FAQs
How am I supposed to pronounce Braque d'Auvergne?
Unofficially, most owners spend the first six months avoiding saying it outloud altogether. It's easier than it looks, though and is pronounced roughly like brack-dough-vern. Say it with enough confidence and voila! You've mastered one of the most intimidating parts of owning a Braque d'Auvergne!
How big will they get?
Going by the Royal Kennel Club breed standard, the height at withers should have males standing around 57 to 63 cms, with their ideal height being 60 cm (23 ½ ins). And females standing around 53 to 59 cms with ideal their height being 56 cm (22 ins). Although you should never ask someone their weight, a healthy Braque d'Auvergne can range between 23kg - 28kg depending on sex, height and lifestyle.
Are they good with children?
YES! Braque d'Auvergnes are generally known for being affectionate, gentle dogs that thrive on human companionship. Many are devoted family members and lifelong cuddle enthusiasts. That said, no breed comes pre-programmed to love children. As with any dog, introductions should be sensible and supervised and children should be taught how to interact with dogs kindly and respectfully. When raised in a loving environment with clear boundaries, Braque d'Auvergnes often form incredibly close bonds with children.
How much exercise will they need?
Braque d'Auvergnes are intelligent and active dogs who thrive off a combination of mental stimulation and physical activity; enjoying any opportunity to stretch their legs or challenge their brains! Certainly not a couch potato, they generally lap up as much exercise as you want to give them: whether that's a day working in the shooting field, a game of fetch at the local park or an evening honing their skills at rincraft. In 2023, when the UK saw its first ever Ultramarathon organised purely for canicross competitors, a Braque d'Auvergne was one of the finishers! That being said, most Braque's could definitely think of something better to do on a Saturday morning... I'm hearing 'curl up on your bed and try to steal some of your bacon sarnie'
Where can I find out more?
We thought you'd never ask! Take a look around our website, contact any of our committee members, join our Facebook page (we are very friendly) and check out the RKC breed standard for more info.
Is the breed generally healthy?
The Braque d’Auvergne are a predominantly healthy breed overall, however, there have been some cases of hip dysplasia seen in the breed, so as a minimum all dogs should be hip scored before breeding. It is also advisable to elbow score too.
There have been some cases of cherry eye in the breed, this is something breeders should be mindful of when deciding to breed, especially from dogs with particularly ‘loose’ eyes. A BVA eye test is recommended if there are any concerns with your dogs' eye health before breeding.
Lastly, although not a direct health concern, there are 2 permitted colours for the breed- black and white and charbonne (grey roan). Any other colours are not permitted.
Unfortunately, we have had cases of orange and liver coloured pups cropping up in litters in the UK. These were litters produced by responsible breeders who were unaware their dogs carried those particular colour genes (sadly due to a lack of transparency from breeders abroad).
Therefore it is essential that any dogs intended for breeding are colour tested for the E-locus (orange) and B-locus (brown) genes before breeding. Carriers must be mated to clear dogs only.
Animal genetics and Laboklin are two laboratories that offer this testing.