Breed of the Week: The Majorcan Pointer

Of all the breeds I’ve seen and studied, the Majorcan Pointer came as the biggest surprise. Despite finding a good number of historical references to it in the old literature, I was unable to determine if the Balearic Islands’ native pointing breed was still being bred today. And since Googling its name in English, French and Spanish only turned up the same old quotes from the same old books, for a long time I assumed that the breed was extinct. 

But only a few weeks before flying to Spain to photograph Burgos Pointers and Pachónes Navarro, I decided to give it one more shot. This time the words I entered into the Google search field were in Catalan, the other official language of the island of Majorca. I typed ca de mostra and ca de caça, then hit return. Less than an hour later I was on the phone to Sheryl Marchand, my very understanding travel agent, telling her that Lisa and I would need to extend the Spanish leg of our trip. Majorca’s native pointing dog was still alive!

HISTORY

The Balearic Islands are an archipelago off the east coast of Spain.They have been inhabited from at least the time of the ancient Phoenicians and Greeks who probably introduced hunting dogs to the four major islands of Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. Even today, Podengos —a type of hunting dog used throughout the Mediterranean in ancient times—are still found on the islands, used by their owners to hunt rabbits by sight and scent.

We know that pointing dogs have been present on Majorca since at least the 14th century. A number of documents surviving from that era clearly indicate that hunters armed with crossbows used pointing dogs to help them take small game. In fact, the practice seems to have been so widespread and effective that game populations may have been adversely effected. Royal ordinances banning it were issued in 1383 and again in 1392. How pointing dogs got to the island is unknown, but it is reasonable to assume that they were brought over from the mainland and that they share a common origin with the earliest types of pointing dogs that were then being developed on both sides of the Pyrenees Mountains. They were probably bred in fairly small numbers on Majorca and the other Balearic islands, and developed in similar ways to pointing dogs elsewhere. 

By the late 1800s they had gained a reputation as excellent hunting dogs. At least one hunter thought they were the best dogs to be found anywhere. Jules Tallien de Cabarrus was a French doctor and diplomat who had hunted in many parts of the world. In the 1860s he fell ill and was sent to Majorca to recuperate. There, he hunted over Majorcan Pointers and wrote about them in his book, Chasses et Voyages, published in 1863: I repeat and will continue to say that the Majorcan pointing dog is the best and most accomplished that one could possibly find.1

In 1882 he published another book, El Mejor Perro de Muestra, in which he wrote: The Majorcan Pointer...is worth more than all the beautiful spaniels, setters or pointers. I speak from experience since I have used them for over 25 years, nine of which I spent on Majorca, three in Trieste [a city in Italy, but under Austrian rule at the time], and the others in America. And of the 49 dogs that I have had, 29 of the Majorcan breed have passed through my hands, and I have also seen many more besides mine at work.2

Another high profile person who described pointing dogs on Majorca was Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria (1847- 1915). He wrote a nine-volume book on the Balearic Islands in which he mentions local hunters using pointing dogs to hunt quail.

In 1911, the Real Sociedad Central de Formento de las Razas Caninas in España (later renamed Real Sociedad Canina de España) was formed. In some of its earliest stud books there are listings for Perdigueros Mallorquínes (Majorcan Pointers). But then the breed seems to fall into near complete obscurity. While a few references are found in the Spanish sporting literature of the 1940s and ’50s, it was not until the mid-1990s that any efforts to establish Majorca’s native pointer as a recognized breed got under way. In 1996 the Club del Ca Mè Mallorquí was formed and a standard drawn up. In 2002 a stud book was established, and in 2004, after six centuries on the island, Majorca’s native pointing breed was officially recognized—sort of. Recognition was granted by the Minister of Agriculture of the Balearic Islands but not (yet) by the Real Sociedad Canina de España or the FCI.

