MyDogBreeds
McNab is originated from United States but Braque Saint-Germain is originated from France. Both McNab and Braque Saint-Germain are having almost same height. Both McNab and Braque Saint-Germain are having almost same weight. Both McNab and Braque Saint-Germain has same life span. Both McNab and Braque Saint-Germain has almost same litter size. Both McNab and Braque Saint-Germain requires Low maintenance.
The attractive McNab dog is also known as the McNab Shepherd or McNab Collie. This very lively dog originated in the Mendocino region of Northern California, being specifically bred to withstand tough weather conditions and rough terrain.
The dog is becoming popular outside of California now. A Scottish rancher with the surname McNab left Scotland and arrived in California in the 19th century. He crossed Scottish Border Collies with Shepherd dogs and the ranchers in California started using these dogs for herding livestock.
Today they are still being used as herding dogs in California and other countries. The dog isn’t recognized by the American Kennel Club. It was in 2014 that a group of McNab Shepherd breeders established the McNab Shepherd Registry so as to work towards the advancement of the McNab Shepherd.
The Braque Saint-Germain, also known as the St. Germain Pointing Dog, is a French creation. The French pointing dogs and the English pointing dogs were mixed to develop the Braque Saint-Germain. He is a versatile hunting dog that was both a pointer and a gun dog. They are medium to large in size and went from being bred by royalty in the 1830’s to a popular everyday hunting dog. The ancestry of the breed can be traced back many additional centuries.
As popular as the Braque Saint-Germain was as a hunter, he gained his notoriety in the show ring. The first time a Braque Saint-Germain entered the ring in 1863 it was an acclaimed breed and upstaged all other pointing breeds. The French Braque Saint-Germain club was opened in 1913 and recognized by the Federation Cynoloqique International (FCI) and in 2006 was recognized by the North American United Kennel Club. Their popularity has risen and fallen since World War II. It has flirted with extinction more than once. Today’s Braque Saint-Germain is a highly talented hunting dog with a standard appearance that still does well in the ring.
The English Pointer was a cross between the hound dogs, British gundog, Spanish Pointer and herding breeds. This made the English Pointer a very versatile breed before it was crossed with the Braque Francais Gascogne. The Braque Francais Gascogne itself is believed to have developed from the Chien d-Oysel and Italian and Spanish pointing dogs. The English Pointer was specialized in pointing and the French Braque Francais Gascogne was a very versatile dog. In the Braque Saint-Germain the dog world has a versatile, excellent pointing dog.
In the 1800’s the French Crown was gifted with two English Pointers that were great at hunting. Some considered the English Pointers to be better than any of their Braque Francais. The female of these two pointers was bred many times but the male died without breeding. The female’s first litter was with a brown German Spaniel and were of low quality. Her second litter however was with an outstanding bird dog and produced 7 excellent puppies. Because of this these two dogs were bred several more times. The owner of the adult dogs moved to Saint-Germain, where their appearance attracted many hunters. The breed flourished here and was named the Braque Saint-Germain.
Soon corrupt individuals sold non-purebreds as Braque Saint-Germains and handlers showed these dogs under the Saint-Germain name. There are always dangers when a popular breed’s beginnings comes from only two dogs. In 1913 the new breed club fought over the standard and ended up producing two types. The first type was a sturdy dog with long ears and a round chest. He was larger and slower than his cousin. The second type was a smaller dog with a finer skeleton and short, high set ears. He was a galloper to his cousin’s trot.
The breed found itself facing near extinction in 1914 and during all of World War I. Dogs were not bred and many were not properly cared for. The breed became quite rare. Then as it began to recover, the Second World War intervened and devasted the breed again. By the end of the war, they were once again very rare and on the edge of extinction. It took a dedicated effort from local breeders to bring the breed back. By the 1950’s the two types of Braque Saint-Germain dogs were molded into only one breed. There remained a conflict between those that bred show dogs and those that bred hunting dogs.
Slowly the breed grew in number and in the late 1990’s there were over 100 puppies registered into the club every year. More than 100 were entered into the clubs in 2009. There have also been a few English Pointer crosses allowed to breed with the Braque Saint-Germains in order to grow and improve the gene pool. Still the breed is exceedingly rare outside of France. Through it all the breed has been able to maintain its place in confirmation and still be a versatile hunting dog.
The McNab Dog is a medium-sized working dog. The appearance of this dog varies quite a bit. For instance you may come across a dog with erect ears or floppy ears or a long tail or one that is naturally bobbed.
When it comes to size, you will find that between the males and females they stand at roughly 40 – 64cm and weigh anything from 14 – 30kg.
