Uncommon Dog Breeds: The French Gascony Pointer

Named after its region of origin, the Gascony province of southern France, the French Gascony Pointer was the resulting offspring of imported Spanish and Italian Pointers. This hound faced extinction in the early 1900s, however it was saved by Dr. Castets and Senac Langrange. While it's numbers have stabilized, this breed remains relatively scarce. Today's Pointer is used as a gundog and companion.

The French Gascony Pointer has a lengthy, broad skull with a robust, square muzzle which comes to an abrupt stop. Oval eyes come in all shades of brown, and sport a gentle expression. Ears are of medium length, thin, and pendulous. The neck is long, with some throatiness present. Its body structure is long, thick, and well muscled. These dogs have deep chests. Legs are moderately long, and well boned. The tail is docked short. The Gascony has short, sleek fur which has a white base with either liver or brown markings.

The French Gascony Pointer will obsessively track down any quarry which crosses it's path, and does equally well following ground or air scents. It is dedicated when out in the field, often displaying a great enthusiasm for the hunt. These gundogs make reliable hunting partners, and easy-going household companions. In the home the Gascony is easy-going, affectionate, and dignified.

The French Gascony is a mellow character which gets along with children and other household pets. It enjoys a game of fetch the stick, however this breed prefers the company of older children.

The French Gascony is eager to please, and willing to learn which makes it fairly easy to obedience train. These dogs learn at a steady pace. The Gascony is a sensitive breed who needs a gentle trainer as it responds badly to negative stimuli. Spunky pups will benefit from a play session beforehand to make training sessions more productive.