Braque d'Auvergne is originated from France but Bearded Collie is originated from United Kingdom. Braque d'Auvergne may grow 10 cm / 4 inches higher than Bearded Collie. Braque d'Auvergne may weigh 35 kg / 78 pounds more than Bearded Collie. Both Braque d'Auvergne and Bearded Collie has same life span. Both Braque d'Auvergne and Bearded Collie has same litter size. Braque d'Auvergne requires Low maintenance. But Bearded Collie requires High maintenance
Sometime over 5 centuries ago, in the Cantal Region of France, was born a hunting breed, that might be the real ancestor of today’s pointing hunter dogs. Perhaps the oldest of all pointing gun dog is the Braque d’Auvergne. This breed comes from Central France in the region of Auvergne. This breed was developed prior to written dog breeding records in order to hunt in this region and find, point, flush out and retrieve fowl. This breed is clearly one of if not the oldest breeds in the French Braque. There is no agreement among historians on what breed is the oldest of the European pointing dogs and where they were developed – was it Spain or was it France? It is thought that the Braque Francais Gascogne is the original one of these in the early 1600’s while the Braque d’Auvergne came soon after. Due to the different hunting needs in the different parts of France, the Braque Francais Gascogne was crossed with a lot of other local scent hounds. The Braque d’Auvergne is one of the very oldest of all of these. There are records of the breeds existence in the 1700’s. It is probable that the Braque d’Auvergne was developed by crossing local dogs with Gascogne as well as with the Petit Bleu de Gascogne and the Grand Bleu de Gascogne.
In all of Western Europe, the region of Auvergne is not very populated and has unique geography in that is hilly and has many extinct and eroded volcanoes. A lot of the region is still unpopulated. In this environment, wildlife has flourished, and hunting is successful in providing food for the regions people. This circumstance with an abundance of birds, led to the breeding of the Braque Auvergne to specialize in hunting in this area. The breed is not very popular outside of Auvergne and probably never was. That fact allowed them to be devastated by the Second World War. The Reunion des Amateurs de Braque d’Auvergne (RABA) was started to promote the pure breeding and the protection of the d’Auvergnes. But when Auvergnes was occupied during the war, the slowed breeding of the Braque d ‘ Auvergne almost eliminated the breed. There might have only been about 25 dogs left following the end of the war. These remaining dogs were used to revive the breed, but it is still uncommon, but not rare. Individuals have been imported by other countries including North America. The United Kennel Club (UKC) accepted the breed in 2006 but is not accepted by the AKC (American Kennel Club). The breed is still a working breed and outside of France, very rare.
This long-haired herding breed was bred by mixing the two sheepdog breeds: the Scottish dogs and the Polish sheepdogs. The Bearded Collie gained the popularity during the last century by winning some of the Dog Shows. This friendly dog with the beautiful coat is surely one of the most specific pets. Nowadays, the Bearded Collie is very popular. The organizations for breeding, saving, rescuing and adopting this breed can be found in the USA.
The Braque d’Auvergne is a well built, strong hunting dog with long ears, a large head and a docked tail. His coat is white with black markings and black ears and head. The breed looks a lot like all the other pointing dogs from France. They are medium in stature and has the appearance of a working gundog. He is athletic, muscular and fit. Docking the tail is outlawed in many countries and all of the United Kingdom. In that case the tail is high on the rump and always straight. Their face and head are big for the size of the body and shaped like an oval. With a long muzzle, deep set eyes and a gentle expression, they are kindly and handsome dogs. Their skin is loose but not droopy or wrinkled like hound dogs.
The Beardie is easy to recognize because of the longer hairs on the cheeks, chin and under the lower lip. This medium-sized Bouncing Beardie is usually the great family pet because he is very friendly and loving. This breed is extremely active and they are energetic despite their longer bodies. They grow up to have more than one coat colour, but they are all born one coloured. They always have white or cream markings. This smart dog can be very stubborn and independent, if you keep your dog in a yard, he will use every chance to escape.