MY VIEW

Before travelling to Majorca, we spent several days on the Spanish mainland with the people involved in the revival and growth of the Pachón Navarro and Burgos Pointer. We discovered that both breeds had faced difficult times in the recent past but were now in the hands of well-organized clubs and were becoming more popular throughout the country. The Majorcan Pointer seems to be following in their footsteps, but efforts to revive it did not really get going until the late 1990s. And the relative isolation and small population of the island mean that it will probably never reach the level of popularity that the Pachón Narvarro and Burgos Pointer now enjoy. Nevertheless, supporters of the Majorcan Pointer are every bit as dedicated to their cause as supporters of Spain’s other indigenous pointing breeds. They also have had the opportunity to observe the progress of the other breeds and to learn from them. 

After we had photographed a number of dogs in the field, Lisa and I went to diner with members of the breed club. While discussing the future of the Majorcan Pointer, club president Francesc Mir Tomàs had this to say: We are very happy with the progress we have made so far. We know this is a long-term project and we want to do it right. We also understand that the most important thing is to breed dogs that are born to hunt, that are authentic Majorcan Pointers. They are an important part of the heritage of this island and the local people support our efforts. Pedro Salva Vidal added, “We are a patient bunch. We will make progress poco a poco.”

1. Jules Tallien de Cabarrus, Chasses et Voyages, quoted in Referencias Históricas, http://www.camemallorqui.org/referencias_historicas.htm (April 13, 2009)

2. Jules Tallien de Cabarrus, El Mejor Perro de Muestra, quoted in José Manuel Sanz Timón, Origenes e Historia Antigua, http://perdiguerodeburgos.info/historia/historia.htm (August 19, 2010)




Read more about the breed, and all the other pointing breeds from Continental Europe, in my book Pointing Dogs, Volume One: The Continentals

Everybody Knows Where Broomhill's At!

Field trials for Setters and Pointers have been run in Manitoba since 1886 when the Manitoba Field Trial Club held its inaugural Derby and All-Age Stakes near Morris, about 50 miles south of Winnipeg.  

Field trials are still held in Manitoba today, but further west, just outside of Broomhill, a small hamlet that most people in Manitoba have never heard of. But among field trialers, Broomhill is almost as well-known as Grand Junction Tennessee. When I interviewed Hall of Fame trainer and handler Colvin Davis last fall during the Manitoba Championship Trial, I asked him about Broomhill. Here is what he had to say.

Stay tuned for more video of Colvin and more on the history of field trials in Manitoba including first hand accounts from over 120 years ago!

My Next Dog?

Currently I have plenty of dog-power available to me to hunt just about anything. So I am not in the market for another dog right now. But in a year or three, Lisa and I will probably welcome a new addition to the herd. And even though we don't know what breed of dog it will be, we know this: it will have a mainly white coat. Mainly white?  Why?

Well it turns out that 50-year-old eyes are not great at seeing dogs with coats that act as camouflage in the field. I now have to put orange vests on my Weims every time we hunt just so I can keep track of them as they hunt or find them on point.

Without a vest, Souris is almost impossible to find in heavy cover, even though she is wearing a blaze orange collar in this photo.

There are actually TWO weims in this shot; one pointing and one backing. Both are wearing orange collars. Can you find them?

Last season I hunted with a couple of absolutely awesome English Setters brought over from Holland by my good friends Marjolein and Roel Kamman. The Setters are from Italian lines, were bred in France, and have mainly white coats. And even though they run fairly big, fly across fields and sprint through the heavy cover, they are a thousand percent easier to see than my Weims, especially when they are on point.

THIS is why I want a white dog. They are so much easier to see in heavy cover.

So what are my choices? Well, in Volume One of my book on Pointing Dogs, I include a chart that indicates the various coat types and color combinations available in the Continental breeds.

