Our Dogs

Dams

Great Lakes Gun Dog’s Phoebe (Phoebe)

As a descendant of Bessy and offspring of Piper, Phoebe has big shoes to fill.  Phoebe handles easily in the field and works at a medium-close range.  She has a big nose and steady point.  She is consistent with checking in, quarters nicely, and hunts right alongside you at all times.  She is ready retriever on land and water although she is yet to take up swimming behind the kayak like her mother.  She had points on wild grouse last year as just a young pup, and nailed the field portion of her NA test this year.  I am excited for her first full bird hunting season in 2020.  Phoebe’s hips are very tight with a PennHip rating of 0.25, OFA Clear – eyes, and scored a prize 3 Natural Ability (NA) test because of an off day with tracking.

Phoebe PennHip          Phoebe NAVHDA pedigree

Great Lakes Gun Dog’s Reagan

Reagan’s Pedigree

Sires

Great Lakes Gun Dog’s Ollie (Ollie)

Ollie is co-owned by Eric and Julie O’Brien in the local West Michigan area.  Ollie is an extremely intelligent dog and his high desire for personal interactions and attention make him an easy student.  He is a medium to medium long ranging dog with excellent stamina.  His strong skeletal structure, durable feet, and very tight hips all contribute to him being able to hunt for many hours, multiple days in a row.  Ollie has hunted ruffed grouse, woodcock, prairie grouse, wild pheasants, quail, as well as released birds.  Ollie’s use of nose is excellent with intelligent quartering search and a steady, intense point.  His prey drive is high as is his cooperation with checking back in.  He likes to swim and is not intimidated by Lake Michigan surf.  Ollie’s retrieving is average to strong. In the house Ollie is the perfect Braque with a true off switch and is always by your side or snuggling in craving attention. Ollie’s Pennhip scores are extremely tight at 0.19, eyes clear, and a NAVHDA NA Prize 1, 112-point perfect score.  Ollie weighs 49 pounds and is 22.75” at the shoulder.

Ollie PennHip  Ollie pedigree

Porter Des Secrets D’une Reine (Porter)

Porter was imported as a pup from France and honestly, we couldn’t be happier with him.  He handles in the field very well, and is always in contact with me.  He works at a close to medium-close range.  He has a high prey drive, steady point and happy retrieve.  He excelled at tracking and we are am confident that any wounded pheasants this fall won’t escape him!  He soaks up any body of water he’s near and will swim just for the pure fun of it!  He is very affectionate and lazy in the house.  He scored a perfect 112-point Prize 1 in his Natural Ability (NA) test.  His hips are very tight with a Pennhip score of 0.25, and OFA clear – eyes.

Porter PennHip  Porter SCC pedigree

Retired:

Bessy Fleur De Bruyere (Bessy)

She is French-born and was the matriarch of our kennel and mom to Piper.  She was a great mom to her puppies and very affectionate to her humans.  She was always content to be a “couch potato” in the house, but outside, her nose led the way. She was a hard working hunter with a strong prey drive.  Bessy whelped her last litter spring of 2014.  In her retirement she soaked in the Michigan sun from her bed through picture window!  She was with us just shy of 15 years!  Click for Pedigree

Cartouche Du Mas Du Diable (Cartouche)

She was a people pleaser and extremely affectionate.  She loved to be right next to and cuddled up with her people.  She was soft as silk and low shedding and had the best coat in our kennel. Born in France and imported over by our friend Brad Boisen.  She was right in the middle of the breed standard at 45lbs. and about 21” tall at the shoulder.  She was cleared OFA for eyes and hips. She was with us until the age of 14.

Click for Pedigree

Great Lakes Gun Dog’s Piper (Piper)

Piper scored a perfect 112 in her September 2013 NAVDA Natural Ability test for a Prize 1.  Piper has had some fantastic hunting on ruffed grouse, prairie grouse, sharped-tail grouse, woodcock, and pheasant .  She is driven in the field but very responsive and handles by voice command, whistle, or hand motions.  She is very careful when she gets into birds and handles grouse well.  A natural retriever, she retrieves birds to hand, and has a very soft mouth.  She is staunch on point and will also honor another dog’s point.  We are also very pleased that she is just as calm and affectionate in the house as her mother Bessy is. Piper is 42lbs. and stands about 21” at the shoulder.  She has cleared OFA for eyes her Pennhip score was 0.30.  Although we are sad that she won’t be producing anymore great puppies I am very happy to have her back full time as a hunting dog! I can’t wait to run her in a brace with her daughter Phoebe.  We earned a NAVHDA NA breeder award for the Piper x Jet litter of 2018.

Piper’s Achievements

North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA) Natural Ability Breeder’s Award: 

2020 litter – Piper x Jiter De La Baie De Myrthe (Jet)

2018 litter – Piper x Jiter De La Baie De Myrthe (Jet)

 Click for Pedigree

Leonie du Canal de Lunel (Leonie)

Born in France and imported as an adult, she came well spoken of from French BF judges and she has been a happy addition to our kennel.  She has a super high prey drive equaled only by her intense and steady point.  She has a graceful and smooth gate through the field.  Leonie is an enthusiastic, happy retriever which enables her to overcome her general distaste for water.  She handles at medium to medium long range in the field.  In the house she craves affection and handles from under foot to in your lap!  She is very food motivated and often a vocal communicator.  Leonie weighs 40 lbs and stands 21.75″ at the shoulder.  Her hips are rated Euro B and has clear OFA eyes.

Leonie’s Achievements

North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA) Natural Ability Breeder’s Award:

2019 litter – Leonie x Flocon Du Mont Caugts

2020 litter Leonie x Great Lakes Gun Dog’s Ollie

Leonie SCC Pedigree

Other Dogs:

We won’t list them all here but we have had a number of really great BF’s in the past that we have loved a ton.  Some of those dogs were even exceptional in many areas, but for one reason or another they didn’t make the cut to be in our breeding program.  We feel strongly that only the dogs that best exemplify a great Braque be used to carry forward the breed in a breeding program, and so we make sure to evaluate a dogs hunting ability, interactions with people, physical structure, and health characteristics when determining to use a dog for breeding.