Rufnit Kennels Braque du Bourbonnais – Comments/References

Please take a few minutes to read the following correspondences regarding Rufnit Kennels and our progeny!

Comments/References are added to the page in the order they are received.

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2003

Rufnit bred our dog, Beka aka Samantha (Sam). My experience with Rufnit Kennels has been very positive. They are professional and personal. Sam arrived in perfect condition. She is 12 weeks. My husband and I both came from dog families and agree that Sam is exceptional. She is house broken and learning basic skills rapidly. She is a social dog who loves kids and other dogs. She is very loving and eager to please. Sam’s temperament can be described as calm, alert and playful. She’s still just a pup, but showing great promise at a very early age. In short, Sam has exceeded all our expectations. We have Sam because of the fine breeding program at Rufnit Kennels.  (~12 weeks)Alla/TX

You should be very proud of what you are doing with the breed, I know I am proud to know you and be associated with your kennel…Tracy/CO

I just wanted to drop a line and tell you everything is perfect with my best friend Merle. We’ve been going to the fields and starting to work on find the scented dummy. He’s a great dog!! I wanted to thank you so much for getting my companion to me. Every aspect of the “transaction” went very smoothly. From the initial contact, to the personal updated photos, all the way to the pick up from the airport, I was more than pleased with the way Rufnit, and especially you Shari, handled everything. This was my first puppy purchase and it was made 2000 miles apart, and still it all fell into place with the help of your knowledge and planning. I’m enclosing some photos of a very happy pup! Once again, thank you so much!!!  (~4 months)Isaac/OR 

2004

Last weekend I took cannon out for the first time to introduce him to guns and birds. we went dove hunting. not that I like to see a dog start on doves flying by, but I just wanted to see how he would do with a gunshot and with a fresh bird. he loved it! he never even flinched to shot and he was able to see a couple of birds drop and was eager to retrieve. he would bring them straight back to me but was of course a little reluctant to give them up, which was fine. he loves carrying. we took him out yesterday and today on some planted bobwhites. this was his first time to scent a bird in the field and sense direction. again, he was very impressive. he bumped the first couple of birds and by the third bird had figured out that they will fly off if he bumps them. the third bird he nailed at about 15 yards and held point while we took some pics and moved around in front of him. he held while I flushed and shot. this dog has a ton of natural ability! enough of the cute pics of him sleeping on the couch. next pics will be hunting! (but he is still sleeping on the couch) I’ve already quit using the wing with him and am starting next week on retrieve to hand with birds in the yard. I think he’s ready. cannon is birdy, quick to learn, and eager to please. I don’t know what more you could ask for!  (~3 months)Mark/CA

Corbu is a gorgeous dog who attracts a lot of attention.  Perry, who walks him in the morning, was told by another dog owner that Corbu was the talk of the neighborhood.  A few days later Corbu and I were crossing the street when a lady I’d never met said “Is this the French pointer I’ve been hearing about?”  Corbu has discovered the bathtub.  It’s now nearly impossible to keep him out of the tub when Arlo is taking his bath, because Arlo will open the door when we’re not looking.  Then Corbu jumps in and goes rubber-duck hunting.  It’s a riot!  He’s growing from a lanky adolescent to a more filled-out adult dog. He remains a very enthusiastic, loving, intelligent animal.  (~1 year)UPDATE…Everyone seems to have weathered the changes in our lives quite well. Corbu has settled down nicely.Perry takes Corbu to work once or twice a week. The other days he stays at my house. He also gets walked morning and night. I take him to the beach to frolic in the surf once a week and Perry sometimes takes him for long hikes through the Santa Monica Mountains.It’s been fortunate we’ve always lived near beaches. People remark that they’ve never seen a dog crash through the surf like Corbu does. Problem is, massive intake of salt water means a risk of explosive diarrhea. So I have to feed him lightly and very digestible food after a day at the beach, and watch (and smell) him carefully. (3 1/2 years)UPDATE…Corbu has shaped up to be an excellent running partner. He trots alongside me. He can easily go 4 miles with me– that’s just a warm-up for him. We go out 2-3 times per week, since I swim the other mornings. Perry takes him on 5-8 mile hikes in the Santa Monica Mountains. I still take him to the beach for a romp and a swim when I can. Caring for a Braque du Bourbonnais has been an excellent fitness program .I am amazed by Corbu’s capacity to love. I don’t think I’ve ever had such a deeply attached pet. Everyone reports that he gets anxious and starts looking for me when I step out of the room. He is a super snuggle dog and a big face-licker. I tell my friends that the secret to my youthful complexion is frequent doggie facials.I hope you and your gang of dogs are all doing well.  (~4 years)Liz/IL

Arri has chewed up a few things.  This is all our fault because we refuse to pen her.  If I get her by herself she does seem to pick up thing quickly.  She stays close when we have all the dogs loose in the yard.  Responds very well when called.  We love her very much and have enjoyed her a lot.  She doesn’t seem gun shy, I have had her to the gun club several times.  (~1 1/2 years)Jim/IA

Rufnit Kennels – THE BEST!!  Braque du Bourbonnais – A SPECIAL BREED!!  Thank you so very much for taking such good care of our babies!  You are the best.Sharon/NE

I wanted to let you know we are thankful for your dedication to the Braque du Bourbonnais.  Our new addition is more than we could have ever asked for!  Thank you Shari!  (~7 months)Robert/TX

Thanks sooo much for working with our Braque, even though we did not purchase her from you.  I’m still amazed at how you brought her out of her gunshyness.  Her solid points and steadiness is more than I could have ever hoped for.  I can’t wait to show her off!  You should be proud of what you’ve done for this breed.  When we are ready for our next Braque, Rufnit Kennels will definitely be our breeder!  (~1 1/2 year old trained by Rufnit Kennels)Jeff/MN

I do especially want to be clear why we could be particularly interested in your dogs. We want a breeder who is careful- especially for temperament and soundness, and the fact that your dogs have a good initial start being socialized in the home, handled in the familyenvironment and around other dogs is also important. In addition, your background and long time experience as a trainer is a plus to us for your litters.Lou/CT

The following is communication with one of the top French breeder/enthusiast regarding my companions/breeding program:
Every body was very happy in France to meet such an enthusiastic American breeder.Michael/FRANCE-GERMANY

(Administrator of the Braque du Bourbonnais Forum and Braque du Bourbonnais information site)

You are the famous first.  All awards recipients have their group picture taken and all names and breeds are read verbally. This all takes place at the Sat night dinner. We hope you are there since this is an achievement with a minority breed. Great job! Next goal is the UT breeder award.NAVHDA International Officer Roberta (Bobby) Applegate

Thanks so much!  Your photos and information on the website is fantastic!  She is EVERYTHING you said she would be.  It was great to see our puppy develop before we picked her up.  (~4 months)Sue/AR

She is doing very well and she does not like Lee out of her sight. Thanks so much for such a Great dog!  (~8 months)Denise/NE 

2005

Jeanne is the typical mother, she thinks that her daughter and now her dog are the cutest things in the world.  (~3 months)Tom/MN

Well, Demi made it safe and sound. Wow, what a great dog. Curious, energetic, cuddly and when she scents a bird wing she is all business, it’s great. She is all I imagined that she would be. Thanks so much for all your hard work and for raising such a great pup. I know she will grow to be a wonderful companion and hunting buddy.  Also when I start her training I might occasionally call on your expertise, if that’s okay. I also have the NAVHDA and Perfect Start video’s as you suggested to help me out.  (~8 weeks)William/CA

Asher was a trooper, we couldn’t have asked for a better traveler, it was well worth it.   He is doing terrific, really making progress on walks over the last couple of days. We couldn’t be happier with the little guy. (update) Just wanted to drop you a note to let you know how Asher is doing. We are so pleased with him we are contemplating getting another one. He is the star of the dog park. Everyone wants to know what breed he is and we are always getting comments on how handsome he is. We feel so very lucky that he is a part of our lives. He is so smart. He learns things so very fast it’s pretty amazing. As you could probably imagine he is very spoiled and loving it. When we go to work Cory’s parents come and take him over to their place for a few hours so he doesn’t spend to much time alone. They love him very much too. When we are at the dog park, we practice retrieving. It’s amazing to watch him working out there, It just seems to be so natural. The dog park we like is an offleash area in our river valley with a couple of large open fields and many Km’s of trails. Asher meets and plays with many other dogs down there – He loves it! (~5 months)Cory/CANADA

The flight home went great, she slept the whole way. John said he really enjoyed meeting you and getting a chance to see the other dogs. Raven is such a sweet, loving and affectionate dog.  Her and my son play together really well and she likes to cuddle up on each of our laps at night.  I really appreciate all you have done! I will keep you informed of Raven’s progress and how she is doing.  (~8 weeks)Donna/MI

She is beautiful.  Thank you so much. She is so happy. We can really see a lot of great instinct in her as well as smarts.  It looks like she may be familiar with some general retrieving and heeling already! I want to continue to encourage that. (update) Frida is coming along nicely and is already in the field. I was hoping some photos of Frida would be up on a charity dove hunt website we attended a little while back, but I have not seen any up yet. I will let you know if the photos make it on the website. She is pointing quail and retrieving downed doves already and she’s not a bit gun shy.  (~5 1/2 months)UPDATE…As you can see, Frida likes the water…She will retrieve a toy dummy from as far as I can throw it and really “makes a splash” when she goes in the water. Frida and Firman are getting along well and playing a bunch together.  We are looking forward to duck season this year.  (~1 year)Jon/TX
Doni is doing well. Dan has been to the NAVHDA grounds with her a couple of times and they have fun. She has been a good puppy. We all enjoy her very much. Thanks again, Rufnit has been great.  (update) She is doing very well. She is a very wonder family dog and excited about hunting also. My husband took Doni out and she pointed some pigeons last week. Cool. (~5 months)Angie/MI

Your site is fantastic!  When we visited, it was like we already knew the dogs!  As your site shows, your dogs are GREAT.  We feel confident about you as a breeder and are excited about our new hunting companion.Steve/TN

Aimi is doing great. One of the family. She loves running around the yard with Tilly. She has started eating well and is settling in fine. I took both the girls out on Sat. to my Vet’s place and ran them in a recently cut hay field. Boy does Aimi go. She worked great. She never ranged out more than 30 to 40 yards, and had her nose to the ground the entire time. Tilly might just learn from her. She has also been walked daily and loves to go. I like the cool whether and plan on doing this more often. The kids love her too. She has had many visitors and loves the attention she is getting.I wanted to get an e-mail out to you and let you know how our little girl Aimi is doing. She is doing great. I had her out opening weekend with Tilly and they worked very well together. Tilly slowing down a bit and Aimi’s fast and furious approach make a good combination.  I also took them out this week for a two day hunt with friends south around Redcloud. Aimi and Tilly stole the show. They both hunted great. Ami again pointed, and stayed on point until I flushed the rooster. It was beautiful, and perfect. She was very happy on this trip, she got to sleep in bed with me . Hope all is well with you, and I will keep you posted.  (~2 year old acquired and trained by Rufnit Kennels)Todd/NE

Hi Shari. Raven is doing great! We all love her very much. John & Clayton have been enjoying training and doing scent trails for her to follow. She definitely seems to be a natural. I was concerned she was too slim as her legs have shot up so fast, but her vet check up was last week and they said she was great. She is a very affectionate part of the family. I’ll keep you updated and try to send pictures soon.  (~3 months)Donna/MI

Thank you for Sam. We love her so much that we have decided that she should have a little brother.  Although, I have raised the white flag and Sam has Alla and I wrapped around her paw, I am getting no resistance to another male. We are proud of Sam. She is sooo spoiled!  I am an avid hunter. Sam is the easiest dog to train. She is the perfect pet and hunting companion. Retrieves, points and swims like a dolphin. I would like another dog with similar markings and temperament.  I have socialized Sam at a large dog facility. She really steals the show.  I left the house early this morning. I went upstairs to check on Alla. Sam and Alla were asleep side by side, heads on the same pillow.  Please keep me on your calendar for a male next year. Sam is a real performer in the field. For that matter, she stays up with the labs in the water.  I will wait for next summer. I would like to be able to work with another dog for the ’06 season.  (~ 1 year)Dan/TX

Mayday is currently in his two week intro to wing and gun training—as of 09-10-2005.  The trainer has called and said that Mayday is smart (fooled me), has a good nose, and is birdy as hell.   In addition to this, Mayday is said to retrieve like a madman.  The trainer says that he has already introduced the e-collar and hopes to get him holding point this week. (~4 months)Tom/MN

She is doing great! John has taken her out in the field quit a few times. She has been shot over with no problems.  You can see that she and my son Clayton took to each other right away. I am also sending a picture of her pointing and a more recent one of her & Clayton getting ready to go out to the fields.  Thanks again, she has been such a joy! (~4 months)Donna/MI

I have been window shopping for a puppy for a while now, and in searching for rare or unusual breeds, I found the Braque de Bourbonnais, and eventually your website. I have to say your website is very well done, I have spent two days reading, and looking at pictures. I am very impressed by your dogs.Laura/TX

Well Demi is now 5 months and 21 days old. What a great dog. I’ve been working with her in the field for about 2 1/2 months now. She has mastered here, whoa, whoa in the field, can walk at heel and turns in the field on command. This week we started working steady to wing. As you might remember this is my first dog I’ve trained and I am using the Perfect Start and Perfect Finish training video series as you suggested. Great training aid, easy to follow and Demi is learning very easily. Demi is not as white as she appears in the pictures, she has light tan ticking on her body and legs. In the pictures we are working a field by my house on some chucker. Last weekend was opening day of California Valley Quail season, she got her first wild bird point and found several down birds in the bush. She is a great dog, good looking, intelligent and full of energy.  Thank you again for breeding such and great line of Braque du Bourbonnais.  (~5 months)William/CA

We thought we would give you an update on Eugene.  First off – he is precious and, just like last time, we feel we got the pick of the litter!  He is a superior listener – responing to “No” and any other commanding tones.  He had learned how to walk on a leash (on the left, walking beside walker) by the time we arrived in Miami – which we are still impressed by.  He asks to go outside – and has recently established “his area” is the yard where he goes the moment he is taken there.  We love him! Our extended family is in love with him too!  Will keep you posted!!!!  (at ~10 weeks)Eugene is doing great.  He has a GREAT nose!  Wow – he can track down anything!  He sits, down’s, here’s, and paw’s…working on stay.  He is an incredible cuddler – but this is no surprise.  (~3 months)Diana & Tony/FL

Hello, I wanted to thank you for the fantastic and informative site,which influenced us to contact you.  Then our educational conversation confirmed what your site suggests, you are a very professional and knowledgable person.  We look forward adopting one of your puppies as our family member and hunting companion!  Thanks again!Shiela & Mike/KS

Enable has been an absolute joy.  She loves to go afield and is starting to develop a nose for birds.  She is very well behaved in the house and loves to play with our daughters and their hairless brother Kojak.  We are so very glad that we have added a Rufnit Kennels BdB to ur family.  Thanks again — and we will keep in touch. (~4 months)Ryan/IN

Shari, thanks for the quick response.My question was born of my ignorance of the definition, not because I thought Demi was blinking. I have heard the term used in training DVD’s and I did not know exactly what it meant. After reading the definitions below I can say with 100% confidence that Demi is not blinking. She will point and hold from 3 feet to as much as 20 yards if wind conditions are right. She will hold for as long as I let her. I have held her point for a timed 5 minutes. Which I think is quite a long time when you are watching the second hand of your watch. I have never had to teach or whoa her on a point. That came very natural. She learn and mastered whoa with out the use of birds. In fact the method I used did not mix whoa and birds at all. Demi is very easy to teach. Everything she has learned, she learned on the lead first then we incorporate the e-collar.Demi is doing great. I think she was destine for me from the start. She has recovered from her spay operation just fine. She’s over 40 pounds now. Big, strong and very muscular.  (~10 months)UPDATE…Demi is doing great. I was a little bummed out after our NAVHDA test went down in flames last spring. We weren’t ready. But, I kept putting her on birds all summer and I think it paid off. Quail opener, 10 birds. She held point until flush on all 10 birds and retrieved to hand all 10 (with a little coaching).  Anyways I just thought I would give you an update.  (~1 1/2 years)William/CA

Sadie is doing well on her obedience training and has spent some good time in the field. I am going to start some field training in the next couple weeks (in addition to her play training).  By the way, I am participating in a field day with NAVHDA  and will get some field pictures to forward to you.  Oh, I forgot to mention that Sadie did a duck water retrieve in early December (her first and only so far) but I did not have my camera with me. It was only about 10 feet from shore but I was very excited! (~4 months)Alan/TX

Great web site – very complete, phenomenal pictures!Mike/TX 

2006

Due to my involvement with the Braque du Bourbonnais Forum (Michael Comte, Admin), I have the opportunity to keep even closer contact (daily) with several French breeders/enthusiasts.  The following are samples of my communication with the French breeders/enthusiasts regarding my companions/breeding program:
Marc:  Between see all your dogs, the best, for me are :  Hemi, Axel and Encore, very very good!  Bali & Alex, very good, to!  A pup of Hemi, Axel or Alex is very important for me, or have sperm of Axel.  I don’t know from this moment, exactly when, in summer I think, we can breed when we are definitly live in Madrid, in Spain.