This is a gentle, adaptable and obedient breed. With their intelligence and affectionate nature, they make great family dogs and are eager to please their people. Living with other dogs is fine but not with small, prey size animals. The Braque d’Auvergne should never be left alone pets like gerbils and hamsters. They must be socialized to cats as pets and not prey before living with them successfully. They need to work closely with one human partner. They are first and foremost a hunting dog and need some sort of hunting simulation. They are devoted to their families and want to be constantly in their presence. This can lead to separation anxiety if they are left alone too much. They are great with children and need a family.
The Bouncing Beardie is great with children. They are very playful, jumpy and have generally very sweet and gentle personality. Children love them because they never get tired. If properly socialized, this dog can be the main attraction for any child.
Herding, agility shows, obedience competitions, treibball, show dogs, trally...
This breed is very friendly. If your family is about to raise the Bearded Collie, prepare to have a pet that is highly affectionate and bonded with the members of the family. They don’t do well if left alone. They usually don’t bark and they are never destructible, but loneliness somehow triggers odd behaviour with this breed. They are not usually scared of strangers. If they are trained and socialized, you will be able to take your Beardie anywhere you go.
Some say that is very easy to train the Bearded Collie. The rule for this breed is to start the obedience training while they are very small. They are generally very independent, and they will try to do things in their own way. If you start your training early before your Beardie forms this kind of personality, you will have a wonderful pet.
The Braque d’Auvergne is a healthy breed but can face some of the same health concerns as other pointers and hunting dogs. The long, droopy ears can get infected easily if wet and need to be cleaned regularly so that food or dirt are not trapped their either. Because of the small gene pool however they may be at risk for several issues. The breeders in France express concerns about possible hip dysplasia and testing is highly recommended. Because they are at risk for other conditions that might not show up until later in life, it is also recommended that they be tested by the Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF) as well as the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA).
This breed is generally very healthy. They don’t have some major health issues. Some of the issues that are registered are:
The degenerative disease that causes the blindness.
When the hormone produced by the thyroid gland is abnormally low.
That is generally the hereditary disease, can also be caused by bad diet or injuries.
To food, chemicals, pollen, dust...
That usually happens because of their dropped ears that are not very easy to clean.
The Braque d’Auvergne needs a high-quality diet fit for a working dog but not too much to make him obese. They are an active breed to choose a formula that is designed for working dogs.
Although no studies have been conducted on the Braque d’Auvergne’s health issues there are many conditions that similar breeds are susceptible to and the d’Auvergne might be as well. This includes any of the following:
This is an active, working dog who needs a lot of stimulation and exercise. The only real appropriate exercise for these dogs is hunting or outings in the woods. He not only needs the exercise, but he also needs to stimulate his sense of smell and his gundog intelligence. He might excel in lure chase or even a form or barn hunt. They certainly could excel at obedience trials and perhaps rally. If you are a weekend hunter then this is the ideal dog for you. They are so easy to train that they surpass other pointers for success with casual hunters. They hunt at a slower pace than many other gundogs. Their intelligence and athleticism lend itself well to agility and flyball also. They need a large (+acres)fenced in area to run and play.
Raising your Bearded Collie pup on a high-quality food is usually enough for a puppy. Make sure that portions are appropriate for his age and weight. Once your pet is more than six months old, they will need only two meals per day. They get obese very easy. Don’t train them with the treats.
To care for your Bearded Collie, you must be aware of the grooming responsibilities that come with this longhaired pet. During the shedding period, it is required to brush them daily. Bathing is not a regular necessity but it will be easier to keep him clean and well groomed if you care about your pet all the time. Some people like to shorten the coat for their Beardie, and it is usually done during summer. Make sure to take him to regular ear, eye, teeth and hip vet checks.
The Bearded Collie is a breed that requires daily activity. They have very playful nature and they love to run, play and spend time outdoors. The best option will be a big yard so that Beardie can run for hours without the leash.