Petzlover
Braque Saint-Germain is originated from France but Wire Haired Fox Terrier is originated from United Kingdom. Braque Saint-Germain may grow 24 cm / 10 inches higher than Wire Haired Fox Terrier. Braque Saint-Germain may weigh 26 kg / 58 pounds more than Wire Haired Fox Terrier. Both Braque Saint-Germain and Wire Haired Fox Terrier has almost same life span. Both Braque Saint-Germain and Wire Haired Fox Terrier has almost same litter size. Braque Saint-Germain requires Low Maintenance. But Wire Haired Fox Terrier requires Moderate Maintenance
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 Wire Haired Fox Terrier originates in England, and it is thought that the dog developed from the white English Terrier being crossed with the Bull Terrier and maybe even the Beagle.
The hunting crowd wanted a dog that was small enough to disappear down a hole to flush out a fox.
Even though the Wire Haired Fox Terrier used to be a pet of Queen Victoria as well as King Edward VII, it only became popular as a family pet in the 1930s.
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 Wirehaired Fox Terrier is a medium-sized dog, standing at between 33 and 38cm in height and weighing between 6 and 9 kg.
The face is fairly long and he has semi-erect, semi-floppy ears and the high set tail is usually docked. The double coat is wiry, curly and coarse and is essentially white with tan or black markings. White is always the predominant color of the Wire Haired Fox Terrier.
This little dog is cheerful, cheeky, playful, feisty, lovable and full of the joys of life. He is also strong-willed and independent.
He makes a great playmate for kids and loves being in the company of his human family. He will get on well with other pets in the family too.
He is intelligent which means you can have him easily trained and socialized and the kids will love to teach him some tricks too. He is a high energy dog and will require a good dose of exercise.
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.
One thing is for sure – when you bring a Wire Haired Fox Terrier into your home, you’re going to have a dog with endless energy. It is why they make such good pets when you’ve got kids in the house.
They like to please their owners and they respond well to training and socialization. They’re also brave and protective, making good watchdogs.
They’re loving, loyal and companionable, and there are plenty of stories about the loyalty of these dogs. Anyone who has had one of them as a pet will tell you what splendid dogs they are.
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:
These robust little dogs can succumb to any one of the many common dog illnesses there are -
The Wirehaired Foxy is a healthy dog, but it is thought that Epilepsy could be a problem with this breed. Your spunky dog may seem a little bit confused before he falls to the floor lying on his side and twitching like he’s having a bad dream.
This is brought on by uncontrolled bursts of electrical activity in the dog’s brain. The seizure can last for a minute or so but even so, whether it is a twitch or violent shuddering, it can leave you shocked and disturbed.
He can sometimes even urinate during the seizure. It is imperative to get your pet to the vet who will know precisely how it can be controlled.
Dental disease is also a common problem with dogs and unfortunately, your Wire Haired Fox Terrier also battles with this. The problem starts with tartar build-up on the teeth and then it can cause infection of the gums and roots of the teeth.
Left unattended to, your pet could lose his teeth, and it jeopardizes your pet’s health as well.
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.
Groom your pet. Brush twice weekly. Wire Haired Fox Terrier owners like to hand their pets in at professional groomers to have their hair cut short and made more manageable. The hair is kept quite long around the muzzle.
Provide your pet with the best food there is. Always buy high quality food that can contribute to your pet’s health and which is suitable for his size, age and activity levels. The Wire Haired Fox Terrier is inclined to be a greedy dog and with a dog like this weight gain can slowly increase and can become a health problem.
Spay or Neuter. This is an excellent idea for your pet if you don’t want puppies. Not only that, spaying or neutering actually decreases the likelihood of your pet getting some types of cancer.