Looking it over, it seems like the list is actually quite extensive. And when the British breeds (Pointers and setters) are included,  it turns out that there are over 20 pointing breeds in which you can find dogs with a lot of white in the coat. So the long list looks like this: 

• English Setter, Pointer
• Irish Red and White Setter
• Épagneul Français (French Spaniel)
• Épagneul Breton (Brittanny)
• Braque du Bourbonnais
• Braque de l'Ariège
• Braque Saint Germain
• Braque Francais (both types)
• Old Danish Pointer
• Burgos Pointer
• GSP 
• GWP
• GLP
• Drentsche Patrijshond
• Small Munsterlander
• Large Munsterlander
• Weim (sort of...see my blog post on the "Whitemaraner")
• Bracco Italiano
• Spinone
• Pachon Navarro
• Ca Mé Mallorqui
• Cesky Fousek

By narrowing the list to only those breeds in which the majority of dogs have mainly white coats, it looks like this:

• English Setter
• Pointer
• Irish Red and White Setter
• Épagneul Français (French Spaniel)
• Épagneul Breton (Brittanny)
• Braque de l'Ariège
• Braque Saint Germain
• Old Danish Pointer
• Drentsche Patrijshond
• Small Munsterlander
• Bracco Italiano
• Spinone

And if I limit my search further, say by selecting only breeds that are relatively easy to find, offer a good selection of field-bred lines and are mainly selected for the type of hunting I do (80% upland birds, 20% waterfowl), the list gets even shorter:

• English Setter
• Pointer
• Épagneul Français (French Spaniel)
• Épagneul Breton (Brittanny)

And, finally, if I narrow it down to breeds with long tails (because I like long tails) only three breeds remain.

• English Setter
• Pointer
• Épagneul Français (French Spaniel)

So over the next couple of years I will be keeping my eye on those breeds, looking for just the right breeder and just the right litter. In the meantime, I will just enjoy watching videos of them in action. 

Here's an awesome video of some really nice Épagneuls Français. 

And here is an incredibly beautiful video of and English Setter in hunting Ptarmigan in Iceland

And here is a video of famous American Pointer breeder Bob Whele and his Elhew Pointers

Choices...choices!!

Happy Birthday Souris-Manon!

Souris-Manon (Grau Geist's Let R Rip Du Souris) turned 13 this weekend! So here's to:

13 years of growing up

13 years of chillaxing with her buddies

13 years of guard dog duty 

13 years of watching over the youngsters

13 years of cuddling

13 years of visits to the Vet

 

13 years of wear and tear

13 years of running

13 seasons of pointing sharptailed grouse

  

and woodcock

and ruffed grouse

 

and jackrabbits

 

and huns

and snipe

and pheasants

13 seasons of fetching ducks

 

and geese

 

and grouse

and pheasants

and jackrabbits

 

13 seasons of sitting in duck blinds

 

and goose blinds

and canoes

13 years of videos

And above all, 13 years of putting a smile on my face

So here's to many, many more 

Happy Birthday Souris!

Popularity. It's complicated.

Portuguese Pointer

As I alluded to in my last blog post, the term 'rare' is sometimes used by breeders to suggest that their breed is exotic and therefore superior to the run-of-the-mill breeds. But breeders of more common gundogs sometimes use the term 'popular' to promote their breed; the implication being that 'A million owners can't be wrong'.

Picardy Spaniel

But it turns out that the factors contributing to a breed's rarity or popularity are actually quite complicated. If we really want to understand why a breed is the way it is today, we have to look at history, geography, politics, breed clubs, registries and a bunch of other things, most of which are totally unrelated to how it actually performs in the field as a hunting dog.

Sometimes it comes down to a breed being in the right (or wrong) place at the right (or wrong) time. Take the Picardy Spaniel for example. It is a superb gundog with great looks and temperament.  It really should be more popular around the world. Unfortunately the breed was developed in a part of northern France that was ground zero for two world wars. Obviously, building a strong population of hunting dogs and attracting the attention of the gundog world is not easy when you are just trying to survive the next artillery barrage. 

Cesky Fousek

The Cesky Fousek on the other hand is very popular...in the Czech Republic. But outside of its native land, it is almost completely unknown. Obviously 50 years of cold war and an iron curtain are not exactly conducive to gaining world-wide recognition for a gundog breed.  