Shari:  Hopefully, working together, we can increase the “healthy” gene pool in the U.S. and France!!

Marc:  Ya ! This is the best of my dream !!! 20 years breeding Bourbonnais and see that, for me it’s a very good récompense from my work ! I’m so happy ! Thank’s, Shari !also…

Marc: …all the large dogs of work have my children behind, in the pedigree, the line was well led, thank’ s Shari , but as Sarret said it, it will be necessary to go to recover our origins everywhere, including and especially in the USA and Canada! How this year they will produce more than us in France, one will have more choice!Marc/FRANCE-SPAIN(breeder of the first Braque du Bourbonnais to be imported into North America)

Mojo:  Congratulations Shari !!To import some BB is a great thing for the French breeders. Here, the biggest production are the brittanys and german pointers. Fighting in trial with them is a very hard challenge for us.The French hunters have their uses with their common breeds and very few want to change and try a breed they don’t know.Please, still hunting and practice trials and NAVHDA for the breed !!  Thank you for your job !Congratulations once more.Mojo/ FRANCE-POITERS

Well, Espy is doing great. She has earned the love of my children and wife and she is by all means a member of our family. She is absolutely wonderful!  I love her personality and temperament. She is very affectionate and sweet, although sometimes she gets herself into trouble (her greatest weakness is table food, so she will do anything to steal food from us).I have started training her and it seems to be a fast learner. I bought the video you told me but is hard for me to follow their program since it requires equipment I don’t have (e-collar, bird launchers etc.).  In any case, I joined NAVHDA and I use the “green book” as a training guide.  For the last two weeks we are working on the “Whoa” command and Espy is doing great. She is also really good on “Heel”.  Before I started the “Whoa” training, I took her in the field several times to be exposed in birds. I planted quail and she gave me some beautiful points. Overall she is very birdy and shows a strong desire in the field.  Not to mention that the other day managed to catch and kill (I don’t know how) a squirrel in our backyard. She then delivered the squirrel to my shocked wife (I was at work).  I’ll send you a few pictures of Espy once I figure out how the software works.Thanks again for letting us have Espy! (~4 1/2 months)Peter/IL

Just to keep you informed, Rufnit Extreme is doing very well. At 4 1/2 months his training began. Since, we have gone to a hunting preserve every weekend to train him. I was afraid that he wasn’t going to take to quail since he had not seen one until recently…I was wrong. He is doing great in his training. He took to the water like you would not believe. I had doubts early on about the NAVHDA tests b/c I thought he would not like the water, lowering his chances of receiving a prize. Now that I see great progress every time we go out, I’m really getting into his training.  (~4 1/2 months)UPDATE…Just wanted to let you know that Pinto’s training is going very well. The further along we get, the more I see how he “knows” what to do when he hits a scent. He’s looking more and more like a dog I would take hunting, as he is already a hunting dog (we can’t confuse the two). Although he is a compact, stout 40#, he can easily hang with the GSP’s with many hunts under their belts.Duck search is going well. We did a few drills with a dead chukar, and he did great. At the end of the session, I threw a dummy for him. He went out, but didn’t bring the dummy back. He went on a search for that bird. At first I was kinda frustrated, but then I thought, “why am I mad…he’s only doing what I need him to do.” Smart as a whip this lil’ lad is!My friends that own the hunt club already have a few future prospects for future Braque owners. It seems that they have taken a liking to lil’ Pinto Bean.Thanks for being such a great mentor through everything Pinto and I have accomplished. It has not always been good, but to see his progress in the field makes up for lil’ things tenfold. The best feeling in the world is being out there with him when he quarters, abruptly cuts back and makes that point to let you know he’s found something for you. (~9 months)Nelson/TX

Thanks for the references. I have heard back from all six of them, all of whom gave exceptional recommendations!! They were very enthusiastic, I was very impressed that all of the people you referred me to replied to my inquiry.  I feel we have made the correct breed choice.  We believe not only the breed is important, but the breeder as well.  You are obviously well respected by the owners of your dogs.  It is confirmed that with your knowledge and reputation, one of your Braque de Bourbonnais would be a great companion for our family.  I mailed a check today for a deposit.Tony/WA

1st night went very well. He slept in his Kennel until 01:30 AM Pacific time then asked to go Potty.  Onece back in our room he did not want to stay in the kennel but instead slept on the bed,curled up under my arm….I know we are spoiling him…He has very specific habits which are pretty easy to figure out, that’s good.He love to chase after the poodle and she reciprocates. The Skipperkee “tolerates” him but he does not play with other dogs… only humans. So Fletcher should not take it personally.Bonding with me seems on schedule, he does not leave my side for very long.A great dog from a great Breeder.Thank you. (at ~8 weeks)UPDATE…All is well…Fletcher slept until 3 AM today: great.He only wakes up once, does his business outside and back to sleep until my alarm goes off at 5AM.I am trying to get him used to the schedule that I’m on when I go to work.  Thanks for sending the pet passport and the other papers, very professional, my vet and her staff were impressed.  This was their 1st Braque du Bourbonnais, they though he was the cutest puppy. (~8 1/2 weeks)Claude/CA

Firman is doing great! He is so sweet and had a great first night in his new home. Yesterday afternoon he met Frida (Rufnit Dana) and really warmed up to her quickly. I’ll take a few pictures and send them in later this week when I can get him to stay still for a second.I know he is unfamiliar with his new home and will be whining quite a bit when I put him in his kennel at night but do you have any suggestions on getting him to be more comfortable? All in all he was much better and slept longer than expected.Thanks so much! (~8 weeks)UPDATE…Hello, Firman is settling in and has been doing really well. We’re going out in the field with Frida this weekend and will have more pictures. Here are a couple of us.  (~8 1/2 weeks)UPDATE…We took the pups to the lake this weekend and they had a great time. Frida taught Scout a thing or two about swimming and retrieving.  The second pic is of Scout after a hard day of play. We had so much fun with the both of them.  Thanks (~10 weeks)Brooke/TX

Felicity is doing well. We call her Flicka for her nickname. The airport pickup was nice and easy, and the drive home was fine. I am going to take a pic and email it to you today or Wednesday. She was yelping a lot last night, I assume from being in her new house. I keep her in her crate like you recommended in your email. She is eating fine, and drinking her water. We have stairs going down from out back porch, so we have to carry her down, but she made it up the stairs by herself today.She has been a very good girl.  (~8 weeks)Randy/IL

Hi, everyone is fine!  Forrest thinks he is in charge! Ann wanted me to tell you that he really has an exceptional nose! Thanks, talk to you soon. (~8 1/2 weeks)UPDATE…Now we have a digital camera! Forrest is wonderful! He is smart, happy, cooperative, affectionate, and mischievous. He swims like a fish, truly enjoys his hunting training, and learns very quickly. He loves to chew up plastic cups, fetch (and throw) balls, smell everything, pounce on our labrador, bark at the guinea pigs (we frown at him), and go everywhere he can with us. He strongly prefers Purina Dog Chow to IAMS and is growing like a weed. Thank you for the wonderful start you gave him, and for letting us have him! (~3 1/2 months)UPDATE…Gonna schedule Forrest for his NA test in October. He’s doing great! Everybody at the Central Indiana Chapter of NAVHDA is amazed at how fast and how well he learns! He swims like a duck. He’s steady to point and flush and to shot is nearly there. This evening, he did a 35 yard track against the wind. He’s the best dog we’ve ever had. He sits for an extended period while we are busy until released and has learned everything we’ve taught him with a minimum of fuss. He’s even learning to stop harassing the lab when Calhoun doesn’t want to play.  (~4 months)We would love to have a Jenny for Forrest. They go together like peas and carrots!Mark & Ann/IN

Lottie has found herself a chair! I put her in her crate after taking this picture of her in the girls chair with the yellow pillow! Thank you, thank you, thank you, for a delightful dog. Only one puddle but lots of success so I can’t complain. She had a very long day.  (~8 weeks)UPDATE…Lottie is enjoying the pool!  She knows what time the bus arrives with her girls and can’t wait to walk down and meet them.  (~9 weeks)Clare/PA

I introduced Fletcher to boats and began to work him on the short lead.  He slept on the boat (next to me with his head on my lap) and he is getting used to the lead very easily.  He is also doing very well socializing with other dogs he got to meet several at this outing.  He is growing fast….Great dog from a Great breeder.  Thank you.  (~10 weeks)UPDATE…We are thrilled with Fletcher.  He is growing like crazy around 14-15″ at the shoulder probably a good 18 to 20 pounds. He love to play with the little poodle and the Skipperke.I take him out on the school yard and let him range off leash looking for birds (there are some pigeons there). He has a great instinct. He covers a lot of ground and stays in range for voice commands. I plan to get a couple of live quails to play with next weekend.He does very well on the lead although I am having a bit of trouble getting him to sit when on Heel. As soon as I stop and look down to make him sit he gets exited and jumps up at me to play. He does sit for treats, that is a start : )We still have not made the NAVHDA meeting due to schedule conflicts. We’ll try again in July. (~3 months)UPDATE…Just thought I report in on our little boy Fletcher.Yesterday we started his Professional training (I’ve been working with him but that strickly amaturish). He did very well.  It a long drive so I arranged for private lessons for the day. We trained all day with breaks and never had to put the electronic collar on Fletcher.Bryce first did an evaluation and found him to be a littel shy around peaople at first (which he is for about 5 minutes and then he’s fine – I call it Reserved) and still full of Puppy energy. We started with Command-and-Control mostly the Come comand voice and Wistle – No problem. Then we covered ranging looking for birds. Bryce had brought a female GSP, just in case Fletcher did not want to hunt to show him what he was supposed to do. That was not necessary he stuck to that adult GSP like they had hunted together for years. Then we moved on to retrieves. I had been working on that a little. He did singles, multiples, doubles with a late throw which he did not see and did not miss a beat. We would give him breaks between asignments. After all the retrieve work he went under the truck to rest/sleep for a while so I brought out the shotgun (12 gage) to practice a little on clays. I had Fletcher already introduced to gun fire. He eventually woke up and came over to see what all the noise was about. He is NOT gun shy.Then Bruce brought out the Quail, tied a leg to a piece of yarn and to a piece of wood (not high tech but it works great) and we started working on finding birds. No problem there either, the little boy has a great nose and found the bird every single time (we moved the bird about 6 times). We also worked on Whoa and he did well for a first time (on a check cord) but we need a bit more practice there.Then it was time to shoot over Fletcher. We had him find the bird and we flushed the bird and I shot and missed. The bird went into a low tree and Fletcher followed and pointed it out. One more flush and a hit and a great retrieve.Lunch break… long break….Then we came back late afternoonand did the “follow the scented” trail exercise. Bryce set up the trail and called us over, we did not allow Fletcher to see where Bryce went. Bryce was gone for about 15 minutes. I though this would be an easy 1st trailing run but instead we got a long trail, in cover, with the wind in and out and three scented dummies. Fletcher got on the trail and found the dummies. By the time we got to the last dummy we all knew he was tired and done for the day. so we packed it up and left.Fletcher slept all the way home (5 hours).I really liked Bryce no-non-sense-very-kind-in-a-real-setting approach. We are going back in two week to continue the training (we have homework of course). It looks like I’ll be able to hunt over him this season. As a matter of fact Bryce asked me if he could recommend Fletcher to this person that does gundog video journal for the Bird dog web site. I agreed, so I’ll let you know if it happens (Mid September for Quail Season).I can’t tell you how impressed I was with Fletcher and I know Bryce went from “what kind of a dog is this” to “Hey that dog can hunt”.Here are some pictures from the afternoon “scented trail” session.Also you may see Fletcher and Bryce in some advertisement.I learned a lot, Fletcher seems to just soak it in as if he was born with it, he’s got great instinct. I’m looking at having Fletcher enter a NAVHDA natural ability test in November.More picture in a couple of weeks.  (~4 1/2 months)Claude/CA

I really enjoyed your website and found it extremely informative. If I were in the mood for an immediate divorce I would certainly consider one of yourpuppies. I hope you are still producing puppies in about 8 yrs as my youngest is only 3 and my wife says never will she have two dogs at once. Talk to you again in about a decade. ThanksBen/na

Good morning Rufnit Kennels!WE’D LIKE TO RESERVE A ‘RUFNIT COMPANION’! My partner Martin and I have been waiting to contact Rufnit to reserve a puppy for what seems like a very long time. Now that we are out of a tiny apartment and into a house with 1.4 acres of property, we feel that we can finally provide a great home for our Braque!Since the beginning of our relationship, Martin and I have talked about getting a dog. We both grew up in homes where canines were treated like part of the family. Martin grew up with German Shepard’s while I grew up with an Australian Shepard and a Bichon Frise. We were looking for a dog with lots of heart, who could join us on long runs and hikes, be good with children, and who did not shed profusely. Although we had never heard of the breed, it did not take us long to decide that the Bourbonnais Pointer was exactly what were looking for.While there is a Bourbonnais breeder much closer to home, we feel that the more reputable, more experienced Rufnit Kennels would be a better choice.Thanks in advance,Erin/CANADA

I do in home boarding of dogs, walking and training and just recently boarded a Braque du Bourbonnais and she was so perfect!!!!! Sweet and friendly, underfoot but not in your face. Wanting to “work” but not obsessive. Compact and athletic. Alarm bark but not protective. Close range. Wonderful!I feel ready to cancel my deposit on the Weimaraner (I had also considered a Griffon for the last couple of years) because everything is feeling so right about a Braque du Bourbonnais puppy!UPDATE…I’m in then! Money order is in the hands of the postal service and should be over the border by now!A healthy, confident, outgoing puppy with no fears is sure to come from Vurhi and Bali…they sound like great dogs…personalities, size, looks, etc..With all the socialization/exposure that you do and then what we will do should make for a very well rounded little girl!!! Spring would be ideal too. I can finally have a peaceful sleep now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Thanks!Maren/CANADA

The following are communication with two of the top French breeders/enthusiasts regarding my companions/breeding program:
You have marvellous dogs & go on Shari ! Thank’s for your marvellous job with the BB ! It’s my plus beau cadeau, the best recompense of my job ! … My dream !The important is your dogs, your job whith them, all the winners in US now !  Your products are important now, and I’m so happy ! We are the must bigs breeders of Bourbonnais to the années 80-90.  Speack from me if you want in your website because in your pedigrees, many of my female are in (2-3-4-5 & … generation) are mine babies.Have a good day !Marc/FRANCE-SPAIN(breeder of the first Braque du Bourbonnais to be imported into North America)

I look at the results of the NAVHDA results from time to time, I saw that you are doing great!Michael/FRANCE-GERMANY(Administrator of the Braque du Bourbonnais Forum and Braque du Bourbonnais information site)

Shari, I want to thank you for all of your information and time.  It is great to find a breeder that has an abundance of information on the breed and will share it freely, without feeling threatened or getting annoyed.  You answered all of our questions very honesty in addition to giving us additional websites and references related to the Braque du Bourbonnais to check out.  Through our search, we found you the most trustworthy and knowledgable in addition to being highly recommended.  It is obvious you put your heart into this breed and are producing healthy, happy, intellegent pups. With the response from your current owners, I feel confident you will always be there to assist us with our dog at any time.  You have made it very easy to decide to place a deposit with you for our Braque du Bourbonnais.Thanks for caring, sharing and making us feel comfortable.   We are very excited about our future friend.John/ID

