Auvergne Pointer

Brought to France from Malta by Napoleon, the Auvergne Pointer is believed to have ties with the Talbot Hound, Blue Gascony Hound and a variety of French, Spanish and Italian gundogs. It was standardized in the mountainous Auvergne region of southern France and the breed was recognized in 1913. Although an excellent bird dog, this rugged pointer was never very popular in Europe and is today quite rare to find. The Braque d'Auvergne is a fairly massive hound, but is remarkably agile and energetic. It is a reliable and commited scenthound, but this alert breed can also be a capable watchdog.

Its intelligence, even temperament and trainabilty make the Maltese Pointer an amenable pet, although the breed needs a fair ammount of excercise and is much happier when working. The coat is short, flat and glossy, coming in either predominatly white with black patches or the so-called "Charbonnee" colouring, which is white with heavy black/blue specking.

Regardless of colouring, the head and ears are always black. Average height is around 24 inches.