The Braque Du Bourbonnais is a pointing dog that dates back to at least the 1500s. He has been in existence since before 1598 when he began appearing in French literature and art. The Braque Du Bourbonnais was described as having a hardy and healthy appearance and being an agreeable companion for the hunter. He has a naturally short tail and is white in color with brown or fawn ticking throughout his coat. It is impossible to determine the exact origins of the Braque Du Bourbonnais because his existence dates back to before written records were kept for dog breeding. His bloodlines cannot be traced all the way back but researchers have agreed that the Braque Du Bourbonnais was developed by crossing the Braque Francais (Gascogne) or Large French Pointer with hunting breeds that were native to Bourbonnais. He experienced an increase in popularity until the beginning of World War I. By the end of World War II, the Braque Du Bourbonnais was almost extinct because of the lack of breeding activity during the wars. Stringent breeding practices caused the number of remaining Braque Du Bourbonnais to decrease and the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI) dropped him as an official breed. From 1963 to 1973 there were no purebred Braque Du Bourbonnais registered. In 1970, a French hunter began working towards saving the Braque Du Bourbonnais. He started by gathering together other interested breeders. These breeders searched through the France for any surviving Braque Du Bourbonnais. There was no more purebred Braque Du Bourbonnais to be found so dogs that were Braque Du Bourbonnais mixes were brought in and used in a breeding program to rebuild the breed. The Club du Braque Du Bourbonnais was founded by Michel Comte and other Braque Du Bourbonnais breeders in 1982. In 1985 the breed was officially re-registered with the Federation Cynologique Internationale’s French affiliate, the Society Central Canine (SCC). In 2011, the Braque Du Bourbonnais was allowed into the American Kennel Club’s Foundation Stock Service.