It’s only been two weeks or so since Fletcher’s training update but much has happened.The following weekend I took him on a three day sailing trip to Catalina Island. He did great, no seasickness, no fuss. Once there I was able to take him ashore for potti breaks and training. There is an area that has a large playground frequented by many pigeons and doves. He got his fill of pointing and holding on Whoa (which is the command I was doing homework on). He Whoaa’ed until I was bored. He had an audience with all the people and dogs going by and stopping to watch the Pointing Bird Dog.Last weekend I took him back up to train with Bryce. Once we reasserted that Fletcher’s retreival skills were perfect – and they are – we went straight to finding birds (Bob Whites),Whoaa and retreives. By the end of the day he was absolutely perfect. Fletcher 8; Bob Whites 0. He truly has an incredible nose.This included shooting over him and retreiving downed birds.Next is water work. I’m starting this phase of the training this coming weekend.We will start our Quail season early next month.I maybe biased but I don’t think there are any better dogs out there than a well bred BdB.Keep up the good work!UPDATE…Well it was a great day in Cal., the weather started off cool but then warmed up to about 91 degrees.We started hunting at 07:30 and quit at 11:00 with a nice half way break. Fletcher hunted hard and showed excellent stamina and a great nose. He found 5 Chuckars and one Pheasant. Here is a picture without the pheasant (I had the safety on and he flew away).Impressive 1st outing for Fletcher a little less impressive for the gunner.Fletcher loved every minute of it. He wanted to go for again but it was getting hot so we played it safe.Thanks for a great Companion.  (~6 months)UPDATE…OK so I was much calmer, no so stressed about the hunt, this time and got the pheasants.  By the end of the morning we had 4 chuckers and 4 pheasants.Fletcher is now holding on point so after he found (and I shot) the first pheasant (see the picture where my newphew is holding the big ringneck) we removed the checkcord and hunted him without the rest of the day.The picture where he is pointing is when he found the big ringneck. That bird was almost as big as Fletcher so he had a little trouble bringing it back, but he did. Most retreives are to hand.Not at all gun shy, at one time he had two 12 gages going off at the same time on each side of him: he concentrates on the birds and the retreive. He waits for the flush and the guns to go off before taking off for the retreive. Now I have to work him to hold until I am ready to release him… probably a little too much to ask at six months. We’ll work on it.When he needs to cool off he makes sure that I see him and he’ll lay in the shade of a bush. That’s my cue to bring water and cool him off. He has me trained pretty well.  I can’t beleive he’s only six months old.Keep breeding these wonderful Braques.  (~6 months)UPDATE…California Valley quail does not stand still very long. We did not see many points from Fletcher. The birds would either run or flush when we’d get to within 50 yards.  Still we had a great day and took 8 California Valley Quails.Fletcher really helped with finding the birds, flushing them toward us and retrieving. It’s amazing, he hunts like an adult dog but I have to remind myseflf that he is only 7 months old.I shot a quail high in the air after Fletcher was able to follow it to the tree and flush it my way. The bird fell in a deep canyon. My brother marked it while Fletcher and I followed the covey and got one more quail. We returned to the quail in the canyon, I asked Fletcher to go get the dead bird and gave him change of direction whistle twice and he found the bird. That’s him in the picture coming up the canyon.  Amazing!The training is really paying off and I love having the Tri-tronic collar with the beeper. I turned on the beeper remotely twice to locate Fletcher when we were hunting in heavy cover. It was great knowing that he was close by. (~7 months)Claude/CA

Reading a news article, we found the following information about a responsible breeder: A responsiblebreeder is one who always puts the best interests of the breed and of individual dogs first, above anyconsideration of profit or trendiness. A responsible breeder does not produce a litter just to have pups tosell or just because a bitch happened to come into season. She produces a litter only after carefulconsideration of the physical qualities and temperament of the proposed parents, their individualstrengths and weaknesses, how their pedigrees (ancestors) relate, and what the proposed breeding wouldcontribute to the improvement of the breed. This is often a difficult and time-consuming process,therefore, it is not surprising to find that a responsible breeder considers the puppies as her “kids” andwants only the best homes for them.We felt the above statement was describing you as a responsible breeder of Braque du Bourbonnais. Inaddition, we would like to share the following with people that are interested in acquiring a puppy or dogfrom you, Shari (aka Rufnit Kennels):As a responsible breeder of Braque du Bourbonnais, Shari has provided us with the following:• eager to share detailed breed information• tells you about her dog’s “faults” as well as “strengths”• believes there are no “stupid” questions• grabs every opportunity to educate• explains total breed care• supplies shot records, pedigrees, care information• explains genetic defects in the breed• limits visits when there are unvaccinated puppies at the residence (to ensure the puppies health)• shares information about training and development• cares about each and every pup• maintains sanitary, clean quarters for the dogs• tests breeding stock• raises her puppies in the house instead of kennels• genuinely cares about her puppies and wants to keep you up-to-date on their progress and health• obviously not motivated by profit• is motivated by the love of the Braque du Bourbonnais• breeds to improve the gene pool of the Braque du Bourbonnais (keeps puppies she’s produced to  add to her breeding program…otherwise, what was the purpose of the breeding)• keeps tabs on you and your dog for the dog’s life• is knowledgeable about the mating and whelping of dogs in general, so as to minimize the  chances of injury or death to the breeding dogs• is honest• carefully considers each litter before creating them• thoroughly evaluates potential puppy buyers to be sure each puppy is put into a good home• is willing to refuse to sell a puppy to a family that is unsuited to the breed• provides advice, feedback and other help to people who have purchased a puppy from herWe can’t begin to tell you how happy you have made our family. It is true that choosing a breeder is justas important as choosing the breed or individual companion. Our “little boy” is much more than we couldhave ever imagined.Shari, thank you so much for allowing him to be a part of our family and always being there for all of us!(~2 years)Darin/CANADA

A couple of quick updates on Tasha’s progress.She is into a more regular night time schedule, up about every two hours to go out, no play, just right back to sleep. She isn’t crying or fussing for more than a few minutes on returning to the crate. We are so pleased that you did such a good job of getting her started. It is obvious you took great care of her!We have put her on a three meal a day schedule which is working well. She is eating well and keeping weight on. In fact, I looked at her today and swear she has grown noticeably.Tasha is really starting to settle in and is EXTREMELY affectionate with us all. It may be a challenge to keep her from becoming the family lap dog instead of a lean, mean, hunting machine.Cheers!  (~8 weeks)Laxson/WI

GENERAL IS AWESOME!!! We are so happy and I have to say that we (so far) have gotten our monies worth. He cried the first night, but has gotten into a routine already, met a lot of new people (and kids) this week and is already going outside in the same spot. YEA!! He definately wants to please his master and seems very loveable and playful.We really want to train him on quail and pheasant, but do not have access to any birds the next few weeks. I hope we don’t miss an opportunity to train him. He seems to be really into fetch and play right now.THANKS (~8 weeks)Cindy/IL

Hi Shari, I just wanted to let you know that Glamor’s flight went off without a hitch, and picking her up at the airport was easier than I had thought. Her first night was filled with a little bit of apprehension, but now, her second day home, she is settling in extremely well. I can’t begin to tell you just how much love she has given us in such a short time and that I am very happy that we decided to purchase a puppy from you.  Thank you for your patience and understanding, being this the first time we purchased a pup over the internet. We are 100% pleased and will definitely share our experience with you, to all our friends. Thanks  (~8 weeks)Brian/FL

Here are a few photos of Forrest after we got back from our first quail hunt. Thanks for a great dog.  (~6 months)Mark/IN

We are enjoying Gaston very much. In fact, Chris and I took him out for a run in one of our fields on Sat. He found two mice. My brother hunted on Sat and Sun and shot Chukar and pheasant. Gaston was excited to smell them while Chris was cleaning.He is a great dog sorry for the lack of action pictures. I forgot the camera when we went on our little “hunt”. Gaston has only had one accident in the house but it was probably our fault. He is still sleeping from 930 to 500am.  (~10 weeks)UPDATE…We haven’t talked for a while, and i wanted to let you know how great Gaston is. He is doing vey well with his commands and will start hunting training in about four to five months. He has grown to about forty lbs. and it appears that he isnt stopping there. (~8 months)Steven/MA

Here are a couple of new photos. You can see how much Genuis has grown. He looks like a toddler and now at 10 weeks he is 11 pounds and 13 inches tall.  He is a great dog. Very playful, loving, and handsome. And he never ceases to amaze me with his somewhat noble behavior. You can do practically anything with him: bathing, cleaning ears, having shots at the vet’s office…No protest! Just a little “OOFF” noise. There is only one thinghe does not like…being apart from me. For that, I have found a solution.  I move his favorite bed along with me: to the office, to the kitchen, to the living room. He naps next to me on that bed…but most of all he still likes to nap with me on the couch.With the help of “Mother Hubbard”s cookies we have learned a few tricks. “Come here”, “Sit” and “Give me Five”. Although some times he just comes to me, sits, and says with his look: “Here I am sitting, give me the cookie.” Same thing with the “Potty” stuff. He sometimes squeezes out a little more to get another cookie. He also loves “Greenies”.I sent the application to NAVHDA for the premium membership. I will have a training book and DVD with it. And as soon as our vet permits it we will go for training. ‘Till then we are training to bring a plush “Mallard” birdwho lost his head yesterday and scaring the backyard birds from out of the bushes.  (~10 weeks)Marina/CA

I did not expect to take Fletcher to the NAVHDA NA test until March 2007 but a spot opened up with the Grand Canyon Chapter and the test chairman was kind enough to remember that I had asked to participate. I got the call 3 days ago and agreed to bring Fletcher to Laughlin, NV.The drive was worth it. Very nice people and great judges.I think that Fletcher’s best event was the tracking. He found the Pheasant and pointed it out in great style. Then the pheasant tried to get away – bad idea – Fletcher caught him and brought him to me.He did very well all around. Fletcher scored 101.We are all very proud of him, he did great.  (~7 months)Claude/CA

I thought you would enjoy a photograph that I took this morning of Hallie Rose. She is just adorable and growing more each day! Hallie has the most wonderful temperament. She loves to play hard, but also enjoys cuddling up in a warm lap to sleep.Rufnit Happy is doing great, too. He spent the day with Rufnit Hallie one day last week. It was cute watching the siblings together! (~2 1/2 months)Hallie/TX

Yesterday my father and I took Pinto on his first hunt. Yeah, Pinto and I have trained and trained and trained, but never the real thing. We had 12 quail and 6 chukar put out for a morning hunt. Pinto ran by himself and held point on all but 2 birds, and only because he was upwind and didn’t know what to do after he was right on them. He actually pointed them, but busted them when he tried to readjust his position. Now comes the embarrasing part…my father and I missed most of the birds. In actuality, if we hit every bird that he found, we would have gotten more birds that they put out for us. Pinto worked by himself in the morning over ~60 acres divided up into 2 fields and and area of natural grasses around an NA pond.In the afternoon, we used 2 other dogs b/c Pinto was toast. The dogs were a GSP and a Viszla. Combined they produced fewer birds! No B.S. In the end, the afternoon hunt was not productive, even with my friend tagging along as an extra gun. He told me to pull Pinto out one more time to check another field not used that day. Pinto came out running and pointed on 3 chukar in heavy woods along the fields all in different sections. He was holding point like a champ. It’s not over yet! On the way back to the truck, he was quartering through one of the rows of foxtail in the field. His cuts got smaller and smaller until he was running in a straight line. A Track! Damned if he didn’t find a pheasant! Luckily, the bird was big enough for me to shoot.Even though we only came home with a handful of birds ( we got more that what the pic shows, we just cleaned them between hunts) I could not have been happier with the way Pinto performed. He went through a few phases in the past few months during which he basically ignored me on every command. I had to say everything twice. After spending a week at the hunt club’s kennel, he was a new dog. Now, it’s time to train for UPT in the spring, again. He’s definitely got what it takes, I guess the rest is up to me.Thanks for letting me have one of your dogs!  (~15 months)Nelson/TX

I have recently had the pleasure of becoming the veterinarian of record for one of your pups. He is an excellent example of the breed.I have had a German Shorthair and have always been especially fond of the breed. However, after seeing your pup and watching him mature, I now have an even greater fondness for the Braque.I want to congratulate you on helping to preserve this wonderful pointer and hope that I may in the future be able to purchase a pup from you to enjoy on my farm here in Virginia.Randy DVM/VA

Again, I can’t thank you enough for Glamor, she is an awesome dog! She by far is the most obedient and loving family pet we have ever had. Here are a couple new pics of her at the ripe old age of 5 months, 20 lbs.(~5 months)Brian/FL

Espy, or Cocoa as renamed by my children, is doing great.  She has proven herself in the field and in home as well.  We are going hunting every week and we’ve hunted wild quails and pheasants, woodcock and ruffed grouse. We spent almost a week in Michigan’s UP hunting woodcock and grouse. She did a great job. We have also hunted succesfully for quails and pheasants in Central Illinois.  I’m impressed with her ability to adjust to different situations. She is a team player and very obedient even under extreme distractions (running deeretc.). I’m also impressed with her learning capabilities (very trainable).  She is great with my children (9, 6 and 1 years old) and has never given them a mean look even when my baby grabs her bone from her mouth.  Unfortunately, due to various circumstances, I didn’t run Espy in NAVHDA’s Natural Ability Test. I’m determined however to participate in the next level (Preparatory or Utility).  (~1 year 3 months)Peter/IL 

2007

Doni had a great first full hunting season. A few highlights: Retrieving the first pheasant of the season from the middle of a thick brush-lined canal (we didn’t even see it hit). Tracking a late-season rooster about 75 yards at a dead run then locking up on a great point.Hunting with a well-known author who writes for several national magazines (he may do a piece on her). Holding a point on a pheasant in the ditch by the truck while we sat around talking and putting away our gear. Had to reload fast once we noticed. She also got some great experience hunting tricky grouse. I got access to a lot of good hunting property (which is hard to come by in Michigan) because of her hunting abilities, “you can hunt with me anytime if you bring your dog”. After a prize I NA last Aug. I think we will start on Utility. She’s a great hunter and very easy to train. Thanks again. (~1 1/2 years)Dan/MI

Rufnit Firman, aka Scout, has been out in the field several times and I finally went along to take some pictures. Attached are 3 from his most recent hunt.He is doing really well in the field. He will make the trip to South Dakota this fall to pheasant hunt with my husband and father. Thank you for breeding such great dogs. Scout is such a great companion and we love to spoil him rotten.UPDATE…Scout and his brother the Vizsla do well together although Scout is MUCH better. I am hoping to put him through NAVHDA this year.   Thanks again!(~10 months)Brooke/TX

Rufnit Icar got into here safe and sound. We got him home just after 4 p.m. (after making a stop at myhusband’s office, due to popular demand). We’ll be sending photos shortly.  Right now, however, he is asleep on a most comfortable lap!Thanks for your helpful instructions! I printed copies for all 3 of my kids, who are following them with great enthusiasm. (~8 weeks)Cyndi/MI

Izzy arrived in just in time as we are getting a big snow storm tomorrow! He weathered the flight extremely well, seems a little shakey and dehydrated but has already bonded with Forrest, our 14 year old. Izzy comes when called and is full of playfulness. He has been introduced to our chocolate lab and all is going well there as well.We already love him – he is soooo cute! You can tell that he has been loved and well raised. Will keep you posted as he adjusts to his new home.  (~8 weeks)Melanie/PA

Absolutely incredible! Rufnit Iag (aka Jacques-Imo) is perfect. He is extremely social and loves children. He is already running around with my three kids all of which are 3 or younger and having a ball. He did great on his trip and has taken very well to his new surroundings. We and he could not be happier.The entire experience with Rufnit has been flawless. You are extremely professional and courteous. Your love for this breed shows in the way you handle your customers and in the product you deliver. Job well done!!! I will send photos as soon as I can. Thanks very much.  (~8 weeks)Jeff/LA

Just wanted to let you know that Ian arrived safe and sound. What a great looking pup! He is very playful and happy; he’s found his food and water bowls and is getting familiar with his collar.I want to say “Thank you!” to you and your family for the work you’ve done over the past eight weeks. Your dedication to these pups is appreciated. I’ll keep in touch and send pictures (and questions) along the way. Have a great evening!UPDATE…So far, Ian (now learning “Scout” as his call name) is doing very well. He is sleeping through the night in his crate in my bedroom, waking up for a quick outing around 2:30 or 3. He is doing well with “come”, “sit”, and “down” (for kibble). You are right- he prefers praise and petting over treats for good behavior! He met a few of my “people” friends and the vaccuum cleaner without incident. Housetraining is going well, with only a few “accidents.”  Already I have him sitting before we do ANYTHING, and he’s catching on quick. I can tell that this is a very smart breed. My friends/family are amazed over how well he listens.I registered him with Home Again, and sent my NAVHDA membership in. As soon as it warms up and he gets another month or 2 under his belt, I have several volunteers to help start field training with me. I’ll keep you posted. (~9 weeks)UPDATE…The weather is warming nicely so “Scout” and I are taking short walks into the woods behind my house, and he loves every minute of it! He’s very adventurous and has no problems crossing small streams or walking on strange terrain (steep hills, embankments, bridges, etc.) He “tastes” everything (leaves, roots, brush, branches) but otherwise moves along pretty well. Everyone we’ve met on walks so far comments on how unique his markings are. (~10 weeks)James/NJ

