Gordon Setter vs Braque Francais (Gascogne Type) - Breed Comparison

The Braques Français – Gascogne – is a hunting dog from southern France’s Gascony region. Known also as the French Gascony Pointer, this dog has descended from Spanish and Italian Pointers. The dog was saved from extinction at the turn of the 20th century.

There are actually two breeds of Braque français, with the other being somewhat smaller and known as Braque français, type Pyrénées. Whichever one you have, they are popular hunting dogs in France. The first breed club was established in 1850.

The Gordon Setter includes mixes of the English Setter and the Irish Setter. The original purpose of the breed was to hunt game birds.

The dog breed hails from Scotland with a history that dates back to the 17th century. The dog was developed in Gordon Castle by the Duke of Gordon IV.

The dog became popular among hunters in the early 19th century. He is the biggest of the setter breeds. It was in 1884 that the American Kennel Club recognized the Gordon Setter.

Looks:

The Braque Francais is a dog which looks much like the German Short-haired Pointer. The Braque Francais (Gascogne) is a large breed dog, standing roughly 56 – 69cm. Weight is most times dependent on height, but the average weighs between 35 and 55 pounds. The dog is attractively lean and muscular and the tails have always been docked, although rules and regulations see the breed with a long tail these days. The natural tail of the Braque Francais is medium length. The eyes of this breed are brown or yellow and the ears are medium in length and floppy. The coat of the Gascogne is short and dense and in two colors – white and chestnut patching and mottling.

Temperament:

The dog is a keen tracker and is an excellent game and gun dog with some of them requiring more training than others. Training and socialization makes the Braque Francais an excellent, obedient pet who is eager to please and he is considered to be easily trainable, learning quickly. He loves his human family and is noted for his gentle, friendly nature, and he therefore makes and excellent family pet where there are children and other pets.

The Gordon Setter is a large dog, capable of reaching up to 69cm in height and weighing up to 36kg in weight.

He belongs to the Setter family and is somewhat heavier than the other Setter breeds. Setter dogs are classified as sporting- or gun dogs. He is a beautiful dog with a pitch black coat with tan markings found around the chest, muzzle and paws as well as those two familiar tan dots above each eye.

Sometimes you can find a small amount of white on the chest. The coat is straight and silky but it can be slightly waved with feathering around the legs, chest, ears and tail. Both the tail and the ears of the dog are also long and feathery. The Gordon has an intelligent, dignified look about him.

Temperament:

The Gordon Setter is a confident, fearless, loyal and affectionate dog. They do well with their human families, when there are other pets in the house as well as children.

He can be a boisterous dog so training and socialization will become necessary. Your Gordon Setter is an intelligent dog and also a dog ready and willing to learn. He is calm and even-tempered but playful too.

He isn’t a dog suited to life in the city if there isn’t an adequately sized garden. He is essentially a country life dog well suited to farms or large fenced gardens.

The attractive Braque Francais is a calm, contented dog who is also affectionate, social and intelligent. He is already a well mannered dog but will do even better with training and socialization. However, Braque Francais don’t take well to aggressive training and done the wrong way, the dog can end up being timid and confused.

Wanting to please and being an intelligent dog, training should be fun, lighthearted but firm. In exchange you’re going to have an awesome friend from this wonderful, loving dog breed.

Beautiful to look at, the intelligent and even-tempered Gordon Setter has everything to be confident about. He loves the attention he gets from his human family and is always looking for a pat.

He can be stubborn and he certainly won't like the idea of being left cut off from his family for long periods of time as he is a social dog with those he knows and loves.

The Gordon Setter is energetic and playful so he will need regular exercise. When you bring a Gordon Setter into your home, you bring in a wonderfully loyal pet and companion.

You won’t find many health issues with this active breed but nonetheless hip and joint issues will need to be watched. If you are considering a Braque Français puppy, you’ll want to be selective in choosing a responsible breeder. A healthy puppy with the right environment, can get to up to 15 years of age.

Ectropion and entropion in dogs affect their eyelids. Ectropion is where the eyelids roll outward, whereas entropion is where the eyelids curve inward, irritating the eye. Because visual and skeletal problems occur in this breed, it can be recommended that owners have their pets tested by both the Canine Eye Registration Foundation as well as the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals.

Life expectancy for the Gordon Setter is usually about 10 to 12 years and with good nutrition and care, your Gordon can easily reach 12 years of age.

Every dog is prone to some common health issues and these include among others hip dysplasia, gastric torsion or bloat, retinal atrophy and ear infections.

Hip Dysplasia:

Large dogs are more prone to hip dysplasia. The disease is a malfunction of the hip joints causing pain and loss of function in the rear legs.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy:

This eye conditon just gets worse over time and can lead to vision loss.

Hypothyroidism:

An under-active thyroid causes a decrease in metabolism. Symptoms of hypothyroidism in dogs include weight gain, obesity, cold intolerance, changes in the skin and coat like hair loss and your dog is lethargic.

Gastric torsion or Bloat:

This can be very dangerous with your pet as the stomach is swollen and the stomach rotates and twists and can lead to death.

Grooming:

Brushing the coat twice a week will get rid of loose hairs and maintain the sheen of the coat. Also, as a floppy eared breed, attention should be given to the ears to prevent infections. He will also need to have his teeth brushed with dog toothpaste and brush to prevent the build-up of damaging plaque and his nails will also require a clipping if they don’t manage to wear down naturally.

Exercise:

Daily activity will be needed for this dog and he will want a walk every day. He certainly isn’t a dog you can leave indoors or outside in your backyard day after day. Any activities that require physical exertion will be good because they are exceptional athletes. If you are a cyclist or a runner, take him with you – he’ll love it.

Diet:

Your Braque Francais loves energetic activities and for this he will require an excellent nutrient-rich diet. Nutrient-rich dog foods are higher in protein and fat and lower in carbohydrates. It’s important to check out the carbohydrate content in commercial dog foods to avoid those one high in carbohydrates.

Your vet can always advise you on a good quality food and you can always give him your own home-prepared foods which include rice, vegetables and meat. Certainly include some raw meat into his diet every now and then to avoid skin problems. Fresh, cool water must be available to him night and day.

Exercise:

Gordon Terriers are energetic dogs so he is going to require a good deal of exercise each day. Take him with you on your walks and make sure that you give him lots of ball games and rope games.

Grooming:

All Gordon Setters shed, and their coat will require a good brushing at least twice a week. Check nails, teeth and ears regularly. Brush teeth at least twice a week to prevent dental decay.

Diet:

As a working dog your Gordon Setter has a special need for a high fat content diet. You can include some raw meat in his high-energy dog kibble. He can also have some cooked brown rice, chicken and vegetables added into his kibble from time to time. Make sure he has access to fresh, cool water.