Most of these McNabs are black or red with white feet, white tipped tails and white markings around the face. The coat is weather resistant and fairly short and dense. You also get tri-colored McNabs. Eyes are usually a brown or copper color though you might find some with bluish eyes as well.
These are such intelligent dogs so with training and socialization you’ll find he is able to learn easily and quickly. He is a self assured dog, so he will respond well to an owner who is firm and fair, patient, kind and consistent.
He is best suited to life in the country as he needs lots of place to run around. If you don’t live on a farm, take the dog for long walks every day as he requires lots of exercise and mental stimulation. He is a loving family member too, getting along well with kids in the home as well as other pets. He is also a good guard- and watch dog, taking his job as protector of his human family very seriously.
The Braque Saint-Germain is very much a pointer and yet is a very attractive dog. They have a medium build, drop ears and a long, level tail tapered at the end. They are really distinctive looking with an athletic, lean, muscled look. The skull is round and the muzzle is the same length as the skull. Their nose is pink , their lips cover their lower jaw and their eyes are golden, round and large. The ears are set high on the head and look like they are slightly detached. The neck is long, muscular and arched, while they have deep chest. They are well proportioned, good looking dogs with a friendly facial expression. Their coat is true to the pointing dog group as it is short, smooth and white with orange markings. Dogs of any other color might be great hunting dogs but are not show dogs and should not be bred
The McNab makes a splendid pet and is known to be even-tempered, being friendly and tolerant with his entire human family.
He gets on well with children in the home as well as other pets. He has always been a hard working pet and doubles up as being an excellent guard dog too. Those who have had the McNab as a pet say that you couldn’t get a more excellent family canine friend.
The Braque Saint-Germain is a working dog and a show dog. They are energetic, competitive and driven. They are generally affectionate, loyal and love to cuddle with their people. They need human companionship companionship and can have severe separation anxiety when left by themselves. They love being a member of the family with children, but they are likely to knock very young children down unintentionally.
The Braque Saint-Germain is a loyal, gentle breed and some might even be shy. They are not guard dogs. They are much too friendly toward strangers. Even though they were bred to point and track small game, they can be socialized to be safe living with smaller pets such as cats. They are intelligent, fast learners who love to learn. They also love to work and work long hours without fatigue. They will love to be a jogging or cycling partner.
They do best with large yards, rural areas or in hunting packs. They are not small apartment, city dwellers. They do get along with strangers and other animals. They will warn of strangers, but they are not aggressive.
This dog doesn’t really have genetic health issues, but they can suffer with hip dysplasia, a problem that many dogs battle with, whether small or large, young or old.
They can also suffer with epilepsy and an eye disease such as entropion where the lid of the eye is turned inwards. Check its ears and teeth regularly for infections and keep up to date with his vaccinations.
The McNab is a health dog breed so you aren't likely to face any of these common dog health issues.
The breed has very few health issues even with all the cross breeding followed by inbreeding. Due to the small gene pool there might be some genetically inherited problems. Due to the size of the gene pool, they might suffer from “founder’s effect” where if one dog has a certain condition, their descendants could also. Not enough research has been done to know if this is the case with the Braque Saint-Germain of not.
Some of the potential health issues that the3 Braque Saint-Germain might face include:
You can feed your McNab dog commercial dry kibble, but then you want to be sure its the best quality one. Buying inferior foods means that you’re getting a whole lot of ingredients in the food that are bad – sugar, salt, preservatives, fillers, colorants etc. Rather go for the best brands that will ensure that your dog is getting all the vitamins and minerals he needs.
Homemade food is also important and foods such as boiled chicken, brown rice and pasta as well as cooked or raw vegetables chopped up and added to his dry kibble can make for a delicious, wholesome treat. It will be to his benefit if you can every now and then give him some raw meat as well. Make sure to see that he has a constant supply of fresh, cool water.
McNab Shepherds are very active dogs and they are going to require quite a bit of physical exercise as well as mental stimulation. They are dogs who have been used to herding livestock and he loves this busy life. It is why he wouldn’t be happy living in the city but is better suited to farm life or in a home with a large garden. Long walks and hikes will suit him as well as swimming and joining in every game there is.
The McNab is considered to be a low maintenance dog and grooming the short thick coat will be required twice a week. Always check around the eyes and ears as well as inside the mouth for problems and infections.
This is a working dog that can run and track for miles. She needs good nutrition. Feed about 3 cups per day in one or two meals. Two meals are preferred.
As previously mentioned this breed might be susceptible to many genetic diseases or disorders but there have not been any studies to show this.
The Braque Saint Germain does not need a high amount of exercise as their energy level is medium. They still need daily exercise. They do best with a fenced off leash area to run. They love frisbee and chasing balls.