He’s so adorable. Our family along with our lab and maltese are loving him very much. He had a rough night last night. He’s missing his mom & brothers although we’re giving him lots of love. He’s sleeping in my lap right now. We’re hoping tonight will not be as hard for him.  We will keep you posted.Thank you for allowing us to add the new addition to our family!UPDATE…Just a note to let you know that Ingo is adjusting well. We are so enjoying him. He’s soooooooooooo cute!!!!! My boys (kids) and (dogs) are loving him. He has such a personality! I will email pictures soon! His new name is Gunner! (~9 weeks)Jeannie/CA

Izzy, now called “Remy” (our granddaughter’s name is Isabella) is doing great! You can tell he was much loved as a pup! Potty training is going extremely well, he comes when called, brings us toys and drops them in our laps and is overall just a joy to have in our home! He is loved and enjoyed by a fairly larger family as our sons (14 & 17) play with him, he cuddles with my husband (&me of course) as well as with one of our older sons and his wife who were just here for the weekend. You can tell how intelligent he is and that he is full of love and life! Pictures will come soon as one of the boys is having fun taking them. (~9 weeks)Melanie/PA

I hope things are warming up a bit in Nebraska. I was happy to see litter J, now Fletcher has more Brothers and Sisters.Out here the weather has cooperated with my training schedule and if all continues to go well I’ll take Fletcher to UPT next month. He is still very young and I am getting a lot of eyebrows raised from various trainers. Do you know how many BdBs or any dogs have tested and passed UPT at 12 months or less?Fletcher is now crossing ponds on command, searching finding and retreiving with a nice long swim back to me. I use your training method modified as needed to the environment. It is great advice and it has paid off, thank you.Here is a picture of Fletcher and his GSP training partner Hanna. As you can see he is honnoring and backing too. Fletcher loves the training and I keep it fun for him. This too has raised eyebrows with some of the NAVDHA trainers who think that I could be harsher with him. But I know better, Fletcher learns best when he is having fun. (~11 months)UPDATE…NAVHDA UPT March 4, 2007Mendota, CaliforniaGreat Central Valley NAVHDA ChapterRufnit Fletcher: Probably the youngest Braque Du Bourbonnais and one of the youngest dogs of any breed, to get a NAVHDA UPT Prize.11 months old145 PointsPrize 3That’s the short version. If you want to read all about it, continue reading.We trained most weekends for the last 3 months, sometimes both Saturday and Sunday. We kept it fun and Fletcher is a natural so it comes a lot easier to him that it does to me as his “attendant companion human”. He had a GSP and another BdB for training partners and that always helped. Mostly we concentrated our training on the water works and it paid off, however it also hurt us because we should have spend more time on “steadiness” in the field. Here is what happened, the long version.The first trial was the field trial and after the first 10 minutes I thought we might as well go home. Fletcher had been running in timed hunting competition over the last few months and he picked up on having to find birds very quickly. So he earned himself the nick name of “Turbo Dog” at this NAVHDA test, coined by the Test Secretary. The good news is that he has a great nose and finds birds like crazy. Once he stops running over them his points are very intense and he is steady-to-flush. That cost us lost of points because while that is all that is required I did not realize that the judges wanted to see steady-to-wing or to shot. So we ended up with a “1” in the Steadiness column, this score put Prize 2 out of range. But Fletcher did get 4s in Pointing, Nose and Desire to Work for the event.The next trial was the Duck Retrieve. We had been working on that and Fletcher did great, he marked the fall, went in the water on command with confidence, swam out and retrieved the duck to an easy grab, but not to hand. He earned a solid 3 on that trial.Next was the Water Search, we had been working on that one too and Fletcher will cross water to search where it makes sense. He also relies heavily on his nose so if he does not get a scent he will search elsewhere. The judges planted a dead duck near shore in extremely heavy reeds, about 4 to 5 feet tall, with a few channels cut in the reed and they probably never expected that duck to be found again. This was also the site where they held the Duck Search for UT so they had released live ducks in the area the prior two days. Some of these had escaped the searching UT dogs.Fletcher was brought to the water’s edge and put on Whoaa (I don’t use the Stay command, fewer commands are easier to remember). I fired the gun and send him out on the Dead Bird command (for him that means search, find and retrieve). He swam out a very short distance, stuck his nose in the air, scented, turned around came back to near-shore, searched upwind for a short distance and must have caught a scent in a swirling wind because he made a 180 degree turn and headed downwind about 100 yard where he threw himself at, and in, the tall reeds. I could see the reeds moving and cracking 40 yards away. Shortly thereafter, the Sr. judge, in a stern voice, asked me to call my dog back. I though something was wrong so I called Fletcher who was already on his way back to me with a live duck, probably one of the escapees from the day before!!! That took a whole 3 minutes, so we had to send him back out. No extra duck but they do allow another shot. So I sent Fletcher back out, same scenario, he goes out, goes upwind, goes downwing in the heavy reeds and the Sr. Judge asks me to call my dog. This time Fletcher had found the planted dead duck, 2 minutes. Apparently twice is the max in the search trial so they could not send him out a third time so the Sr. Judge was not too happy. If he had been sent out, Fletcher would have probably found another duck for me somewhere. Because he did not swim out very far he was given a 3 for this even, I think that is still great and I rather have a dog that bring the game back vs one that swims around in unproductive circles.The last trial was the Track. This one I was not worried about and I was right. He earned a 4. I had him scent the feathers and send him on the Dead Bird command. He ran the track directly to the bird at full speed, nose inches from the ground, went out of sight, found the bird and retrieved it back to me at a full run: “Turbo Dog”.I really enjoyed this event and I hope that you realize what great dogs you are breeding. As praise to his coat’s durability, Fletcher did not suffer any cuts or scrapes to either body or paw pads in the reeds nor in the heavy brush that he tackled during the Field work.Thank you! (~11 months)Claude/CA

On Saturday, February 17th my husband David, I and Genius(Roffe) had very exiting day. Gabriel Awbrey – Vice President of San Diego Chapter of NAVHDA invited us to train Genius. We drove 128 miles! (almost to the Mexican border) to a training grounds – huge alfalfa fields (no rattle snakes in there) and a lake. Gabriel had with him three german shorthair female dogs (age one and two). He also had live pigeons and a frozen pheasant and a duck. You can see him on the photos preparing pigeons, showing to us how to do it. We started running on the alfalfa fields as Genius constantly came back to me, checking on “his girl”, paying no attention to a three goodlooking female dogs. Gabriel had some explanations of the dogs behavior for me and later he hid three pigeons on the field wich were all found by Genius very quickly. After that he become extrimely excited. Then we had to find the pheasant and the duck as Gabriel explained to me how to hold my dog and the NAVHDA requirements during testing. Then we went to a lake and Genuis did not want to do into the water to retrieve the dummy. But with intimidation from the the older dogs and encouragement from me he quickly began enjoying it. He did not swim far but when I called him to go home he was so determined to retrieve all the dummies from the water that he did not stop until they were all on the shore.  Gabriel had some other people to train, so we had to go.We will have a NAVHDA’s snake avoidance training soon.  We had a great time and we were invited again in two weeks. We also will go to watch NAVHDA’s tests in the begining of March.  Hope you’ll enjoy the photos of my gorgeous dog. (~6 months)Recently we witnessed NAVHDA’s Natural ability test, where Genius learned to swim. He has a very good style with no splashing! I am sending you a photo to prove it…and also a photo of my husband David and NAVHDA trainer Gabby!  (~8 months)Marina/CA

We just wanted to let you know that Idole (aka. Pepin) is doing great! You did a great job with him. He is absolutley everything we want in a dog. He’s already potty trained and walks on a leash well! We couldn’t be happier! We’ll keep you informed. (~9 weeks)Doug/IL

“Kari” is doing great–I came home from work yesterday and he was thrilled to see me. I had to play with him for 15 minutes before I could move on to anything else. My 14 year old daughter, Hanna, is particularly taken withhim. Kari’s pottying is going well. He uses the litter box at night when it is really cold, but he prefers to be outside. (~9 weeks)Cyndi/MI

All is well. Isaac is great and Zachary is in love. Our daughter Brianna wants to “puppy sit”, but can’t separate Zachary away for a night out as of yet. It is good that she is busy with her swimming and training for the State meet this upcoming weekend.Isaac made quite the showing at our vet’s office, the Bellevue Animal Hospital – he was cool – actually fell asleep on the exam table waiting for the doctor, but then perked up quite nicely when she came in. Isaac checked out with great health last week – his weight is a little over 12 lbs. His adjustment with Zachary has been happy and smooth.Kevin and Zachary would like to ask for more details re: attending field training next Saturday, March 3rd? I wouldn’t be surprised if Brianna would even want to tag along. (~9 weeks)Theresa/NE

Infinity is happy and healthy and everybody loves him. The only problem that I have had is the kids fighting over whos room he is going to sleep in. This problem is working its way out quickly as none of my sons want to bothered around 2 to 3 am for a potty break.Anyway thank you so much for this wonderful dog, even my wife who is 100% a cat person ends up with Infinity, who is commly refered to us as Rasco, on her lap at least twice a day. She won’t admit it 100% but she is in love even more than the kids are.  Thanks (~11 weeks)Brian/FL

Little Joe is growing like a weed! And what a personality he has. We love him to death. He is so smart and now weighs almost 20 lbs. Long legs, not much of a puppy anymore! He thinks he is a big boy until a stranger comes along or a noise he does not expect! J Please stay in touch. Thanks (~3 months)Billie/IL

The following are communication with two of the top French breeders/enthusiasts regarding my companions, Fortune and Foster and my breeding program:
Two very nice dogs. It seems that the Bourbonnais is improving fast in the US.Michael/FRANCE-GERMANY(Administrator of the Braque du Bourbonnais Forum and Braque du Bourbonnais information site)

Very nice Shari ! And you know ? Fortune seem his gran-gran-gran-Mother Bella, (the first had pups with the name “du Pech du Cayrol”) he’s like a copy !Scuse my american very bad…And congratulations Shari !Marc/FRANCE-SPAIN(breeder of the first Braque du Bourbonnais to be imported into North America)

I just wanted to drop you a line and let you know how well Ian (AKA Scout) is doing!In the house, he is doing good. Housebreaking is going well, he definitely has me COMPLETELY trained. He’s moving a little slower on that end, but no accidents for quite awhile. He is eating well now that I am soaking his food. I guess teething has set in. I’ve worked on him for the last few weeks and the mouthing and jumping are almost cured. He is still whining in the crate or when he is gated away from us in the kitchen. Hopefully he’ll grow out of that, but he sleeps great in his crate at night. It seems he wants to be next to me all the time (I’m not complaining!) I take him practically everywhere with me (Except work.) He LOVES car rides!Outside, he is doing great! We are struggling with walking on lead (SO many new scents to explore!), but he is doing superb off lead or on a check cord. He is very aware of me, always running ahead but checking on me every 20 feet or so. His “COME” is almost flawless, and he stops in his tracks when asked. I take him for hikes in the woods and field often to explore, and I’m very pleased with his instincts so far. I am amazed daily with this breed!We’re both NAVHDA registered now. I may be cautiously optimistic as we haven’t started any “official” bird training, but I’m aiming to test him in September. Is this a realistic goal?I hope everyone is well, the “J”s look great! Thank you again for a great dog! (~3 1/2 months)James/NJ

Thank you again for the great care and attention you have provided our puppy as it is very reassuring to know that we are not only getting a “Top of the Line” Braque du Bourbonnais, but a puppy that was allowed to begin it’s time on earth with the total care and attention they deserve at such a critical and influencial time of their life.I can tell you first hand what impact this has on the puppy and what this means to a new puppy owner, as we begin our existence and companionship together forever.  Proud dad of Josi Lynne!Tracy/CO

Jana arrived safely this afternoon and although she seemed stressed by the plane trip she has settled down nicely, has eaten and has established a toilet spot in our garden. She is very affectionate, playful and sociable. She’s a full bundle of puppy energy for such a little package. I think we are going to have a lot of fun together.Thanks! (~8 weeks)UPDATE…Jana whom we call Sophie was a big hit at the vet this morning. She is their first Braque du Bourbonnais and is very friendly as well as pretty. Although we had the first appointment, there were a couple of grown dogs there by the time I had finished the paperwork and she seemed comforted to see other dogs. She weighed an ounce under 10 lbs and the vet was pleased to see the kind of attention she had received with you. All is going well with her and with house training. Thanks (~9 weeks)Sherrill/WA

You are right…she is good with “Come” and this morning she ran from my front door to the back door to the front door to the back…so I stood up and she started doodie. She knew to go to the door!!! She is somewhat of a velcro dog and follows me everywhere.UPDATE…My vet said that she has great conformation for a Rare-Breed. Her specialty is reproductive sciences and she has dealt with a number of rare-breeds (never this one)…and she said a lot of the time they look funny cuz people are trying to hard. All in all, she was very impressed with Jeri. Her heart was good, lungs/breathing, patella’s, hips, bite, eyes, etc.Also, Rainy’s breeder is very impressed with your website and all that you do. I told her that you are the epitome of a responsible breeder who is doing it truly for the love of the breed.Have a good afternoon! (~8 weeks)Robert/MA

Justice made it safe and sound and the pick up from the airport was really straightforward. Thanks for having it so well organized.  (~8 weeks)Elizabeth/DC

Things are going well w/Jarvis (now Bozeman). Took him to my vet today for shots and a check-up and he says that everything looks great. It’s fun to see his natural instincts. He’s already pointed a bird and he will retrieve a dummy as long as I will throw it to him. He seems to really enjoy the girls (almost 4 and 18 months). They keep him worn out, but no so much that he sleeps through the night. Looking forward to that happening, but I guess it will be a while. Thanks again for all your help. He is already exceeding out expectations. I’ll send you some pics when available. (~9 weeks)William/GA

Shari, you should be proud of what you are doing as a breeder.  Your dedication, professionalism and care would be an asset to any breed and the Bourbonnais are privileged to have you.  Every question we had was answered quickly and honestly making the long distance acquire more relaxing.  Our veterinarian said it was apparent that our new addition was well cared for during her first eight weeks.  In addition to being healthy, she is very social and her presence attracts attention everywhere we go.  She already goes to the door when she needs out and is sleeping throughout the night.  She definitely shows natural instincts and we are excited about getting involved with NAVHDA.  With her arrival, our home is complete!  Thanks so much (~9 weeks)Lee/MN

Just wanted to give you a fast update. Enable (Nana) has been better than we could have ever hoped. She learns fast, hunts hard and is great in the house! I have attached a few photos of a grouse/woodcock hunt in Wisconsin and a quail hunt in SE Kansas.  We are just about ready to get you another deposit for #2. (~1 1/2 years)Ryan & Jamie/IN

Howdy!  Just got back from a visit to a bird dog trainer. Tom is not familiar with the Braque du Bourbonnaisbreed, but was duely impressed by our Remy’s spectacular time this afternoon with the birds. It was pure joy to watch him run and point like he had been doing so all his life!Our Remy (formerly Izzy) is having a wonderful time here is Pennsylvania now that winter has finally vacated. He is such a part of our family that I can’t imagine what our home would be like without him! Will get some pictures out as soon as possible (I’m not much of a photographer). (~5 months)Melanie/PA

Sadie Eleanor is doing great and has honestly turned out to be the best dog we’ve ever had! She’s got such personality and loves her humans and her cat!  (~2 years)Debbie/TX

We (tony, diana, tony jr, and eugene) are all doing great!We thought we would send you a few photos of the Euge with his little brother.Because Eugene was our first child (or second in theory, as Cooper was really our first) – he has been adjusting to life with a new addition.He’s been great with the baby. (~2 years)Diana & Tony/FL

The following is posted on the Braque du Bourbonnais Forum (out of France):
Nice video, it seems to be a very healthy litter.It’s quite exeptional to see such a large litter growing without problem. And they seem to be nice pups too, according to the standard. The short tails is the cherry on the cake…Michael/FRANCE-GERMANY(Administrator of the Braque du Bourbonnais Forum and Braque du Bourbonnais information site)

Rufnit Karamel arrived just fine this morning, she is adorable !!!!!!!!!!  Thank You so much for giving us the opportunity to get her from you.  We will send you pictures as she develops.Our children were so excited this morning that we had a hard time getting them to go to school !!Once again, Thank You! (~8 weeks)Greg and Mary/TX

