MyDogBreeds
Wolfdog is originated from Germany but Braque d'Auvergne is originated from France. Wolfdog may grow 11 cm / 5 inches higher than Braque d'Auvergne. Wolfdog may weigh 17 kg / 37 pounds lesser than Braque d'Auvergne. Wolfdog may live 3 years less than Braque d'Auvergne. Both Wolfdog and Braque d'Auvergne has same litter size. Wolfdog requires Moderate maintenance. But Braque d'Auvergne requires Low maintenance
The Wolfdog was brought about when domestic dogs were mated with a variety of wolves so as to produce a hybrid.
People who want to own these hybrids have to be careful because they find that the unpredictable behavior of their pets makes it difficult for them to care for them.
Then they want to get rid of it. Every year, heaps of these hybrids are abandoned due to humans interfering with nature.
The wolfdog has been bred with a number of dogs but we think about it more in terms of wolf and German shepherd.
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.
People mesmerized by the wolf long to bring some of that wildness home, and the wolfdog is supposed to do this.
Their looks differ a lot, even those that come from the same litter. You can’t have a predictable looking wolf dog because it could be any domestic dog bred with a wolf so they display a large variety of appearances.
Most Wolfdogs seem to have smaller heads than pure wolves. The ears seem to be bigger and more pointy.
A popular wolfdog mix is a German Shepherd mixed with the wolf. These dogs can be between 70 to 76cm in height and weigh between 40 and 45kg.
Their coat is thick and can be in colors of grey, cream, red, white, dark brown and black.
While the wolfdog can be trained to become quite a friendly kind of dog, it is not suitable for the first time dog owner. It can show bouts of aggressiveness around strangers and be highly protective of its family.
However, this can be helped with early socialization and training. It is illegal to own the wolfdog in some states. You don’t want to leave a wolfdog alone with your children even though the dog is capable of love and loyalty towards his human family.
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.
When you add the genes of a wild animal to the pool, you get a crossbreed and when its an animal from the wild, its nature is unpredictable.
Many people don’t think about the consequences of what they do when they interfere with nature and the wolfdog gets put down when it behaves like a wild animal and attacks or bites out of defense.
Yes, they can be loyal, loving pets but always you will have the shadow of the dog or wolf’s unpredictable behavior.
There is a reason why these dogs are banned in a number of states. This dog-type-wolf breed is not recommended as a pet at all – take a look at animal shelters and the number of wolf dogs there and ask yourself why.
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.
They will also be susceptible to common dog ailments such as parasites and hip dysplasia.
Like any other dog, these Wolf dogs will also possibly develop tumors. He will also need to be vaccinated against harmful diseases and you will need to have a reliable local vet who is interested in your wolf dog.
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).
If you own a wolfdog the same care procedures would need to be followed as you would with a regular dog.
A wolfdog, however, can’t be vaccinated against rabies. It seems that the reason for this is that it is due to current legislation, and vaccine manufacturers don’t want to support wolf dogs as pets because they are considered to be dangerous.
Provide your wolfdog with highly nutritional, protein-based food. You don’t want to feed your wolfdog any of the low quality, traditional store-bought food high in carbs and artificial additives. Instead, look for a diet rich in proteins and be sure to give this dog some raw meat occasionally.
The dog is active and you will need to provide heaps of exercise for him, both mental and physical activities.
The wolfdog will require training but it will require dedication, though it can be done as the dog is very intelligent.
Even with training, the wolfdog isn’t suited to life in the city but should be kept in the countryside.
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.