Burgos Pointing Dog

		Burgos Pointing Dog
		FCI standard Nº 90

Origin		Spain
Translation		Mrs. Peggy Davis
Group		Group 7 Pointing Dogs
Section		Section 1.1 Continental Pointing Dogs, type « Braque »
Working		With working trial
Acceptance on a definitive basis by the FCI		Friday 12 November 1954
Publication of the official valid standard		Wednesday 26 May 1982
Last update		Monday 09 November 1998
En français, cette race se dit		Perdiguero de Burgos
Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar		Perdiguero von Burgos
En español, esta raza se dice		Perdiguero de Burgos
In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd		Perdiguero de Burgos

Usage

Pointing dog for fur and feather; much appreciated by the hunters who want a robust dog, resistant on any terrain and for any type of hunting, obedient, strong and above all endowed with a keen sense of smell. His excellent skill and style of hunting results from his calm and firmness in tracking as well as from his impeccable pointing and retrieving. Although usually used on small game, he is not averse to the hunting of big game, a task where he shows great courage.

General appearance

Hunting dog of good size, well balanced and of medium proportions. With a well developed head and pendulous ears, a compact body and solid legs; short coat. Of medium frame the length of the body should possibly be the same as the height at the withers. In stance and in movement balance in proportions and functional harmony are desired.

Behaviour / temperament

Robust, balanced, calm and sedate he is an excellent pointing dog, specializing in hunting feathered and small game. With his soft, very noble expression, it is a breed with an excellent temperament, docility and intelligence.

Head
Cranial region
Head		Large and powerful with a well developed skull, a strong foreface and muzzle, and hanging corkscrew ears. The cranial-facial ensemble seen from above must be moderately rectangular with progressive diminution towards the nose, without however giving an appearance of a pointed muzzle. The relation between the length of the skull and that of the muzzle is of 6 to 5. The cranial-facial axes are divergent.
Skull		Broad, strong, rounded, convex in profile, with a well marked median furrow and a slightly marked occipital crest. Superciliary arches pronounced.
Stop		Gentle slope, only slightly marked.

Facial region
Nose		Dark brown, wet, large and wide with open nostrils.
Muzzle		Straight in profile or very slightly convex towards the nose. Broad in its entire length, must not give the impression of being pointed. Broad nasal bridge.
Lips		Hanging without being limp. Upper lip should well cover the lower lip. The lower lip forms a well defined labial corner (commissure). The mucous membranes must be dark brown.
Jaws and teeth		Teeth solid, white and sound. Scissor bite. All premolars must be present. Palate : With pink mucous membranes and well marked ridges.
Eyes		Medium size, almond shaped; colour preferably dark hazel with a noble and soft expression sometimes giving the impression of sadness. Eyelids medium thick, brown pigmented the same as the mucous membranes. The lower lid should be as close as possible to the eyeball.
Ears		Large and hanging, of triangular shape. Set at eye level. At rest, they hang gracefully in corkscrew. Without being drawn forward they must meet the corner of the lips but not the nose. Soft and limp to the touch, with fine skin and hair, distinct plexus of veins. When the dog is attentive, the ear set is higher and the line of the set-on flatter.

Neck

Strong and powerful; broad at the beginning, widening slightly towards the body. Upper line slightly arched. Underline with a well defined double dewlap starting from both corners of the lips, without being too much exaggerated.

Body
Body		Square, strong and robust with powerful chest and thorax, giving the impression of power and agility.
Upper profile		Straight, horizontal or preferably with a slight slope down from the withers. Never a sway back. Without rocking or rolling when on the move.
Withers		Well defined.
Back		Powerful and muscular.
Loin		Of medium length, broad and muscular, giving the impression of power.
Croup		Broad and solid. Its inclination in relation to the topline, or also to the ground, should be inferior to 45°. Height at the croup equal or slightly less than the height at the withers.
Chest		Broad, deep, reaching elbow level, muscular and powerful. Point of sternum quite prominent. Ribs well developed, round, not flat, rib spaces well marked and getting wider towards the floating ribs. The thoracic perimeter must be equal to the height at the withers increased by a quarter of the height at the withers.
Underline and belly		Belly moderately tucked up towards the genitals. Flanks deep and well defined.

Tail

Thick at the root, set at medium height. Is docked to one third or to the half of its length.

Limbs

Forequarters
Generality		Limbs vertical, straight and parallel. Solid bone structure. Short pasterns with well developed feet.
Shoulders		Moderately oblique, muscled. The shoulder blade must have about the same length as the upper arm.
Upper arm		Strong and well muscled. Its length should be 2/3 of that of the forearm.
Elbows		Close to the body
Forearm		Of strong bone structure with well defined tendons. Straight, vertical. Its length is double that of the total length from the pastern joint (carpus) to the ground.
Carpal joint		Scapular-humeral angle about 100°. Humeral-radial angle about 125°.
Pastern		Very slightly oblique in profile, practically in the prolongation of the forearm. Solid bone structure.
Forefeet		Cat feet, strong tight toes, well knuckled-up. Dark nails. Pads hard, very broad and resistant. Interdigital membrane moderately developed.

Hindquarters
Generality		Powerful and muscular, strong bone, with vertical limbs and correct angles; well marked and bent hocks not deviated, giving the impression of power and solidity.
Upper thigh		Very strong with a well developed, clearly defined, visible musculature. Its length is 3/4 of that of the lower thigh.
Lower thigh		Long, of strong bone structure with a length double than that of the hock.
Femoral joint		Coxal-femoral angle - about 100°. Femoral-tibial angle - about 120°. Angle at hockjoint blunter than 130°.
Metatarsus		Strong bone, perpendicular to the ground.
Hock		Well marked, with tendon clearly visible.
Hind feet		Cat feet, like those of the forelegs, though slightly longer.

