Braque d'Auvergne is originated from France but Shiloh Shepherd is originated from United States. Braque d'Auvergne may grow 35 cm / 14 inches higher than Shiloh Shepherd. Both Braque d'Auvergne and Shiloh Shepherd are having almost same weight. Both Braque d'Auvergne and Shiloh Shepherd has almost same life span. Both Braque d'Auvergne and Shiloh Shepherd has almost same litter size. Braque d'Auvergne requires Low Maintenance. But Shiloh Shepherd requires High Maintenance
Sometime over 5 centuries ago, in the Cantal Region of France, was born a hunting breed, that might be the real ancestor of today’s pointing hunter dogs. Perhaps the oldest of all pointing gun dog is the Braque d’Auvergne. This breed comes from Central France in the region of Auvergne. This breed was developed prior to written dog breeding records in order to hunt in this region and find, point, flush out and retrieve fowl. This breed is clearly one of if not the oldest breeds in the French Braque. There is no agreement among historians on what breed is the oldest of the European pointing dogs and where they were developed – was it Spain or was it France? It is thought that the Braque Francais Gascogne is the original one of these in the early 1600’s while the Braque d’Auvergne came soon after. Due to the different hunting needs in the different parts of France, the Braque Francais Gascogne was crossed with a lot of other local scent hounds. The Braque d’Auvergne is one of the very oldest of all of these. There are records of the breeds existence in the 1700’s. It is probable that the Braque d’Auvergne was developed by crossing local dogs with Gascogne as well as with the Petit Bleu de Gascogne and the Grand Bleu de Gascogne.
In all of Western Europe, the region of Auvergne is not very populated and has unique geography in that is hilly and has many extinct and eroded volcanoes. A lot of the region is still unpopulated. In this environment, wildlife has flourished, and hunting is successful in providing food for the regions people. This circumstance with an abundance of birds, led to the breeding of the Braque Auvergne to specialize in hunting in this area. The breed is not very popular outside of Auvergne and probably never was. That fact allowed them to be devastated by the Second World War. The Reunion des Amateurs de Braque d’Auvergne (RABA) was started to promote the pure breeding and the protection of the d’Auvergnes. But when Auvergnes was occupied during the war, the slowed breeding of the Braque d ‘ Auvergne almost eliminated the breed. There might have only been about 25 dogs left following the end of the war. These remaining dogs were used to revive the breed, but it is still uncommon, but not rare. Individuals have been imported by other countries including North America. The United Kennel Club (UKC) accepted the breed in 2006 but is not accepted by the AKC (American Kennel Club). The breed is still a working breed and outside of France, very rare.
The Shiloh Shepherd is currently a hybrid that breeders are attempting to develop into a new breed. New York breeder, Tina Barber, out of Shiloh Shepherds kennel developed dogs when in 1974, she attempted to develop a German Shepherd line. She wanted a GSD that was more like the ones she remembered from her childhood.
Tina took her foundation stock out of the AKC and got the FIC (Federation of International Canines) to recognize the Shiloh Shepherd as a separate breed. The FIC is not the same as the FCI or Federation Cynoloquque Internationale. In 1991 the Shiloh Shepherd Dog Club of America was formed, and the shepherd was recognized by the American Rare Breed Association.
Official recordkeeping on the breed began in 1993. The computer system TCCP maintains breed records and the Shiloh Shepherd has at least 9 generations in the system. Tina Barber was president of the Shiloh Shepherd Dog Club of America and oversaw the international club as well. She was responsible for the breed. After her death in 2011, her daughter took her place in working with the breed.
The Shiloh and the German Shepherd were then crossed to develop the King Shepherd.
The Braque d’Auvergne is a well built, strong hunting dog with long ears, a large head and a docked tail. His coat is white with black markings and black ears and head. The breed looks a lot like all the other pointing dogs from France. They are medium in stature and has the appearance of a working gundog. He is athletic, muscular and fit. Docking the tail is outlawed in many countries and all of the United Kingdom. In that case the tail is high on the rump and always straight. Their face and head are big for the size of the body and shaped like an oval. With a long muzzle, deep set eyes and a gentle expression, they are kindly and handsome dogs. Their skin is loose but not droopy or wrinkled like hound dogs.