I just wanted to let know that “Kazi” made it home safe. It didn’t take her long to make herself comfortable. She is actually sitting on my lap as I type, which is quiet difficult. I’ll email you again in a couple days.Thanks (~8 weeks)UPDATE…It’ been two weeks now and I am amazed at how well Kazi has adjusted to her new home. By day two she was kennel trained and she is sleeping most of the night now (1100pm until 4:30am – 6:00am). We had a little trouble with potty training in the beginning, but we are back on track now. I was giving her a little too much freedom in the house and not watching her close enough. She is so intelligent and responds to commands very well. She also seems to have a lot of natural retrieving ability. I have been taking her out in the field everyday and she is a joy to watch. She is constantly using that nose of hers. I’m hoping to put her on birds in the next couple of weeks. My family and I could not be happier. The old adage is true, “you can’t beat a well bred dog.” I want to thank you for your work in promoting this wonderful breed. I’ll keep you updated.  (~10 weeks)Willie/LA

Good evening! We just wanted to let you know that he his home safe and sound. He is such a character! We have tile and wood floors and he is “skating” all around. He has our schnauzer and scottie beyond winded and he is not even panting. We will be sending some pictures of him this week (he needs to slow down just a bit for the camera to catch up). He really wasnt hungry with the exception of the bugs he caught in the yard but was drinking plenty of water. Thank you again for all the information and giving us the opportunity to have one of your dogs as a companion. (~8 weeks)UPDATE…Here is a few pics of Orion his first week home. He is almost house trained, very few accidents and waits by the door if he needs to go out. Orion is learning commands very quick, in a week or two i will probably start him one the whistle. We train for 5-10 minutes 2-3 times a day he is very smart and adventorous. Thank you! (~9 weeks)Jason and Rebecca/ PA

Kalyn arrived right on schedule today. She was is a great mood and just wanted to get out of the crate and play. She’s making herself at home here exploring her new home inside and out.She’s gone potty twice on “command” – Wow!!Thanks for everything.  (~8 weeks)Brad/VA

We picked up Kadi last night. She is adorible. I forget how tiny puppies are. She arrived on time, a little dehydrated, (skin test), but not bad. She was alert and happy.We are so pleased with her. My husband said, “She’s going to be a real hunter, the way she has her nose to the ground all the time.” She has already lay claim to one of stuffed ducks and is trying to “Kill” it buy shaking it to death. She prefers stuffed toys to the hard ones, and loves cow hooves and bully sticks.Were all a little groggy this morning, Kadi wasn’t ready to go to sleep last night, as she was having too much fun with Dottie our boxer. Dottie has taken over as surrogate mommy and the two are inseperable. I am in the process of trying to distinguish the difference between her “I want to play, I don’t want to be in the kennel” to, “I have to go outside and potty”, cry. I plan on stuffing a kong with pieces of cooked chicken and placing it in the kennel when I can’t watch her so that she learns to associate her kennel with positive feelings.The pug is watching the pup in interest, and Millie, our boston is trying her hardest to stay clear of Kadi. Millie is such a nut. She is scared of the puppy, lol. She was the same way when we brought Sissy, our pug home too.Well, it looks like Kadi has settled down and I am going to try to catch a quick nap before my grandson comes over.  Thanks again for Kadi.  (~8 weeks)UPDATE…We love our Kadi. She is part angel and part devil, and 100% hunter.She has grown into a beautiful dog with her gorgeous eyes. She has charmed our Boston and they play together constantly. Our Pug has grudgingly accepted Kadi, as long as Kadi makes room for her in my lap. She has not had a potty accident for two weeks and makes a great bed partner at night, only using a small bit of the bed. She sheds very little, loves to play fetch, and looks forward to days spent hunting with my husband. She’s definitely a keeper.I can’t wait to see what Vurhi and Bali’s pups look like. They are both great looking dogs.  (~4 1/2 months)Kris and Ricky/CA

We’re doing just great with our new addition to the “clan” – Kami is a mostly polite little pup, Sheeza is very tolerant except if food is involved, and the cats are warming up to her.On Sunday, Steve took the girls to the lake. Kami had her first short swim and brought the dummy in! Yesterday she played tug of war with Sheeza and her frisbee – and Sheez let her have it! We went to the nursing home and met several of Mom’s neighbors at her apartment.Thanks, and we’ll send more pictures as they come.  (~8 weeks)Thought you would like to see a couple of new pics of Kami. She’s growing like a weed. She looks so skinny with her long legs but know that she’ll grow into those legs soon.She’s doing very well and getting along wonderful with Sheeza (see attached pictures). She had her shots last week and was feeling pretty punky that night. Sheeza was very comforting to Kami and laid with her to keep her from shivering. It was pretty sweet.I laid a scent trail from a dead pheasant through the grass and in some tall weeds. She found it with no problem and drug it out back to me.I want to compliment you two on how you brought these pups up. They are wonderfully socialized and have a good start on behavior like sit and no speak.She’s a wonderful addition to our family and I can’t wait till she gets old enough to take her out into the field. We have a nice five acre field that she and Sheeza romp around in so she’s getting some good exposure.All is well here.  (~13 weeks)Ellen and Steve/WI

Everything is going O.K. Kadin is a little hyper but no worse for wear.  We have been getting used to each other all day. We went for a long walk around the school, and played catch with a ball. He loves to chase and catch the leaves. Will send pictures as soon as we get some developed.  (~8 weeks)Kevin/WA

Keeper is so amazing! He’s been going potty outside like a champ and does the spinning which is huge in preventing accidents. He’s not liking sleeping in the crate but we’re going to stick it out – how long does the howling usually last? I was reading the other “K” family comments and saw that the stuffed duck toy is a hit at their house as well. Keeper loves his too!Thank you so so much for being such a great breeder and making the entire process easy and informative. You are amazing!! (~8 weeks)UPDATE…Last night he was much better. He cried for about 30 minutes and then settled down. We used a hot water bottle and left the radio on for him. He’s been going potty outside like a champ!! (~8 weeks)Margaret/CT

It’s Wednesday morning and all is great! We went out for a walk after breakie, and now he is sleeping. He seems to play hard and crash hard!He’ adjusted to his new Canadian life, acting like a typical chewing machine. He seems to be very in tune to us…He makes alot of eye contact, he sits when he wants our attention (or he pulls on our pants, toes, fingers 🙂 and his potty routine is doing great! Only 2 pee accidents the first night (knock on wood). Stools are fine,he’s drinking lots of water. He’s been doing the business right after every meal so far.UPDATE…He weighs 12.4, healthy, happy, and vet agrees that his temperament is outstanding. He seemed generally interested in the breed and is going to look at your website. So far so good, we slowed down a bit on the stimulation and he is much much better for it! Potty training right on track and we’re soo happy to have him in our life! (~9 weeks)UPDATE…Man, Dico’s a big hit! People at the park are saying that he has great instinct. All are impressed that he sits, not on command, but because he is so in tune with us. He goes up to people but isn’t “goofy” about it, very confidently. Great with other dogs. Everything about his doggie social skills are appropriate. And so wejust wanted again to let you know, that we are wholly content and fully impressed by your skills.  (~10 weeks)UPDATE…He’s is awesome! What a Cadillac of dog. He now knows sit, stay, lie down, and come to a tee! He is seriously smart. Everyone is in awe of how great he responds. Hates the rain though. We had a downpour for 2 days and he wanted nothing to do with the outside, but hey, it’s not like we like prancing around in cold wet weather :)You know, I may be gettin’ ahead of myself but I’m really thinkin’ of considering just giving my deposit for a Brittany girl as a donation to the breeder. I’m thinkin’ that Dico would love a little fawn sister from you…Not just yet, but maybe next year 🙂 (~12 weeks)Ed/CANADA

The following is from our phone conversation:  Kapri is getting along great.  She’s whines and goes to the door to be let out to potty and responds to several commands.  We think she’s great.  My daughter is now interested in adding a Rufnit companion to their family. (~8 weeks)Carol/MI

I’m looking forwarg to Wednesday. I get to pick up LeBeau who has been in hunting school for the past six weeks. I did some bartering with the trainer.  So the pheasant opener is this weekend, we are really looking forward to hunting with him. He’s a great dog. (~8 months)Rick/WI

It has been almost a year since I first discovered the Braque du Bourbonnais. Yet after 11 months, I am still impressed with how great these dogs are, specifically, how great Rufnit Ian (A.K.A. Scout) is turning out.Ian is a wonderful dog. He is obedient, loyal, loving, and very easy-going. He loves kids and accepts strangers (people and dogs) well. He eats well, sleeps great, and runs FAST and hard. He loves to go hiking, and he is amazing in the water. He comes, sits, downs, and heals near flawlessly (He still gets distracted easily, so I have to re-enforce the command if he’s got his attention on something really interesting) He loves to run, but doesn’t “bolt” away when he’s free- he is always keeping an eye on me to make sure I don’t get lost. He has no fear: he will run over/into/onto/under anything that’s in his path. He even discovered once or twice that he can climb trees (we’re not going to encourage that one…), and just this week he climbed a ladder to help me clean the gutters. I use the local playground equipment for an “obstacle course,” having him climb up the steps, through tunnels, etc, and he does it very well on my command, keeping his attention on me.In the house, he still has that puppy curiosity that makes him mischievous. He likes to explore dustbins and laundry baskets, but will immediately drop anything that he has taken with an “out!” command, and follows “No!” and “leave it!” well (though sometimes reluctantly). The only item that has fallen victim to his curiosity was my $195 sunglasses (which were still under warranty); he did have a GOOD time with those! Other than that, he is a sweetheart inside, and wants to be everywhere with me. He crates well when I’m at work, and knows when to relax when dad’s had enough.I chose Ian because I wanted a family companion primarily, and he is living up to that role perfectly.  (~11 months)James/NJ

Sophie and I are a work in progress however she is a very staunch, stylish pointer of game birds and a very enthusiastic hunter. Presently we are training at game ranches in Western Washington. When my friends and I are dragging ourselves back to the truck, she is gamboling about as if to say “Wasn’t that fun! Why are we leaving? It’s still light out.” One of these days I will remember to take my camera out of my vest pocket and photograph her on point.As you and other B du B owners have no doubt discovered she draws a lot of admiring attention when we are out and about. She is also an affectionate member of our extended family group.Happy Holidays  (~10 1/2 months)Sherrill/WA 

2008

Thank you so much for allowing us to have Kadin as a companion. He is still the cutiest thing I have ever seen. He is growing up to look just like his dad Hemi. Not only is he a good looking dog he is a loyal and loving friend.It has been very busy around the English house hold since we picked Kadin up from the airport. Our oldest dog Lighting had to have major surgery and has been down and out for a while. We had Kadin two weeks and he broke his right hind leg. We are not sure what happened for no one was in the room at the time so we can only guess that he was trying to climb over the bottom of our dinning room chairs and slipped on the hard wood floors. So between the two dogs, I was in the vet two to three times a week. We are also avid football fans and all three of our boys play, so that meant practice 5 nights a week and games every weekend.Kadin is growing like a weed and amazes us daily at his curiosity and wonder at the world. The other day he found that the water in his dish makes funny noises when you let the water run back out your mouth and spent ten minutes watching the rings dissapate in his dish. Christmas day we were watching “I am Legend” and he thought that the dogs barking on the TV were real and spent the rest of the movie in my lap with his head nuzzled in my neck. Kadin’s favorite toy is an icecube and his favorite things to do is to go bye-bye – because that might mean going out in the field to get his nose in the dirt. Before the last snow Kadin found a day old turkey trail and followed it to the end. When he is out in the field Kadin never needs a lead for he always makes sure Kevin is keeping up. Thank you again Rufnit Kennels for letting us have Kadin – he is the perfect companion for this family.  (~4 months)Dorey/WA

He is doing great. Has gone outside a couple of times and has eaten. At the moment he is totally asleep. He is fitting in quite nicely. Not at all like out lab the first night we had him. Legend has really made himself at home.I can really tell the difference – the time and care that you give them. It really shows.  (~8 weeks)UPDATE…Just wanted to email you and let you know how happy we are with Legend. What a wonderful puppy. He has made everyone so happy and he is really good. We adore him so much. He doesnt like the rain- but in Seattle you really dont have a choice. We just wanted you to know that we all love him – and he is doing great. Thank you. (~9 weeks)Kimberly/WA

What a smart puppy!  I can’t tell you how many people I have told this too.One of the most amazing things about Lincoln “Lava” is how he responds verbally and it only takes a few times. He really gets it. I didn’t want to buy a million puppy gates so we thought we would simply try to set our house barriers verbally with him immediately. He won’t break them for nothing! I actually needed to allow him in a forbidden area so he could be in my office with me yesterday while the kids were at school and he didn’t want to follow me down the forbidden hall. (he was so confused but so stinking cute) After a few times of picking him up, he gained confidence & is now happy with the extra play space.He’s also doing a real good job with the “sit” signal and surely knows “stay”. If the kids go down stairs (which is forbidden to him) he stays at the top step until they come back up. Last night he laid there for over 20 minutes for Kennedy and she praised him so much!!! What a smart, smart puppy! Course he has already shown extra favor to her!We wouldn’t trade him for the world.He has a check up with the Vet on Thursday. We’re getting him settled and hopefully by next week, it’s all like clock work!  I’ll try to get you a picture next week. I can already tell he’s growing and he’s getting a little darker in the face. Such a beautiful dog!  There are so many people interested in this breed and after hearing how well this puppy is doing, they are researching your website like crazy. I had to give the site to the vet yesterday!!!Thank you so much for being the best breeding experience Tom and I have ever encountered. Your professionalism is so greatly appreciated! (~8 weeks)Robin/SD

Laser (aka Sizzles) is doing great!! It’s only been 3 days and he’s already adjusted to our family. At night he’s like clockwork getting up at 2am then again at 5am for potty and during the day he lets us know when he needs to go out. The only accidents we’ve had are my fault for not giving merit to his warnings.I’m most impressed by and proud of Laser’s temperament. He plays so well with our children (ages 2 & 3) and despite some ear pulling and occasionally being carried around like a rag doll, he’s never shown any aggression.In short, Laser (aka Sizzles) is great…we love him and are very happy to have him in our lives!We’ll send you another update over the weekend.  Thank you so much. (~8 weeks)UPDATE…I wanted to share with you some photos of Rufnit Laser (aka Sizzles), he is doing great and has become part of our family. But the real reason for this note is to inquire about your training services. My hope is to have Sizzles professionally trained this spring giving us a strong base to work off. Any information on your services would be greatly appreciated.  (~4 months)Todd/SD

The pup (Marvel) arrived in good order. He is making his way aoung the house, checking out the new pad and meeting all of the family.  I will try to get you a few pics when we have a minute.Thank you for a wonderful new family member. I will be in touch soon with an update. (~8 weeks)Matt/FL

Morgan aka Filou has arrived safely this afternoon. After that we have had a good trip home and he started his discovery of our home. He wasn’t quite finished when our kids came home and demanded their fair share of attention and now half an hour later he is so tired that he is sleeping in his crate. As soon as we have a picture we’ll send one. Thanks (~8 weeks)UPDATE…Attached two pictures of Morgan. He is doing great and adjusted easily here. He eats well, sleeps well and plays well.Patrick/IL

Major is here, and doesn’t appear any worse for the wear. Came in on time, napped on the drive home, and has been playing and exploring since. Scheduled at the vet tomorrow. Will keep you updated. (~8 weeks)Pete/TX

Just got home! He’s PERFECT!!! We love him already!!! I’ll send you photos as soon as I can!UPDATE…Just thought I’d tell you that the first night went well. I found Magnum to be exactly like my own children. Loves Sponge Bob – never had a dog watch TV like that before…. and doesn’t like the dark. He had to sleep with a light on all night. Luckily, I have been living this life of no sleep/SpongeBob/nightlights for going on 7 years now so no real adjustments here. He is a very sound confident dog. You’ve done a great job! (~8 weeks)UPDATE…The puppy is WONDERFUL!!! We love him! Here are some pictures I have taken over the past few days.Thanks for such a great dog! (~2 months)UPDATE…It is difficult for me to take him seriously because his favorite thing to do is lay in bed with me and suck on his pheasant. He has the substitute mail man scared… then again, this mail man is afraid of our cat, so he is pretty easy to intimidate…. Someone told me that although female dogs are great, males fall in love with their owners. I have never met a dog that loves to lay in bed with me as much as Magnum does. He’s great with everyone in the family.I am still getting used to people asking me about his breed. I love it when I say “…he is a Braque du Bourbonnais.” And people answer “Oh wow, yeah!” and I know they have NO CLUE what kind of dog he is. Still struggling with telling people that I know they don’t have a clue as to what kind of dog he is or what he looks like. I typically go into a brief synopsis of his hunting abilities, where he is from and finish it off with, “…he looks like the RCA dog but he will get to be about 50 lbs. ” I have discovered this is the only thing they understand and I now leave it at that. I was explaining that although Magnum is liver and white, they can be a different colors etc. My husband has informed me that people don’t really want that much information and I can edit some of my details out…..He will be earning his first Girl Scout patch this Monday. I will be working with my daughter’s troop for a badge on Pet Care and Magnum is our “project” (~4 months)Leslie/PA

