Braque du Puy

The history of the Braque du Puy is mostly rumor or vague notations taken in the past. Sadly, this dog suffered a great deal during the Second World War, and most experts believe the original dog has become extinct, and the existing dogs of this breed are a new line of dogs, and not of the original strain. The dog originated in France during the 1800's and was a member of the Pointer breed. Their ancestry is still hotly debated with some saying that they were descendants of the Spanish Pointer or perhaps the Portuguese Pointer, while others claim that they may have descended from the English Pointer. The most acceptable account is that the Braque du Puy was bred by crossing a sighthound (the Levier's) with another breed of Braque (or Pointer), most likely the Braque Francais. Another version is that two brothers with the last name of Dupuy or du Puy who owned a liver and white Braque Francais female dog named 'Miss' then acquired a male Sloughi dog from a soldier. The rest, as they say, is history. It must be noted that there is a distinct lack of evidence for all scenarios. The stories of the Braque du Puy history has many chapters, with each 'expert' claiming that their version of how this great dog came into being is right. The Braque du Puy is a very refined looking dog which was very popular at one time and is said to be ideally suited to work in the marshy region located on France's western coast. The Braque du Puy was well known to French sportsmen, but it never really gained the popularity as other members of the Braque family did - perhaps it was because the breed did not possess the keenness of their nose compared to other breeds. As well, the war impacted this breed as it did so many of the larger breeds.