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 At the 2005 Invitational our “Patty”, VC
Patou du Pech du Cayrol became the first Braque du Bourbonnais to
participate in an Invitational and we realized a goal set many years ago.
The goal? To own and train the first Versatile Champion Braque du
Bourbonnais. A goal put into motion more than 15 years ago when we decided
(my wife Ann would challenge the use of the word “we”) to obtain a pointer
as a hunting partner that was “just a little different”. We chose the
Braque du Bourbonnais. We obtained a puppy from the second litter whelped
in this country, at a time when there was only a handful of Bourbonnais in
the U.S. and the breed was on the brink of extinction with an estimate of
less than 1,000 in existence around the world.
We took a risk on a breed unproven in
this country and in the ensuing years a risk that has proven itself worth
taking. What we got was a truly versatile hunting companion, described
as an “easy to live with talent in a small package”. A biddable
pointer with a calm, gentle demeanor ideally suited for the foot hunter.
The breed’s small size and short coat further adds to their value as an
ideal pet and home companion for the family that hunts. Although
obtaining a pointer as a hunting partner was our original goal, the breed’s
qualities as pets were the factors that most enamored us with the
Bourbonnais. They are first and foremost simply nice, loving dogs.
NAVHDA’s testing program has proven to be
an invaluable tool to measure just how well a rare breed like the Braque du
Bourbonnais “stands up” against the established versatile breeds in North
America. We have not been disappointed in our breed choice.
Since we obtained our first Bourbonnais, we have imported eight more from
France. Our goal is to ensure that the quality of each Bourbonnais
imported into this country moves the breed forward. NAVHDA’s Natural
Ability Tests provide us an ideal and objective way to determine if this
goal is being achieved. Equally important, testing has proven to be an
invaluable tool for us to identify those dogs that are best suited for
incorporation into our breeding program at Elk Run Kennels. In addition,
securing the breed’s first Versatile Champion confirms that the Braque du
Bourbonnais can be trained to hunt with the best.
Unfortunately, training and testing these
little dogs can become a disease if not an addiction without a known cure.
What started out as a desire for a pointer has grown into a hobby that Ann
is convinced is now out of control. Since our introduction to NAVHDA’s
testing program we’ve tested eight different Bourbonnais in Natural Ability
and all have passed. We have Utility titles on six of our dogs including the
breed’s only four Prize I UT’s and the breed’s first Versatile Champion.
Training and testing two Natural Ability, two Utility dogs and a Versatile
Champion over the past six months did successfully transform my hobby into a
poor paying full time job.
Goal setting has driven the training and
testing of our Braque du Bourbonnais within NAVHDA’s testing program.
One of the fun components, or fixation as Ann would argue, of NAVHDA testing
a rare breed is the opportunity to establish many “firsts” for your breed.
Initially we set a goal to earn the first Utility title on a Bourbonnais.
Once this goal was achieved, the next logical goal was to earn the first
Prize I UT. The next goal was to train the first 204 pointed Utility
Bourbonnais, a goal realized this past summer with two of our new French
imports. Of course, these successes only led to our goal to train the
breed’s first Versatile Champion. These goals were accomplished with
four different dogs.
Setting the goal to train the breed’s
first Versatile Champion was the most challenging goal we’ve set for
ourselves and our dogs. During this process we learned that you can
have a life or you can train an Invitational dog, but you cannot do both.
It’s nearly impossible to train an Invitational dog and to be fully
employed. An understanding spouse is critical, particularly if you
want to keep the lawn mowed. Your bird supplier can plan an extended
vacation to the Hawaiian Islands during the peak of the tourist season.
Training partners are essential with a variety of breeds, colors and coat
types that will tolerate your insistence that your dog gets all the
retrieves. Participation in a comprehensive stress management program
is highly recommended. In addition, it wouldn’t hurt if a cardiologist
is stationed at the blind retrieve segment at the next Invitational.
Two of our Bourbonnais are eligible to
participate in the 2006 Invitational. Providing us with an opportunity
to set even loftier testing goals for our breed, but this is not the time
for goal setting. There is a chill in Idaho’s air, the colors are
changing and its time to go hunting. Hunt test goal setting translates
into superior gun dogs, and many long, hard wild bird hunts translates into
higher test scores.
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Lonn Kuck 10399 Rolling Hills Dr. Star, ID
83669 208-286-9638 |