We just wanted to send a note and give you an update on Rufnit Mystic. I picked her up from BWI at 2:30. It must have been a LONG day for her. She had soiled her bedding and herself pretty bad. After I got her all cleaned up and put new bedding in her crate we were on our way home. She slept for most of the ride and only woke up for a potty break in the grass.Once we arrived at the house she was showered with love and attention from my wife and 7 year old daughter. My 1 year old son is still a little scared of her, be he’s gotten better as the night went on. We’ve decided to call her Libby. She has just finished her first meal with us and drank some water. She seems to love the toys she has here and she has done 2 “potty’s” outside. It’s pretty cold and windy here tonight, so she is anxious to get right back inside. Once she is in, it’s been 20 minutes of playing and followed by 15 minutes of napping.Thank you for such a beautiful dog. We couldn’t be happier! We’ll keep the updates coming. Here are some pictures from tonight.  (~8 weeks)UPDATE…I just wanted to give you another update on Rufnit Mystic. She is very much becoming a part of our family! We are amazed at how fast she learns with just simple verbal commands in a stern calm voice. She already sits to get her leash put on and off, and most importantly she treats our 1 year old son like precious cargo. She gets very excited when they play together but she doesn’t jump on him at all! They chase each other all over our house. We are able to walk outside with her without a lead already. She comes when called, stays in our yard, and listens like a long trained pet.Yesterday was her first appointment at our vet. The whole office swarmed all over her. Not surprisingly, no one had ever seen this breed before. Our vet was beside himself at how good looking she is.We had about 5 inches of snow yesterday and Mystic was LOVING it! We tried to make a snowman but Mystic kept jumping on the rolled up snow and collapsing it. Housebreaking has been going pretty well. Her few accidents have been our fault for thinking she could last longer than she could. I am still sticking with your schedule of out at 11pm, 3am and 6am and she does fine. I am going back to work this weekend, so I hope her schedule soon adjusts to ours and she can sleep all night. Our only problem has been that she wants to eat EVERYTHING outside. We have about 50 acres of woods behind our house, so there are leaves all over the ground. She would eat every single one if I let her. She also tries to eat any bush or shrub around our house. My wife and I have scoured the internet to make sure none of our landscaping is poisonous to pets, and we are safe. If you have any suggestions on how to stop her from doing that, I’m all ears. Thanks again, here are some recent pictures! (~9 weeks)UPDATE…Rufnit Mysic (Libby) is now 5 1/2 months old. She has become a solid foundation and an intricate part of our family. She continues to learn and test her boundaries. As long as she’s not overly distracted she’ll heel, come and whoa and turn on command without a check cord or e-collar. She certainly knows when she’s on the check cord and MUST listen, and when she’s free and doesn’t have to listen if she doesn’t want to! In a few weeks I’ll be introducing the e-collar and I fully expect her to understand and learn with it quickly. We do not use an electric fence and she’ll stay on our property as long as I call her back at the boundaries.I am constantly complimented on her weather it’s in the truck or in the field. Everyone wants to know about the breed.I may be biased, but I truly believe I have received a special dog from you. When we’re in the field she is a totally different dog. She jumps in the truck as a happy, playful puppy and jumps out as a bird dog with one thing on her mind! She is ALL BUSINESS in the field. She even listens better because she knows the reward is finding a bird.Because Pennsylvania has such a tick and Lyme problem, I’ll keep her out of the field for the summer until the weather cools back down. Even with ProMeris and Natures Defense, we still get ticks on us. She received a Lyme vaccine, but it’s still an issue for me, and having an infected tick carried back into our home with kids is a no-no. We continue to train her in the yard every day.Thanks again for such a wonderful dog. Here are some yard training photos from today (04-30-08).(~5 1/2 months)Stan/PA

Sophie is sleeping under my desk at 6:00 pm today after an afternoon at a game preserve where she pointed and retrieved eight Chukars. She is a very enthusiastic hunter and has a great nose. She has extremely good and strong instincts so I am able to focus her training on communications between the two of us. Because she has bonded so firmly with me and is eager to please, I haven’t needed any electronic training aids, just time and patience. We are having a great time together and I couldn’t be more satisfied with her. I am looking forward to hunting her with some of my friends and their dogs. So far, she has been solo as far as other dogs go and today was our first day solo together without having a friend accompanying us to do the shooting.Thanks again for providing me a great companion.  (~11 months)Sherrill/WA

Mica is doing very well adjusting to her new home. She’s a beautiful puppy! The kids are loving her and she them. Thank you for all your help and have a great day. (~8 weeks)Jason/NC

If you couldn’t tell, we have decided to rename Meadow as Gus. we had a lot of discussion on this topic, but it was ultimatly decided by Scott when he “saw him look at that name” : )Gus has started retrieving to hand (or sometimes his pillow). He will “sit” and “come” on cammand as well and we have started to introduce other basic commands.However, he whines whenever we aren’t giving him nonstop attention. Bedtime has also been difficult, but we are making some progress there as well. We are having a small problem with house training because of the frigid weather, but we are coming along.  Thank you again for everything!(~8 weeks)Scott/MN

This is Karamel.  We have really enjoyed her being part of our family. She is very smart and learns quickly.Once again thank you for giving our family thr oppertunity to have her. (~5 months)Greg & Mary/TX

I know it’s been a while since I’ve given you a Chechu up update so I thought I’d write and also would like to get your thoughts on ground pet transportation as we are moving because of Julian’s job.Chechu is doing very well. He has maintained his robust, athletic composition and very loving and friendly disposition. He’s still a lightweight (32 lbs) but I think it’s because he’s so hyper! We get him together with Eugene about once a week so that they can bond and play. They play very well together and Eugene can definitely hold his own with Chech (even though I think Chechu is the alpha male). Thanks  (~3 years)Annie/FL

Kari (Rufnit Icar) is doing great! He has an enormous amount of energy and is happiest when he is either at ‘hunting camp’ or out running/walking with us for at least an hour a day. He is a lot faster than his slow owners! Kari’s trainer tells us he is very birdy, which we believe (even though we ourselves still don’t hunt). Kari even caught a bird while he was out walking with my husband. At home, Kari plays a mean game of ‘monkey in the middle’ with his Kong and us. He is also very good at getting almost anything he wants off the counters, especially bread. And apples. And watermelon (but not peaches or bananas, which he seems to not like). The ‘other puppy’ (my 13 year old son) and Kari are well suited to each other. They wrestle for a bit every day, just to stay in practice. Kari is very personable and just LOVES his people. He always wants to be with us, especially when we are outside. Or inside. Or in the car. He does not bark or get upset when we play any of our many musical instruments, although he finally is barking when he is out of his crate and people come to the house.When we are out walking Kari, people always comment on what a beautiful dog he is. Only one French friend has actually known of the breed, though. I’ve attached a photo of him taken last week. We love Kari and are thankful that you sent him to us! (~1 year)Cyndi/MI

Hello,  I wanted to compliment you on the pups coming from your kennel.  Until about two years ago I had no idea what a Braque du Bourbonnais.  To date my wife and I have crossed paths with five.  Two pups were from ***** Kennels, one from ***** Kennels and two from Rufnit Kennels.  It is to the point where I don’t have to ask where the pup is from but can tell by watching it interact in it’s environment.  I pointed this out to my co-workers and they could see the differences also.  With all of the pups being very young when I was introduced to them we’ve come to the conclusion that it is the start they are receiving.We love the Rufnit puppies and my wife will be sending you a deposit.  We hope you will accept it and choose our family for a future pup.  Thanks in advance.  (Please note:  This email has been edited by Rufnit Kennels prior to publishing.  The edited text is marked with *****.)Keith/MI

Hi Shari, had another successfull season. We shot at 20+ grouse and missed most. Doni also pointed 18 woodcock in one amazing day when we hit the migration just right. Spent three days pheasant hunting in the SW corner of Minnesota where we saw an incredible amout of birds. But I think the best was the last day of Michigan pheasant season. It was cold and sunny with alot of snow cover. The birds were sitting very tight and busting out of the snow within feet of us. Doni pointed eight roosters that day, which is very rare for Michigan. Once again she’s proven that a Braque du Bourbonnais from Rufnit was the right choice. (~2 1/2 years)Dan/MI

The plane arrived and we were able to pick Leader up from air cargo at 3:30. Our drive home was pretty peaceful with Leader actually sleeping on the way home which was an hour drive from the airport. I had brought everything you said for cleaning up any messes but it wasn’t bad. We believe he had relieved himself but I simply took out the wet towel/pad and replaced it. It really wasn’t even that wet. He has been pretty playful since arriving at our home naturally curious of his new surroundings.He is a beautiful dog and our whole family (including my son’s girlfriend) are really excited and looking forward to blending with Leader. Again, we are really happy and looking forward to becoming a family!!  Thank You!!!!!!!!UPDATE…Just a quick update on Leader. Our son and he have quickly taken to each other. I took some pictures last night and will try to e-mail today sometime. He slept most of the night, we did take him out at 2AM which was fine. This morning I have taken him out several times and he is eating more this morning. I hate to leave him but I have to take my Dad up to the Nursing home to see my Mom since it has been a week due to our being out of town. Gerry is still sick this morning so he will be at the house if Leader needs anything. That’s a good thing! Also, we are all amazed at his nose. Gerry said he has never seen a dog with his nose to the ground as much as Leader especially at such a young age. It is funny to watch him. Again, we have all been taken with him and are so glad he was available. (~11 weeks)Sue/MO

Have wanted to email you for a while, but life gets in the way. We wanted to let you know that Legend is doing fabulous. He is growing and really enjoying his humans! Still does not like the Seattle rain, but we have umbrellas. :)We can really tell a difference in this puppy experience compared to the first. He is a joy and soooo lovable. He is been really easy to handle and has fit right in. We took him skiing with us to Canada. He loved the snow banks. Not the skiers though. Likes to go and take the girls to school. Everyone asks what he is and comments on how beautiful. While driving to Canada- anytime we took him out of the car he had an immediate group of people admiring him. Will send some pictures this week.Thank you for a most wonderful dog!! (~3 1/2 months)Kimberly/WA

It went great, he is so cute and such a good dog. He got a work out playing with our other dog Trixy and our kids. Thank you so much. I have taken some pictures and will be forwarding them to you soon. He is such a snuggler.  We will be in touch.UPDATE…Hello, Limit is doing great he is fitting in just perfectly. He is so good. Pete is going to take him to a farm today and walk him through the fields. I have attached some pictures I have taken of him. You will see him snuggling with Pete on the coach, also some pictures with Jack,Allison, Anthony and our other dog Trixy. WOW, he is amazing.  Thanks again.  (~4 months)Pete & Jenny/MN

The communication below is regarding Rufnit Kennels’ second Naturally Short Tailed/Tailless litter (Rufnit “N” Litter) and our breeding program:
Great news. And I see that there is one other pending litter which will have short tails. You will soon have produced more than 100 Bourbonnais puppies, it’s impressive!Michael/FRANCE-GERMANY(Administrator of the Braque du Bourbonnais Forum and Braque du Bourbonnais information site)

I just got back from running Joe(Ira) in mine and his first NA test.I am just busting at the seams and couldn’t be more proud of my “buddy” . He ended up with a perfect score 112pts. I thought you would want to know. Thanks for a truly wonderful dog.  (~15 months)Dave & Billie/IL

We have been celebrating Frida’s (Rufnit Dana) big “3” today! She is doing well as an important part of our growing family. I hope things are going well at Rufnit Kennels.  A recent photo is attached.  (~3 years)Jon/TX

The trip home with our puppy went very well, she slept most of the way. Last night was another matter. I guess with her sleeping most of the 8 hours home, she didn’t want to sleep more than 2 hours at a time. At one point in the wee hours of the morning, I waited the crying and howling go and she finally went back to sleep. I know over time this will get much better.She has already found her way around the house and understands that she has to step down into our family room, after a few stumbles. She also knows where her food and water are kept, now she just needs to understand not to put her foot in the water bowl while she is eating her food…LOL.I am attaching a few pictures from the trip home and some once she started to settle in. I promise we will be sending more along, we only too 67 pictures yesterday…..lol.  (~8 weeks)UPDATE…We are so in love with this little girl!! She so good, she lets us know when she needs to go outside and is pretty much potty trained now. She loves to give kisses too.I thought I would send you a few pictures that I too in the front yard about an hour ago. We were walking around and she alerted…..it had feathers and wings….well, not a chukar or pheasant or even a quail, just a Robin…..but what this little girl did surprised us.Everyone in our Sub-division has come to see her, word spread fast that there was a new puppy in the neighborhood. Several men here are hunters, so they have been very curious about her and have all made very positive comments about her coloring, her size and her alertness….and about how strong and what big paws she has…LOL. I have been telling all of them about you and your dogs, so I am sure they have been taking a look at your site.Thank you so much for doing such a wonderful job with your breeding program and the fantastic start you give the puppies. We couldn’t be happier with our little “Gracie Nicole”. (~2 1/2 months)Kathy/IL

My boys are in love with Tess….she is the sweetest puppy….potty training has been very successful thus far! She is sleeping in her kennel carrier at night in the office next to our bedroom, and is up every few hours to go outside, then back to sleep…( a little whining, but likes when I sit next to the kennel for a bit) Thanks for all you did for Tess….our neighbor is a vet, and has said many times how great the breeder did with her.  (~8 weeks)Colette/ND
Thank you so very much for all the time and attention you gave the girls and I during our stay with you over the weekend, we had a fabulous time. It was so lovely to meet all the members of Rufnit Kennels who have done such a wonderful job with Lottie (Falicia) and her puppies. I would never have had the courage to do it at home nor would the outcome be as sweet as the O litter.All my friends were enthralled you should have hearted the noise!!!Thank you so much again for a wonderful time and some great memories, it is so nice to put a face to a friend. (~2 years/~6 weeks)Clare/PA

Where to start!!  It is amaizing how much these pups know!!  I can’t tell you how fantastic we are getting along.  You were right, she was born to please and find birds, there’s no doubt.  Once we visited the Rufnit web site and corresponded via email we knew you would be the BEST breeder for us.  You could tell by your knowledge about the breed and the web pages how much care and time you put into your companions and puppies not to mention the references and comments from other owners.  Thanks for answering all of our questions along the way, it made the transaction very comfortable.  It was great that through photos and videos you allowed us to watch her grow.  We are all looking forward to our continuing friendship and your assistance with training.  Our application with NAVHDA has been sent in!BTW:  Our veterinarian said she examines several puppies of all breeds from different breeders.  She made the comment that “it is obvious your breeder takes very good and complete care of her pups.”  She was impressed enough to ask for your site and contact information regarding the possibility of acquiring a pup for her family.You should be very proud of your breeding program and the puppies you are producing.  We are happy you allowed one to join our family.  Thanks for EVERYTHING!  (~2 1/2 months)Jack/OR

The communication below is regarding the number of pups registered/produced in 2007.  This was the first year that North America produced more progeny than FRANCE.
By the way Shari, I think you are the breeder who had the biggest number of puppies in 2007, bravo. And they hunt, it’s clear. I hope the french will do as well as you in 2008!Michael/FRANCE-GERMANY(Administrator of the Braque du Bourbonnais Forum and Braque du Bourbonnais information site)

Rufnit Fletcher will be attending among others and will take part in the training demos during the Gun Dog Seminar for BdB owners & handlers.  Fletcher will be part of our introduction to tournament hunting. It has been my pleasure to work and compete with a couple of your fine puppies and dogs. This is a most outstanding breed keep up the fine breeding. I hope to meet a representative from your kennel at one of our events.Bryce/CA(Bryce Mann’s Gun Dogs & Guide Service)

Just wanted to check in and let you know how well Magnum is doing! He has been a wonderful addition to the family. The kids love him and so do I!!! I have owned dogs before that have loved me but I have never had a dog that was in love with me! He cries more than the kids do when I go away!We’ve been working in the field and in the water with him and he is doing great! Here are some recent photos of him!Thanks for such a great dog.  (~7 months)Leslie/PA

