make-up. Encourage and reward it, and they'll never forget their lessons."

Boisen doesn't require his Braques to be steady to shot. Why? "Wild pheasants are a different business," he says. "Here, you need a dog that is going to be moving as you shoot, ready to run down a winged rooster. Not every client thinks that's slick. But they haven't dealt with a tough old Dakota ringneck."