We know the Braque du Bourbonnais, in his original form, from French paintings and literature stretching back to the 1500s. He is believed to be one of oldest pointing dog varieties to have served human hunters. There were various pointer breeds across France, hailing from the same ancestors; each offshoot breed took the name of the region in which he was developed. And so the Bourbonnais is from Bourbonnais, although neither the region nor the dog exists in its original form today.
The region is now made up of parts of the departments of Allier and Cher. And despite his proficiency at indicating the whereabouts of partridges to his human comrades, the original Braque du Bourbonnais nearly died out. Continued breeding of the original B-de-B dog began to focus on his looks (breeders had a more lilac colour in mind) to the detriment of his skills. Naturally, serious hunters lost interest, and so breeding waned, the creature became increasingly rare, and his good name was removed from the registry of the Societe Centrale Canine (SCC).
In 1925, a group of breeders decided to do something about the plight of the Bourbonnais, and formed the Club du Braque du Bourbonnais – but much of their good work was undone by the advent of World War II. It is also claimed that these breeders continued to emphasize looks over ability. So it is understandable that the Bourbonnais’ post-war fortunes were not good. By 1973, a ten-year gap had passed since the last Bourbonnais pup had been registered.
Up stepped a human, Michel Comte, who was determined to lead the Bourbonnais back to glory. Through dedicated interbreeding of surviving B-de-B’s and similar breeds, he was able to create a new standard, although the FCI wouldn’t stamp its approval until 1991. Meanwhile, several of the creatures had been relocated to the United States, where their continued breeding has received popular, if not official, acclaim. Today, he is both handsome and talented:
"I shot a woodcock, and he ran out pick it up," says of Connecticut hunter Dan Larose. "He picked it up and immediately dropped it. He seemed to say, 'You want these things?' … We didn't lose a woodcock on the whole trip, and we shot quite a few.”
You might not want to hit the killing trail with your Bourbonnais, but be assured he’ll look picturesque as you photograph him snuffling for truffles or casually pointing out the location of an errant golf ball.