Hello. Around January, we got Magnus (Rufnit Legend) from you. He has been absolutely nothing but a joy. I’m not usually a dog person, but having him has been completely wonderful. I’ve been snapping pictures of him from the time we got him until now, and so, I thought I would send you a few recent ones we have of him.He has an incredible personality. He has a few nicknames: “Puppay,” said like “Jennay” from Forrest Gump, is a common one. He also gets called, “Wigglebutts,” since he has a tendency to, as soon as we get back home after a day out, go in, grab the nearest toy, and walk around our feet grunting and shaking his little bum. Completely adorable.We’re currently in West Glacier, Montana. This is Magnus’s first vacation with us in our RV, and so far he’s enjoyed sniffing out prairie dog holes in Jackson Hole, smelling out bison and bear in Yellowstone, and running in the grass in many Montana towns. He’s quite the looker, too. Everywhere we go, people are always commenting on how beautiful he is. These pictures are all from when he’s about 8 mos.Thank you so much for the wonderful gift of Magnus. I’m heading off to NYU in the fall, and I never thought I’d be so torn up about leaving a pet behind, but I’m really agonising over it every day. It’s amazing how much a dog can do for somebody. :].  (~8 months)Kaitlin/WA

Demi is three years old now, and is doing very well.  Thanks again for a great dog.  If you want to update your site with the latest Demi photo’s as well, be my guest.  As I’m sure you know from talking with Claude we have a small Bdb “Club” in California.  Claude has really done a good thing out here on the West Coast…thank you Claude! (FYI:  Claude is the owner of Rufnit Fletcher)  (~3 years)Willie/CA

Orion (Kalvin) is a one of a kind puppy.! I have never seen or known a puppy like him. So in other words THANK YOU FOR SUCH A GREAT COMPANION! (~11 months)Jason/PA

Pistol made it! It took all of two seconds for him to step out of the crate and into my hands. He’s quite affectionate and took on the lead with stride. Good call with the lead since the collar I had was a little too large to wear safely.To my disbelief the crate was un-soiled. After a few minutes of walking on the grass at the airport he passed #1 with a twenty second duration. Unbelievable. A few minutes later was a solid #2. Pistol looked pretty clean but I gave him a quick wet-towel bath to refresh him. He drank plenty of water at the airport then headed home.Upon arrival we took a brief walk resulting in another potty break without incident. We played for about 30 minutes and then put out some water and food (mixed your batch with our batch at 50/50). He drank some water but no solid food. He then curled up on the floor with my wife and slept (see attached picture).Visit with the vet will be shortly after the holiday weekend. Will keep you posted.Thanks again for this wonderful opportunity. (~8 weeks)Nelson/MA

We got Parfait, she is a sweety! My hip surgery went well, so now I will have something to do while I recoup. I will try to get some pictures of Parfait and her new sisters, but I am not very computer savy.Thanks for the consideration in pairing us up with Parfait, the timing was great. Mrs. ****** will be recieving some flowers with congratulations on a new arrival later this afternoon. (~8 weeks)UPDATE…Parfait has fit right in with the rest of the Pack. She was a little put out the first day, but Lizzie our 16 month old Boykin spaniel has adopted her and taken to training her. Parfait (now Big-B) follows her every move. She is definitely an “A” type personality. Dorsey, the 12 year old Springer, watches over them and now gets to relax as Lizzie has a younger more active playmate. She is getting used to our hours. She is already sitting and staying and not jumping up.  We will try to send pictures.Thanks again for the placement consideration. (~10 weeks)Dennis/TX

The communication below is regarding the progeny successfully tested through NAVHDA.  These opinions/statistics are confirming and ensuring our progeny hold the natural abilities necessary to be excellent hunting and family companions.
Very encouraging to see that you are successfully bringing so many Bourbonnais to the NAVHDA. And they are handsome too, Kamrin head shape is exactly what a female head should be.(the following text has been translated from French to English via google)Encore 3 dogs at Rufnit Kennels who pass their TAN in NAVHDA, and these are more beautiful Bourbonnais, and the two females are naturally short tail. It is on track to the USA:http://www.braquedubourbonnais.info/en/NAVHDA-SiouxFall-NaturalAbilityTest-22August2008.htmMichael/FRANCE-GERMANY(Administrator of the Braque du Bourbonnais Forum and Braque du Bourbonnais information site)

(the following portion of text has been translated from French to English via C Trincle)First and foremost my congratulations to you, Shari, with your dogs running trials and all the young ones that have been tested through NAVHDA you have an excellent breeding program.  Without question you , Shari, have made some very judicious choices.  Your young ones that are taking the NAVHDA test, they are very good looking dogs.  You, Shari, have united the best lines that we have created to date.  I am glad that the US started from a great base and you will have the best BBs yet.Marc/FRANCE-SPAIN(breeder of the first Braque du Bourbonnais to be imported into North America)

He arrived fine – it was a very smooth pick-up from the airport and he slept in my arms all the way home. He was very restless last night, but I’m sure he will transition fine in a day or so. He went to vet this morning and they also said he is doing great.So far, my other dogs are accepting him.  He has actually been playing with my other Bourbonnais — tiring each other out. :0)Thank you for everything. We will be sure to send pictures and updates shortly. (~8 weeks)Terry/MA

What a awesome companion we have! Diane and I can’t believe how smart, friendly and loving he is! He has developed a wonderful, silly personality, and is so expressive with his facial looks. We have never laughed as much We just completed 8 weeks of “Puppy School” at Pet Smart and he scored 100% on his final exam. We are now in intermediate classes for another eight weeks, then on to hunt training. Braque is a true delight to have in the house. He is about 98% housebroken now and is good with crating. He prefers to sleep in our bedroom with us, and that is fine with us, but we do crate him. Every morning from 6:00 to 7:00 he sits with one of us with his head in our lap while we have coffee and read the paper and dozes off while he cuddles with us. (He can’t seem to get close enough to us ), and he does the same every night at 8:30 when it’s time to settle down. He gets so comfortable on the couch with us that I hate to wake him up to go upstairs! Sometimes I even carry him up myself LOL. He groans a bit and then goes in to his crate and back to sleep. He has slept through the night since the second day we had him! Not a typical puppy at all.Anywhere we take him he draws a crowd, even at the pet supply stores. We can’t get through a parking lot without being stopped and asked ” What kind of dog is that? He’s BEAUTIFUL! Look at the size of his PAWS! He’s so SMOOTH AND SOFT ! We have given several people your name and website to look at and contact you. All have been total strangers who really wanted more information about these dogs. Hopefully they have contacted you.The folks at Petsmart refer to him as our ” Braque-star” since we draw such attention when we come in. He is the center of attention every where we are. No one here has ever seen on of these pointers and often think he is a GSP. Of course we correct them and refer them to you.I am looking forward to getting him out in the field with some Chuckars in the next few weeks ,as soon as it cools off a bit. He has started to swim a bit in ponds, and in friend’s in-ground pools, but he still needs a bit of coaxing unless it’s really hot.I will update you on the field work and send some more photos soon.Thanks again for such a wonderful companion! He is everything you said that he would be and more! (~4 months)Barry/NY

Its been an action packed morning, she’s doing just fine, had some food and water and “took care of business”. Neli, I’ll keep that in mind for now, everyone’s gone out and she’s settling down a bit. I’m working from home today and tomorrow so I’ll be able to tend to her.I can’t tell you how please we are with her, she is so sweet and very intelligent. will rave about her more in future correspondence.Everybody is just thrilled with her, she is a wonderfull little pup and will be dearly loved in our home.Thank you so much for this precious gift to our family ;o)ps: she’s gorgeous!!!   (~9 weeks)Fred/NY

I just wanted to bring you update to date on Sage(We changed her name a little from Paige to Sage). She is doing fine here in her new home. She’s eating well and she is getting more and more comfortable with her new surroundings. She likes to cuddle and that is a big hit with my wife and daughters. As I watch her move and play she reminds me very much of a GSP puppy that I had over 20 years. That dog turned out to be both a great companion and hunting partner. She was the dog of a lifetime and I had her for almost 15 years. I see a similar future here for Sage. (~12 weeks)Todd/MN

We took Braque out on Saturday to see how he would do with live birds that we planted in an alfalfa field up in Niagara County.He was awesome!!!The photos are pretty much in order. We planted four birds individually and he found, pointed them and held the points until I actually walked in to flush the bird. I did not bring a shotgun, but we fired two blanks at each flush with a blank pistol. The shots had no effect at all on him.  He did not creep up on them or try to flush them.  The fourth bird did not fly too far, so we tried to find it again with no success.  It was “air washed” by the time and left little or no scent.In the meantime , on the way back to the car, Braque locked up on a point on a fifth bird that we had not released, but was probably released earlier in the week. The last photo will show him pointing, and you can see the bird’s head about five feet to his left. He also held that point even though he could see the bird.Naturally we were thrilled with his first outing.I will actually shoot some birds this weekend for him to retrieve. (~5 months)Barry/NY

Just a note to let you know that Pickup a/k/a Sam for a one syllable hunting name, is doing fine.The first picture is of Pickup taken on our deck. The second picture is looking out at his playground and lake. He loves the beach near the water. Unfortunately, sometimes he loves the beach too much and finds an dead carp or drum that has floated up on the beach.He is a great dog and doing well in the obedience area considering his age and that he is still very much a puppy. (~3 months)Dick & Sandy/NE

Just checking in with an update on Rufnit Mystic (our Libby). Pictures included!We got some field time today and as usual she was loving every second! She is still VERY hyper, but she’s starting to calm down. Getting her to point and hold has been the hardest part of her training thus far. She just doesn’t have the patience yet. She has two things on her mind….find it and GET IT!!! We’ll get there soon.She was spayed recently and she did fine with that. The vet suggested no running, jumping or excited play for at least a week, but she only made it 1 day and she was uncontrollable. You just can’t keep this breed down! We learn more about her every day. We’ve found that she is an extremely strong chewer. We tried the ultra nylabone, but she destroys in no time. She is faster than ANY other dog she’s ever been around. Boredom is not an option for this breed, she absolutely needs to run/hunt/play everyday in order to keep her from bouncing off the walls in the house! Unless she’s in the field working, she HATES the rain or wet grass. Thankfully, our 20 month old son has the same energy as Libby, so even when it’s raining they run all over the house together. She really is a family dog 90% of the time. She does everything with us. Thanks again, we’ll update again on her 1st birthday, about 6 weeks away! (~10 months)Stan/PA

Good Evening,  Jason and I have been thinking about getting a new puppie for awhile now, (even though Orion is only a 1 yr+ now!) We wanted a bigger hunting dog and were looking into labs etc, but he is in love with Orion. We really like the size of Foster and were wondering if he was going to be in the breeding program soon. I saw he was a couple of times last year. I like his looks and Jason likes his size, so we actually were able to agree finally on one thing about a dog we like. If it is not for awhile that is fine to. We are willing to wait since we are pleased with Orion, even though he seems to put us through quite a bit, but he is turning into a great dog. Our son, Treston (4) pushes him around the house and our daughter Alaina loves working with him. Him is such an instagator, he will tease our other dogs to get them to chase him even if it out of anger. It is funny to watch Jaden, our Scottie, show him full teeth chasing him around the yard and he is almost laughing. Didnt ever think a dog can do it, but Orion, well he can. He smiles and bites their tails and runs in circles. It is comical to watch. We have to tape it and send you a copy. Thank you for all of your help. Even though you are further away than the breeders of our other dogs, you seem to be the most helpful. Jason and I feel like you actually take the time and care about everything you talk about. Thank you so much.. (~1 year)Jason & Becky/PA

Just wanted to give you an update on my boy Magnum (aka Magnus). We took him out again yesterday. My Dad went with me and I can’t tell you how many times he said what a great dog he was. Not only that but he apparently tells all of his friends about what a great dog I have! We didn’t find any birds but we worked him until he was worn down – down not out because I don’t think that is possible! His water retrieves were unreal. He didn’t even hesitate to jump into the water without even going into it to see what it was or anything. He turns on a DIME when you blow a whistle and the hunting collar sends him into crazy birdie mode. My brother has an English Setter and I can’t wait to show him up in a few weeks.You’ve done a great job with your breeding program. I’ve worked in the veterinary field for over 10 years and I have seen lots of breeders breeding for the money or just for kicks. Your dogs are amazing! Each time I go out, I get more compliments on him than I can count. I have one more of your puppies sold already and I’m working on getting my Dad to buy one!I didn’t get any pictures but I will next time.Have a good week. (~10 months)Leslie/PA
I took Braque out for a six bird hunt on October 4th. It was about 65 degrees and partly cloudy with little or no breeze. Braque found all six birds and all six and they were all killed from between 25 to 40 yards, where Braque ran and pointed “dead” for a moment, then picked them up and took a few ” victory laps ” with the bird in his mouth. He was pretty hard on the first one, but gradually got the idea that he was supposed to “fetch” them to me ( and in one piece). I did not have a check cord on him, so it took a little coaxing to get him to come back to me. All in all, I am really pleased with his progress. This weekend was too hot to hunt him, but we should be back out Sat. or Sunday. He will have a check cord and the “E” collar on, but I don’t expect to need to use the collar. The ” come ” command still needs work in the field, but I will use the check cord as the primary motivator. The attached photos are again in order, check out the first point! He couldn’t have been any steadier while I flushed the bird. Please enjoy the photos.(~5 months)Barry/NY

Why Rufnit Kennels, LLC…There are several appealing components of your breeding program!!  One of the most appealing is being able to see what your breeding stock has accomplished in addition to being able to see what their progeny are accomplishing!  I found this of the utmost importance since I’m not acquiring your stock, but I am acquiring their progeny…my decision was confirmed, we couldn’t be happier with our Rufnit Companion!!  Shari, Thanks so much!!(~4 years)Bryan/NC

Just came back from S. Dakota for a five day hunt. General has been out Pheasant hunting now 3 different times and is really showing his natural ability as a hunting dog. He pointed out a few, flushed a bunch, retrieved a couple and ran down two cripples that another more experienced dog missed. He has also been a fantastic family companion. (~2 years)Mike/IL
Libby and I hit the PA State Game Lands this afternoon. We’ll send an update next week for her 1 year birthday party! Thought you might like this picture from today……Is she perfect, or what? (~1 year)Stan/PA

I just wanted to let you know how Coco is doing. She is growing and she is getting more and more used to her new home. She is making real progress in the house training dept and we see her confidence growing day by day.  (~4 months)UPDATE…I just wanted to give an update on Coco. She is a great family dog and she did a great job on her first day in the field this past week. Had she been introduced to gun? I wasn’t sure so we we worked with her on distants shots. She wasn’t bothered at all in fact, she ran toward the shot. I was wondering if she has already associated the shot with the bird. As we moved closer to the shot it didn’t seem to bother her in the least. I have joined NAVHDA and I plan to have her run in an ability test next year(before she is 16 months). I will get the results to you. So far she shows every sign of becoming an outstanding hunting companion and just a good all around dog. There’s no dog in the world that we trade her for.Todd/MN

Many thanks again for the opportunity to grow with Pistol (aka Cheminaux).  Over the weekend we had an outing to the fields and had a very good time. Attached are a few pics.Pistol is doing very well and retrieves his toys to hand. I have him started on quail wings and he is captivated by birds flying overhead. Last week we also completed all his shots at the vet and he is in excellent health.I’ll keep you posted as we progress.  (~5 months)Nelson/MA

Quade is advancing nicely with his training, he really enjoys working the field looking for quail…….he absolutely loves my son Jeffery and cannot stand to be away from him. We found a great trainer to help us with his field training and we are having a great time learning and training Quade to be our field companion.  (~5 months)Kevin/FL

“Mom, Santa doesn’t have to come to our home this year.  I GOT THE BEST GIFT EVER AND DON’T NEED ANY THING ELSE.  I love my puppy.”  This was the response of our six year old daughter upon the arrival of her companion.Petro is more than we ever could have imagined.  Our daughter and her are inseparable.  Getting a chance to hunt with her next year will only be an added bonus!!  (~5 months)Emelia/MN

Sleepy dog today. He got to Dove Hunt last weekend and he was soooo happy to be out in the field again. We’re headed to the TexMex border on the 18th to hunt again. He’s a wonderful companion. Thanks again!! (~2 1/2 years)Steve/TX

The communication below is regarding the progeny of Rufnit Kennels, LLC.  Rufnit Kennels, LLC receives statements as the one below, giving support of our breeding program and practices.(the following text has been translated from French to English via google)your farm is our braque bourbonnais of the USA, I thank you for everything you done for raceHAPPY NEW YEAR 2009.Gilles/FRANCE(breeder in FRANCE)

