If you have no interest in probing one of the last frontiers on the North American gun dog scene, then there is no need for you to read any further.

Got your attention?

I was recently introduced to this new territory myself, and it bears the name "Braque Francais." No, that is not a dry white wine. It means "French Pointer," and although this rare and fascinating breed does not have the bouquet of a chardonnay, it does go well with pheasant--or with grouse, or woodcock.

While investigating the Braque Francais for Gun Dog, I learned the breed is at a pivotal crossroads. This could be the first gathering of momentum toward the emergence of a new sporting breed on the North American scene. But as with the settling of any frontier, care and responsibility will be paramount. Part of this article's purpose is to explore that issue.

In my research, I spoke with Michel Gelinas, a French-speaking Quebecois who, by all reliable accounts, imported the first Braques to this continent from France in the 1970s. Michel authored a brief introductory article about the breed for the April/May 1992 issue of Gun Dog.

Michel Gelinas accepts a woodcock from Kim, a female Braque Francais.

One man who read that article and became instantly intrigued was Brad Boisen, a chiropractor from Pine Island, Minnesota. Brad and his wife Julie now operate "Chenil de Grand Ciel" (Kennel of the Big Sky) at their rural home near Pine Island, where they have bred Braques for six years. I traveled to Minnesota to visit the Boisens and observe their dogs in the field.

Finally, I interviewed Phil Knape, a professional trainer of dogs and horses in Michigan. Although no longer active in the breed, Knape raised two litters in the mid-1990s and finished training with seven Braques. As a pro, Knape has trained virtually every breed from Chesapeakes to English setters, so he can compare the Braque Francais to other breeds as few people can.

The insights of these experts will help us to understand the Braque's place on the North American gun dog scene...and what the future may hold for this breed.

HISTORY OF THE BREED
As early as the 14th century, a pointing dog known as the "Chien d' Oysel" was used in the Mediterranean region to point partridge, which were then captured with nets. This dog is believed by many to be the predecessor of the Braque Francais and most other pointing dogs of Europe.

In subsequent centuries, brown- and-white spaniels and pointers came into common use in southwestern Europe. In 1683, a hunter named Selincourt wrote what may be the earliest "breed standard" of sorts. He described the popular pointing dog of the day as "tall in size, strongly built, large-headed with long ears, square muzzle, large nose, hanging lips and a brown and white coat."

This brown and white pointer spread throughout Europe and evolved locally through interbreeding with various dissimilar dogs. By the late 1700s, two types of setter, one spaniel, and one shorthaired pointer had emerged. Although multiple local names existed for the shorthaired pointer, descriptions and illustrations from the period depict essentially the same dog. However, with further provincial separation, more varied physical attributes would later become apparent, even within France. Each new "breed" took on the name of its province. Hence, today we have the Braque d'Auvergne, Braque Saint Germain, Braque du Puis and Braque du Bourbonnais.

After the French Revolution in 1789, mainstream French tastes gravitated toward English dogs. The last remaining stronghold of affection for the old-style French pointer was the Gascogne region in southern France. There, the big brown and white dogs continued to hunt through the 1800s as they had for centuries.

Bridget, a female Braque Francais owned by Phil Knape, points a Michigan pheasant.

As the 20th century approached, an increasing number of hunters wanted all the attributes of the old-style French Pointer in a smaller package. A 75-pound pointing dog was not ideally suited to life in an urban, industrialized society. Another impetus for reducing the breed's size was the hunting terrain in the Pyrenees Mountains of France. There, a faster dog with tremendous stamina was needed. By breeding the old-style large dogs with smaller shorthaired pointing dogs, a smaller Braque Francais was produced in the Pyrenees region.

By 1920, the divergence of the Braque Francais into two distinct types became a permanent reality. Dr. C. Castets, the first President of Le Club du Braque Francais de France, fancied the larger or "Gascogne" type. The Club's second President, M. B. Senac- Legrange, was a devotee of the smaller or "Pyrenees" type. Today, the Pyrenees type is the more popular of the two. In fact, there has been no known importation of Gascogne type dogs to North America.

The Pyrenees' reduced size is reflected in a different hunting style from that of the Gascogne. Whereas the Gascogne exhibits a slow and methodical movement afield, the Pyrenees is a lithe and leggy dog with nimble feet and a quick, efficient, fluid gait. "They don't sprint when they're hunting," says Brad Boisen, "They glide." This lively but reasonable pace, combined with a sleek physique, enables the Pyrenees to hunt for long periods without fatigue.

The breed is now known by various names, including Gascony Pointer (Gascogne type), Braque Francais de Grand Taille (Gascogne type), Braque Francais de Petite Taille (Pyrenees type), French Pointer and even French Setter. Since the Pyrenees type is the only type currently extant in North America, further reference to the "Braque Francais" in this article will refer only to the Pyrenees type.