But much of Germany was also turned to rubble during the wars, and half of it also lay behind an iron curtain for much of the 20th century. So why are German breeds like the GSP, GWP, Weim, Munsterlander and Pudelpointer now so popular in many parts of the world? Well it turns out that when hundreds of thousands of Allied servicemen and women are stationed in a foreign country, they tend to notice the local gundog breeds. And when local breeders, desperate to get back on their feet after years of war realize they have a very eager market for their dogs...well, you do the math. 

English Setter

And then there is the fact that once a breed gains a certain level of popularity, momentum based on a sort of herd mentality develops. Chances are, if you are a Czech hunter, you've seen plenty of Cesky Fouseks. Your best buddy probably has one and so do a lot of other hunters in your neck of the woods. So naturally, when you decide to get a gundog for yourself, your first thought is probably to get one just like your buddy's or just like the ones you see in the field all the time. 

I mean, do you really think all those guys and gals you see hunting with Labs or GSP's in the States really took the time to check out the pros and cons of dozens of other breeds before they got their first dog? Fat chance. The vast majority of dog owners can't even name more than three breeds of hunting dogs. Personally, I didn't do a whole lot of shopping around when I chose my breed (Weims). I just happened to see a really good one in the hunting field when I was younger and it stuck in my mind. When I finally got a house and a yard, guess what I got? Yup, the kind of dog I remembered seeing in the field years earlier. 

Large Munsterlander

Think about your own area. There are probably one or two breeds that are way more popular than all the others. But why is that?  My hunch is that they are a reflection of the momentum they've managed to build over the years. And chances are, that momentum is there to stay. The popular breeds in your area will probably remain quite popular and continue to build momentum.

But what would happen if a few top notch breeder/trainer/testers started working with one of the less popular breeds in your neck of the woods? And what if they started achieving FC and VC titles on a bunch of their dogs and what if they formed a really solid club, promoted the breed's virtues and began to place lots of pups in really good hunting homes? My guess is that over time, there would be a new 'most popular breed' in your area. As they say; nothing succeeds like success. Just ask the GSP and Brittany people who had, at one time, breeds that were not even on the radar in North America.

Enjoy my blog posts? Check out my book Pointing Dogs, Volume One: The Continentals

Rare doesn't mean good...or bad.

One of my pet peeves is seeing breeders of less common gundog breeds use the term 'rare' as an advertising hook, as if 'rare' were a synonym for 'good'. On the other hand, it also bugs me when I hear people bad-mouth less common breeds by saying "they must be rare for a reason".

Braque Saint Germain

When it comes to gundogs, rare does not mean good, or bad. Breeds become popular or remain rare for many reasons, usually totally unrelated to how good, or bad they actually are. Case in point: the Weimaraner. It is among the most popular gundog breeds in the world. Yet apart from a some superb individuals and a few good lines, as a hunting breed, it is in pretty rough shape overall. Trying to get a decent hunting dog by reaching in and picking a pup from any random Weim litter is like trying to hit a hole-in-one with a nine iron. 

Compare that to the Braque de l'Ariege, one of the rarest breeds on the planet. Your chances of getting a decent hunting dog out of just about any Ariege litter are pretty darn good since there are no show lines of Braques de l'Ariege and no non-hunting breeders breeding them. Every single Braque de l'Ariege out there right now is a hunting dog. Most are decent, some are excellent, a few are world-class. None are worthless.

Saint Usuge Spaniel

That said, there are some increased risks that come with rarer breeds, but those risks are not usually related to hunting ability or performance. For example, a small, closely-related population means that if a certain genetic problem crops up, a larger percentage of the overall breed can be effected and therefore present a greater risk to a purchaser. Case in point: Alopecia in the Pont Audemer Spaniel. Like other breeds with a curly coat, Ponto's can experience hair loss due to Canine Follicular Dysplasia. It is a purely cosmetic issue unrelated to performance, but it is a problem in the breed. And with so few individuals in the breed and so few lines, the only way to address the problem has been to outcross to unaffected dogs from other breeds like the Irish Water Spaniel.

