Braque du Bourbonnais vs Alaunt - Breed Comparison

Alaunt is an extinct breed that existed 3000 years ago since 300 years ago. They were very popular dogs and people used them for many different tasks. They were a perfect working dog, but also they were used for wars and many other situations. Since the migrating was very common through the history, there were many different Alaunt breeds all over the Europe and Asia. Alaunt originated from central Asia, probably Afghanistan.

The Braque du Bourbonnais is an ancient breed, seen in the 15th century in France in the province of Bourbonnais. He became extremely popular with hunters by the 1800’s as a good pointer. He has become very popular in the United States and all of North America. There are often more puppies born in the U.S. than in France. The British call this breed the Bourbonnais Pointing Dog.

As with so many European hunting and working dogs, the Braque du Bourbonnais almost disappeared following World War I but was saved by the first breed club, established in 1925. Then following World War II, they were again in danger as the club dissolved and birth rates among the breed decreased drastically.

Actually, there were no dogs at all in the French registry between 1963 and 1973. This was attributed to the fact that the registry put more emphasis on the secondary characteristics such as color, length of tail) instead of the hunting characteristics. Because of this some hunter-breeders vowed to bring the real Braque du Bourbonnais back.

Michel Comte took on this task in 1970 but could not find any dogs with pure Bourbonnais blood. So, he took missed breed with characteristics like the Bourbonnais and inbred several litters until he had a dog he was satisfied with. He registered this dog with the LOF in 1973-75. Seeing this several other breeders got into the act and they successfully brought the breed back.

Michel became president of the new Club du Braque du Bourbonnais in 1981 and remained so until 2001. During this time the breed excelled at field trials and was first sent to the U.S. in 1988. The breed is now thriving in both Europe and North America.

Weight of the Alaunt variates and it depended from dog to dog. The average weight of this breed was 20-68kg. While their height was 56-85cm. Females were slightly smaller with an average weight of 16-60kg, with a height of 50-80cm.

A lifespan of Alaunt was 10-12 years. Litter Size of an average Alaunt was 6-10 puppies.

Other Names for Alaunt are White Kazbegi, White Balkan dogs, Alaunt Gentil, Alaunt de Boucherie, Boucherie

This is an elegant breed with a medium sized, muscular bod and a round head. The nose will be the color of the coat and the muzzle is cone shaped with a wide base. He has large dark or hazel eyes, again depending on the color of the coat. The ears can drop below the throat and the neck is very muscular. He has a deep, wide chest and straight, muscular legs. The coat can come in two colors – liver and fawn – and ticked or spotted. They have a typical short pointer type tail.

This breed was very powerful. They could adjust to any climate without any problems. Alaunt needed a lot of exercises because they were very strong and active dogs. They were also very intelligent dogs who knew what it wanted. People loved this breed because they were very smart, but also the perfect companion in every situation. Very protective but kind breed was loved in many countries.

The Braque du Bourbonnais is a gentle, calm dog. He is affectionate and kind when off the job but intelligent, adaptable and serious when hunting. They are intense when learning or hunting and they will learn quickly. They are good with other dogs.

Alaunt was considered as a very healthy dog without any major issues. As every other breed they probably had some health problems, but overall this breed was very healthy and strong breed. Because of their health, they lived over 3000 years through many difficulties in the history of humankind.

This medium sized pointer can suffer from:

Hip Dysplasia – can be tested

Entropion - both of these are issues with eyelashes turning inward or outward and both can

Ectropion - injure the eye

Pulmonic Stenosis of the heart – valve doesn’t open

Feeding the Alaunt

Since this breed extinct 300 years ago they probably eat leftovers from their owners.

Grooming Alaunt

Grooming Alaunt was a very easy job, they had short and smooth hair so they did not require a lot of grooming.

Feeding

This breed is prone to weight gain and obesity. Be careful not to overfeed them. Don’t free feed them but give them 2-3 smaller meals per day.

Health issues

Hip Dysplasia – can cause lameness and arthritis

Entropion - both of these are issues with eyelashes turning inward or outward and both can

Ectropion - injure the eye

Pulmonic Stenosis of the heart- minor will have no symptoms but eventually the heart will not be able to function efficiently and could lead to congestive heart failure.

Exercise and games

The Braque du Bourbonnais needs at least a minimum amount of exercise daily , especially if he is not used for hunting. A fenced backyard for playtime would be perfect but long walks will work. He likes to learn tricks, play ball or hide and seek. Outside activities could include hiking, swimming, agility, retrieving, rally and obedience trials, along with the usual field trials.