Shiloh Shepherds are giant dogs, much larger than the usual German Shepherd Dog. The Shiloh had been bred to be a companion animal and not a guardian or herder. The Shiloh looks more like a wolf than either the German or the King Shepherd Dog. Their back is straighter than the GSD and they are larger, more stable and more intelligent. They were bred to show a complimentary balance between strength and elegance.
They have slightly domed, broad heads with a muzzle that gradually tapers, strong cheekbones and black lips. Their ears are triangles, well cupped and firm. The Shiloh Shepherds eyes are either brown or very dark. They have a straight back which is muscular and broad. Their chests deep and their tails plush, long and curved.
They have a very “heavy” appearance compared with other shepherds. They are well muscled in both the lower and upper thighs. Their coat is plush, and they have a dense undercoat. Their hair is harsh to the touch. There is both a smooth coat and a plush coat with the plush coat being more prevalent.
This is a gentle, adaptable and obedient breed. With their intelligence and affectionate nature, they make great family dogs and are eager to please their people. Living with other dogs is fine but not with small, prey size animals. The Braque d’Auvergne should never be left alone pets like gerbils and hamsters. They must be socialized to cats as pets and not prey before living with them successfully. They need to work closely with one human partner. They are first and foremost a hunting dog and need some sort of hunting simulation. They are devoted to their families and want to be constantly in their presence. This can lead to separation anxiety if they are left alone too much. They are great with children and need a family.
The Braque d’Auvergne is a healthy breed but can face some of the same health concerns as other pointers and hunting dogs. The long, droopy ears can get infected easily if wet and need to be cleaned regularly so that food or dirt are not trapped their either. Because of the small gene pool however they may be at risk for several issues. The breeders in France express concerns about possible hip dysplasia and testing is highly recommended. Because they are at risk for other conditions that might not show up until later in life, it is also recommended that they be tested by the Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF) as well as the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA).
The Shiloh Shepherd has some health issues to deal with. These include: They seem to have very sensitive stomachs and intestinal issues.
• Bloat – gastric dilatca ation volvulus – twisted stomach or intestines. Needs immediate veterinary care.
• Small intestine bacterial overgrowth – diarrhea, difficulty absorbing nutrients, abdominal pain.
The Braque d’Auvergne needs a high-quality diet fit for a working dog but not too much to make him obese. They are an active breed to choose a formula that is designed for working dogs.
Although no studies have been conducted on the Braque d’Auvergne’s health issues there are many conditions that similar breeds are susceptible to and the d’Auvergne might be as well. This includes any of the following:
This is an active, working dog who needs a lot of stimulation and exercise. The only real appropriate exercise for these dogs is hunting or outings in the woods. He not only needs the exercise, but he also needs to stimulate his sense of smell and his gundog intelligence. He might excel in lure chase or even a form or barn hunt. They certainly could excel at obedience trials and perhaps rally. If you are a weekend hunter then this is the ideal dog for you. They are so easy to train that they surpass other pointers for success with casual hunters. They hunt at a slower pace than many other gundogs. Their intelligence and athleticism lend itself well to agility and flyball also. They need a large (+acres)fenced in area to run and play.
1.Feeding the puppy -Due to the breed’s sensitive stomach and intestinal issues, it is important to feed the puppy a high quality large or extra-large breed of dog food. Feed at least 3 meals per day.
2.Feeding the adult- You will still want to feed a high quality large or extra-large breed dog food two times a day. However, if you feed the pup well and keep the intestinal issues under control, the adult should have an easier time.
4. Games and Exercises Be careful of the puppies’ exercise levels. Their bones grow slower than most so avoid a lot of jumping or strenuous exercise until they are adults. This means that even though they will be very good at agility or flyball and they will love playing them, do not start them when they are puppies. Wait until they are mature. The do well in herding trials, agility and search and rescue. Many make great therapy dogs.