Pont Audemer Spaniel

Another issue that can have a greater effect on a rare breed is club politics. In big clubs, political rifts don't usually have much of an effect on the overall state of a breed. But in small clubs, in-fighting can be disastrous. Case in point: the Braque du Bourbonnais. A few years ago, a sort of leadership putsch occurred. The breed club's former president, the guy who actually re-created the Braque du Bourbonnais almost single-handedly, was forced out. The club is now in a shambles. It has more or less ceased doing anything for the breed (no trials, tests or shows) and the Bourbonnais population in France is in a free fall. In fact there are sometimes more Bourbonnais bred in the US than in France now! 

Pachon Navarro

Probably the most daunting task facing anyone interested in a 'rare' breed is actually getting a pup. I often get questions like: "How can I get a (insert rare breed name) puppy? Do I need to fly all the way to (insert name of foreign country)? I don't even speak (insert foreign language). 

10 years ago, my answer would have been, YES, you need to fly to whatever foreign country the breed comes from and yes, you will need to overcome the language barrier somehow. But nowadays, thanks to the Internet, you can do much, if not all, of what is necessary to get a pup without ever leaving your own home town. But I would still encourage a trip to whatever country the dog is coming from just to experience the culture, food and wine! 

Members of the Cesky Fousek Club, Czech Republic, 2007

To break it down in a sort of easy step-by-step, here is what I would do (and in fact have done) to get a pup from one of the rarer breeds.

Stabyhoun

1. Identify the breed you want and make sure that it is still being bred to hunt. Case in point: the Stabyhoun, a rare 'gundog' breed from Holland. The Stabyhoun is still listed as a pointing breed, but in reality no one breeds Staby's for hunting anymore. In the entire world, there may be a handful of people that use their Staby to fetch the occasional duck. And that's it. Staby's can make fine pets, they have great looks and temperaments, but if you want a hunting dog, look elsewhere. 

Among the less common breeds, I'd say that all the French breeds represent pretty decent odds of finding a good hunter (the Braque Saint Germain might be sort of iffy). Personally, I would get a Picardy Spaniel in  a heartbeat, I love the French Spaniel and Braque d'Auvergne, I may get a Braque de l'Ariege one day. Both versions of the Braque Francais are great and the Bourbonnais is really coming along nicely in the US. The Portuguese Pointer offers better than decent odds and you can get a good Bracco Italiano or Spinone (from good lines....be careful). For more, see my book, I offer a sort of 'risk level' for all the breeds in it.

2. Make a connection with a breeder or two. Do it the same way you would here (but maybe with the help of Google Translate). Connect via the breed club or through forums, bulletin boards, Facebook etc. Look for HUNTERS who breed hunting dogs. Engage them on a hunter-to-hunter basis and see if you can see eye to eye. I now have some very dear friends in Europe because we had a sort of 'meeting of minds' about dogs and hunting. I have met many of my Euro friends in person, but there are quite a few that I have never actually met other than online...yet we are now like kindred spirits and have established a very high level of mutual trust and respect. 

3. Go there to hunt or invite them here to hunt. I've done both. The hunting memories, stories and experiences you collect will be priceless. Get a second job, eat nothing but Kraft diner for a year, do whatever it takes. Just get there. It will change your life.

Baltrum, 2001

4. Get a pup. Either have it shipped here or (preferably) go there to pick it up. The experience will stay with you forever and a trip to Europe, especially to hunt, will blow your mind.

Finally, if you need help, just ask. I am happy to help out in any way I can and there are people in every club, in every breed that are willing to take the time to answer questions and help you get a good dog. After all, they are looking for good hunting homes for their hunting dogs. And the rarer breeds really could use a helping hand, especially from North American hunters. After all, where would the Bourbonnais be now without the folks in the US that are doing more for the breed than the parent club in France at the moment!

UPDATE 1. I've followed up this post with another that explores the reasons some breeds are popular, while others are not. You can read it here.

UPDATE 2: There is now a Braque du Bourbonnais right here in Manitoba! Check out the photos of Kolbi Chasseur d'Aspen Ridge "Kolbi" with his new family here or click on the photo below.

Enjoy my blog posts? Check out my book Pointing Dogs, Volume One: The Continentals