Gait and movement

Typical gait of the breed is a steady economical trot, flowing and powerful without tendency to lateral rolling movement or to ambling.

Skin

Elastic without being loose, thick, abundant, of pink colour without patches. All mucous membranes should be brown, never black.

Coat
Hair		Dense, of medium thickness, short, smooth and evenly distributed all over the body down to the tissue between toes; finer on the head, the leathers and the legs.
Colour		The basic colours of the coat are white and liver. These colours mix irregularly, giving a liver-marbled or greyish liver or liver-speckled coat as well as other combinations, according to whether the liver or the white is predominant and according to whether the white patches are smaller or larger. A very frequent characteristic of the coat, although not necessary, is a distinct white patch on the forehead; the leathers are always spotted in self-coloured liver. The liver coloured hairs may form distinct patches of that colour, spread irregularly over the whole coat of the animal. The same applies to white hairs which may form patches of that colour in the coat without, however, being very extended. Never to be admitted : black colour or tan markings above the eyes and on the legs.

Size and weight
Height at withers		Male : 62-67 cm, bitches : 59-64 cm. This breed shows a high degree of dimorphism, the males being more homogenous and the females of more variable sizes and much finer in general.

Faults

• Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and its ability to perform its traditional work.
• Faults listed should be in degree of seriousness.

General faults

Nasal bridge slightly convex (Roman nose) without exaggeration.

Absence of some premolar.

Pincer bite.

Conjunctiva (haw) very slightly visible.

Lips and dewlap, without being excessive, very pronounced.

Upper line not very solid.

Front and rear pasterns and feet weak without exaggeration.

Scars, wounds and abrasions of skin resulting from hunting work.

Serious faults

Light general appearance, frail or excessively heavy, and lethargic.

Cranio-facial axes parallel.

Head small, not in balance with the body.

Narrow skull.

Pointed muzzle.

Absence of various premolars or canines, not due to traumatism.

Very pronounced entropion or ectropion; light eyes.

Ears too long and too low set.

Flews or dewlap exaggerated.

Sway back.

Height at the croup noticeably superior to the height at withers.

Incorrect limbs, weak, not vertical.

Loose elbows.

Cow hocks.

Coat wavy or too long.

Unbalanced temperament.

Disqualifying faults

Aggresive or overly shy.

Cranio-facial axes clearly convergent.

Partial or total depigmentation of the nose.

Split nose or black nose.

Undershot mouth of any degree.

Excessively overshot mouth.

Albinism (coat and mucous membranes).

NB :

• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.
• The above mentioned faults when occurring to a highly marked degree or frequently are disqualifying.
• Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding.

Bibliography

https://www.fci.be/

Detailed history

The Spanish Braque, still called Braque de Burgos and, in Spain, Perro Perdiguero de Burgos, is probably one of the oldest among the Braques.

Some authors agree that the Italian Braque would be the ancestor of all. Castaing, while recognizing that this statement does not lack fundamentals, rejects the idea of an Italian descent for the Spanish Braque. One can however notice the very strong resemblance of the Italian Braque and the Braque of Burgos. They have many common characteristics: a rather heavy head, drooping lips, a noble and sad expression, a neck forming folds in the crop. Would these two dogs have the same origins? It is not forbidden to imagine it. We know that the appearance of the Italian Braque goes back to Antiquity. According to Fiorone, it comes from the crossing of a light running dog, which was used in the time of the Pharaohs and the Mastiff of Assyria; it is not impossible that the first sowing dogs thus obtained have spread in Europe by the Mediterranean countries. We know that Spain was invaded by the Romans during the Punic wars, then by the Arabs.

Be that as it may, the Perdiguero de Burgos is undoubtedly a Spanish race of very ancient lineage, which has kept all the characteristics of its ancestors very pure. In the 17th century, Velasquez painted Braques de Burgos on one of his canvases exactly as we know them today: dogs of hieratic beauty, giving off an impression of nobility and power.

It seems that in Spain, the Perdiguero de Burgos has developed mainly south of the Pyrenees, at least at the beginning. He could, it is said, be the ancestor of the old French Braque, also called "Braque Charles X". He could also have played a role in the appearance of another Spanish Braque, more unknown: the Braque said Lourdes or Charles VIII, a lighter dog, more agile, more angular than the Braque de Burgos, whose The pace is more lively and is particularly clever at hare hunting.

Although it has inherited the morphological features of its more distant ancestors, the Perdiguero de Burgos has also preserved their ancestral skills in hunting. It is, therefore, very popular in Spain. It must be said that the Spanish Braque possesses all the qualities that one can look for in a hunting dog. Its calm, docile and intelligent character makes it very easy to train. Effective on all terrains, but especially on flat and dry ground, it can be used for any game, hair or feather, with a predilection for the partridge. He does not refuse the tracking of big game, where he shows great valor. It should be noted that the Spanish Braque is a very rustic dog and extremely resistant to heat and weather; his broad and developed chest, his strong chest with well-rounded ribs certainly favor his robustness and endurance. During the quest, his favorite pace is an economic trot, flowy and powerful. His nobility of style and style still make him think of the Italian Braque.

To all its qualities, it must be added that the Perdiguero de Burgos has a very fine nose and that it stops and brings game to perfection. It is really surprising that such a hunter is so little known outside the Spanish borders.

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Burgos Pointing Dog