2009

Quade is coming along nicely with his field training, here he is on a quail retrieve. He absolutely loves being out there hunting!I am thinking of entering Quade in the NAVHDA natural ability test in March, any pointers would be appreciated.  (~5 1/2 months)UPDATE…He is doing very well here and loves to hunt!!! (~15 months)Kevin/FL

Here’s a note on Demi. We have started competing in North American Gun Dog Association (NAGDA) events. We have entered four events in as many months. We have finished 3rd, 2nd and 1st twice. Our last competition on 1/11/2009 we beat all 24 dogs in the amateur and open divisions with 224 points. For those who don’t know that’s a very good run. With that we have qualified to run in the National NAGDA event in Colorado this April. I am very proud if her accomplishments and wanted to share you. Attached id a pic of the December 2008 event.  (~3 1/2 years)William/CA

The following information was received by one VERY PROUD Rufnit Companion owner as was the information directly above. 
Much has happened over the last few months. We attended many tournaments, with 3 of our local BdBs participating. This was a lot better than in 2007 when only one BdB competed.This last weekend, Rufnit Demi & Willie took 1st place in a hotly contested NAGDA event in Porterville, CA against 12 experienced dogs. She completed her run in 7 minutes, pointing and retrieving the four birds that she was tasked to find and Willie doing his part with shooting and bagging these birds. As described by Willie, it was fast and furious Demi was finding those birds as quickly as he could move in and shoot them. Willie is very pleased with Demi and his own performance.  I am very glad that we now have multiple BdBs competing and winning so that people don’t think that Fletcher is some anomaly of the breed, as it had been stated to be on a number of occasions. Of course, Demi is a source of pride for me too since she share close ancestry and the same breeder (Rufnit) with Fletcher. I am finding that any BdB win, place or just participate makes me happy and that is good.We also had a World 1st, true I am embellishing a bit but this has never happened before, we had our 1st BdB NAGDA team Doubles with Maya/Rufnit Fletcher and Marcel/Claude. We did well taking second place against the Pros and winning a little money in the process. This run too was fast and furious. It was Marcel and I’s first try in Doubles as a team. We had a good strategy but our shooting was off early on and that cost us several shells (rules below). However, excellent dog work by Fletcher and Maya saved the day bagging the required 6 birds in 15 minutes (20mns allocated per run). The last three birds created the most exiting ending that I have ever seen in competition and is worth writing it down. This should have been recorded and played on TV. We only had 2 shells left and needed three birds. I told Marcel that if I saw the opportunity to have Fletcher trap a bird I would send him in (my NAVHDA friends are going to have nightmares over this sequence). Flushing rules applies to the NAGDA Doubles competition because you can run a team of a pointer and a flusher, or any combination. Fletcher was working downfield about 60 yards and went on point. Marcel and Maya were closer than I and I instructed him to move in and take the shot or to wait for me if Fletcher was really close to the bird. As they approached Maya went on point on a second bird which promptly flushed and caused Fletcher’s bird to also flush. Marcel shot Fletcher’s bird and I shot Maya’s bird. Fletcher went in for his retrieve and Maya went to help. Fletcher was running back to me with his bird and flushed a third bird which, while it was in range, I could not shoot since both of Marcel and I were now out of shells. Fletcher chased the bird while holding the other bird, when the 3rd bird landed (in the next field) Fletcher dropped his bird to trap the live one. The bird took flight again directly at me and landed 10 yard from me where Fletcher promptly caught it and retrieved it to hand as always. Because we now had two blind retrieve to do and only minutes left, I elected to go for the partial retrieves so I walked over to the field boundary (the dog can cross into another field but not the hunter) and send Fletcher on a 30 yards blind retrieve. He found the bird in the allowed 1 minute outside the field and retrieved it to hand. Meanwhile, Maya found her bird and we bagged all three birds in about 2 incredible minutes. If that does not get your heart pumping I don’t know what will.Another World 1st is to have 3 BdBs in the same NAGDA tournaments and all taking home prizes. This is awesome!All BdBs are created to hunt and please their companions and our little team is making sure that the American West takes notice.The score keeper told me that if I ever got tired of feeding Fletcher to give him a call and he’d be happy to take him off my hand, this is not the first time and I know it’s not the last time that I’ll get this offer. Our BdBs are just as good or better than the other breeds, run them against the others and find out for yourself just as Willie and Marcel are doing.Rules in briefs:Singles: One hunter and one dog competing as a team 4 birds, 20mns, 8 shells, for Pointers the dog must be on point for a minimum of three seconds and cannot trap the bird. The hunter must shoot the bird and the dog must retrieve to the hunter within on step of where the shot was taken. Flusher can trap the bird.Doubles: Two hunters and two dogs competing as a team, 6 birds, 20mns, 10 shells,– Flusher or pointers , flushing rules apply otherwise same as above rules, each hunter must take at least one shot.  (~2 1/2 years)Claude/CA

Shari, never in our wildest dreams would we hav thought that he would become such a special part of our lives! We three have truly bonded in a way that we can’t explain. He is truly an affectionate wonderful pet.I do remember you telling us during our first conversation that “we would not understand until we had one of your companions how special they are as a breed.”Boy did you call it!We are so thrilled to have Braque that words can not express what a difference he has made in our lives. Not a day goes by without us getting a huge laugh over something he’s done, or an expression.The fact that he has great field skills is really a bonus for me. We have not had a chance to hunt since Christmas due the really cold weather, but hopefully we can get out soon. The weather is getting milder now that Lake Erie has frozen over, and the lake effect snow won’t be a problem.Anyway, his first season had over 50 pheasants and chukars shot over his points. He is really steady on point, and actually honord and backed my friend’s 3 year old setter on four points . ( All natural Instinct, with no direction or commands ) at 8 mos. old with no formal training.We are having a ball together.That’s all for now. I’ll stay in touch and send some more photos shortly.  (~8 months)UPDATE…Thanks for the Birthday Greetings. ( Obsession )Braque had a great weekend running with some friends. He is so fast that the lab and border collie give up on him after about five laps!He is a jet! He also puts on a real show with the resident Canada Geese in our local park on Sundays. He points them and then sits down when they take flight. (steady to wing)too bad I can’t provide the shot!He is really doing great at home and in the field. Diane and I are so grateful that we have him, and reflect on this every day. He is so sweet and friendly and loves to cuddle with us, and always wants to touch us. On his birthday, we awakened to find him on his back in bed between us, with all four paws in the curled in the air, turning his head from side to side gently kicking our cheeks to wake us up and thank us for being together with him. Our lives have been truly changed forever since we got him. He is a true ” Companion ” and he loves us a much as we do him!  (~1 year)UPDATE…It’s good to hear from you!  I have been seriously ill since early July, and still recovering. Hence the lack of communication from us.  Braque ( Obsession ) is doing wonderfully! He is a full 55 lbs of solid muscle and energy, and a super house companion. We just love him, and he loves us just as much. Words can not really describe what a well rounded guy he is!Please feel free to use us as a reference for your companions. We are so thrilled with Braque that we would be happy to share our wonderful experiences with a potential owner.I was hospitalized for six weeks with a staph infection, and required major surgery on my right leg in order to save my leg and life!. All the time I was hospitalized, Braque was such a comfort to Diane that it made very difficult times bearable for her.  Since I have been home, he stays at my side and is very sensitive to my injury.Hopefully I can get him out hunting a bit this fall. ( What a disappointing turn of events this has been for me. I was so looking forward to getting out with him this fall!) He is still real ” birdy” and very defensive of our yard against the squirrels and rabbits. I call him off when he chases them, but he really is fun to watch as he goes after them.  In any event, we will stay in touch.  (~1 1/2 years)Barry/NY

Just wanted to update you on Magnus aka Magnum. Such a great dog. We didn’t get much opportunity to work him on birds as I injured my knee. He does great with the kids. Not a mean bone to be found, not posessive about anything. He just got neutered and I think the vets love him as much as we do. He just celebrated his 1 year anniversary with us and it has been great. Thanks again for such a wonderful dog. (~1 year)Leslie/PA
Gracie (Nicole) has been the great present we have ever given ourselves. She is so precious and everyone who comes in contact with her loves her as well. I need to start a Gracie Album on my profile so that I can share more of the photos of her with all of my friends. (~11 months)Kathy/IL

Otis is doing well here in So Dak. He has a lot of personality and is a great pal to our other dogs. Despite ou carazy building schedule, he integrated nicely with the family. He is a fabulous “pouncer”. Just springs up from all fours into the air and onto or over what ever he’s interested in. Once we get a new camera card we’ll send some pics. He’e is a solid 46 lbs and counting. Pretty powerful.  (~8 months)UPDATE…Otis is doing well and is a solid stocky little dude. His last weigh in was at 49.5 lbs. he is a chunky, fast little bullet. We like his personality and ability to socialize with the other 2 dogs. (~9 months)Leah/SD

I just wanted to give you an update on Rufnit Mystic (our “Libby”).  She is now 37lbs of solid bird loving muscle.  Health-wise she is perfect.  Our vet is absolutely in love with her.We had what was hopefully the last snow storm of the season last week, I took some great photos of her in the back yard.  The sun was about to set and the light was perfect.  We have these blown up into 8×10’s and they look fantastic.  (~15 months)Stan/PA

We’ve been busy all day with our new friend and just checking email for the first time.First day/night went really well. Oliver wasn’t too keen to get in his kennel last night, but quieted down after about 20 minutes and stayed pretty content until I took him out this morning at around 6:15.He is such a nice laid back dog and he and Evan are getting along great. I put the pinch collar on earlier today and had Evan take the lead on the walk – Oliver was extremely well behaved and followed all of his commands/lead. I’m also really impressed how Oliver responds to barking and other dogs on our walks – he gets curious, but he remains very calm and in control. We’re already getting compliments from our neighbors on his behavior and appearance.Oliver is well behaved in the house. I don’t think I’ve had to tell him “no” more than once for things that are “off limits”. He’s found a favorite spot by the window/fireplace to hang out when we’re not “on the go”.We’ll keep you posted with updates this week. So far things are great!  (~11 months)Randall/NE

The following comment was received on FaceBook:
A fine breeder of excellent versatile hunting dogs! Our dog Rufnit Forrest is a very intelligent and personable dog, indoors and out! He has been a joy to own for 3 years now.  Rufnit dogs are the best. Mark plans that Forrest will be the first NA bred Braque du Bourbonnais Versatile Champion 😀 (~3 years)Ann/IN

I took Rylee to be examined at our vet today. They were all excited because they had never had a Braque as “patient” before. They gave her a clean bill of health.  They thought she was very well bred. I referred them to your web page, showed them the her parents, Juli and Alex, and they were quite impressed as I have been with the information you provide and the care you take in keeping high standards in the breed. Everyone there, the vets, the technicians, receptionist and even other customers were really captivated by Rylee. She just won everyone’s heart that came in contact with her. They also asked a lot of questions about the breed and where I got her. Thanks  (~8 weeks)UPDATE…We are doing great with Rylee (Cassie) and she is doing great with us. She really socialized very easily and fit right in. She’s growing, putting on weight and the vets really love to see her come in. Rylee has really been an affectionate dog with a very sweet temperament. My wife has really fallen for her and she is the one I had to convince that it was time for us to bring a second dog into the house. We are really enjoying her.  (~10 weeks)Rick/FL

Remi slept through the night and didn’t need to go outside until after five. He’s still a little confused and hasn’t eaten much but I’m sure that will change as the day goes on. Thanks for everything.  (~8 weeks)David/MN

Rival’s fantastic. He’s been pointing our Corgi and she’s been herding him like a little sheep. They are running around the house like they’ve been pals forever. We will send pictures when we can get him to sit still. Thanks again  (~8 weeks)UPDATE…Rex is a great dog. He is always eager to please and has just the right amount of energy. He comes, sits and fetches on command. We’ve had him out chasing some quail and are working on more exposure to live birds. The boys and I are so lucky to have him. Thanks (~12 weeks)UPDATE…Three boys and one awesome dog worked awfully hard to get two Huns opening day in Oregon. If we had hit all the birds Rex (Rival) had pointed we would have a lot more birds to show.  (~8 months)Greg/OR

Riot’s doing great. (~8 weeks)Lewis/TX

Things are great and Roca is full of energy, we just wanted to thank you again.  (~8 weeks)UPDATE…Roca is 11.8 pounds and seems very healthy. We are having fun learning how to work together and are very happy with his progress,although hestill has an accident at times he is sleeping through night up for the day at 6ish he came to a full point on Sunday didn’t know why but of was cute and eveyone loves him thanks!  (~8 weeks)UPDATE…He is doing great, we are very very happy he listens better every day and retrieves very well and works great with live birds his pointing and holding is what we are working with now. Thanks again he is our new family member and goes just about everywhere with us. Vet says he is healthy,they love to see him last visit he was 17lbs. We will keep you posted,have a great summer.  (~12 weeks)UPDATE…He’s doing great.  He’s getting bigger 27 pounds.  (~5 months)Danny/MN

Its hard to type because she’s taking a nap on my chest. This is so awesome. Thank you for all the info, help and pre training.UPDATE...She is so great. She’s taking a nap in her crate. She just went in there by herself. (~8 weeks)Joe/LA

Shari, I thought I would send you an update on Big-B (Parfait). I am not good with the computer or I would send a picture or two. She is doing well and has fit in with her sisters Dorsey (12 yr. Springer) and Lizzie (2yr. Boykin) fantastically. Dorsey has adopted her, and the two of them and my wife Debbie are in a pack and Lizzie and I are in our own little world.Big-B is obedience trained with voice and hand signals, is retrieving and has taken to water like a duck, especially the pool. She is just about 48 pounds now and reminds of a young colt all legs and energy. She is a sweety and when they say the breed is “sensitive”, they are not kidding. I plan on taking her to Wisconsin pheasant hunting in November with Lizzie. I am excited to see how she will do on an actual hunt. Lizzie got into hunting last year on her first hunt and Big-B sticks to her like glue. So, hopefully she will learn from observation.Hope things are going good for you Rufnit kennels.Thanks  (~1 year)Dennis/TX

We just wanted to let you know that Stealth is doing great! We’ve attached some photos.  (~12 weeks)Steven/SD

Sargent is adjusting well to our home and family. He’s a sweet pup. Thanks for the early care and training you provided.  (~12 weeks)Mark/SD

Things are going really well. Isaac is becoming really comfortable with all of us. We took him to my parent’s house over the weekend and he seemed to enjoy running around out there. They live in the country on 5 acres,,,lots of new smells, deer and bunnies and such. He has really come around. He seems to do well with the kids too. He is such a sweet boy. We are so happy to have him as part of our family!I am attaching a new picture for you of him sleeping with Emily and Ethan in the truck on the way home. He was a sleepy little guy! (adopted at ~2 1/2 years)UPDATE…Hi there. Just wanted to send you a quick note to tell you how wonderful Isaac is doing. He is the sweetest boy ever!!He is really coming into his own space now and getting more comfortable everyday. He goes in the kids room now on his own to check on them. He even sleeps part of the night in the hallway between all of our rooms – as if to keep an eye on everything. Each night when I go into Emily and Ethan’s room to tuck them in he follows me in and in a routine fashion jumps up on their bed, rolls over for them to pet his tummy, then goes on with me to the next room to tuck the other one in. They love it and I think he does too!He is something else and we are so happy to have him here with us. (~2 1/2 years)UPDATE…South TX – 30 birds – 8:30am…..priceless!  Isaac did great in the corn fields of McAllen,Tx, 5 miles from the Mexico border.  (~2 1/2 years)Kelly/TX

Just a note to let you know that things are going well with Rocket. He’s adjusted well to life in Pittsburgh. This past weekend we headed north to our family camp. Sending along some pictures to let you see how much he’s grown. Everyone comments on what a great pup he is and how great looking he is.  (~3 months)Michele/PA

We just wanted you to know everything went fine with his arrival. The kids were so surprised and excited. Tango adjusted very well, we will send a picture soon. Thanks again for everything.  (~8 weeks)Danny/CA

Just wanted to let you know she and Tango arrived in fine shape on time. She was very nervous at first, but now is running around the yard with the kids having a grand time. She is giving Kona respect, so I think all will be good. Will send more info and pics soon.  (~8 weeks)John/CA

Sorry that we have been so lax on the communication front!  Sabor is fantastic! What a wonderful addition to the family. He is so birdy and just loves our morning and evening walks in the field/woods. He gets along fabulously with our Wirehair and the two are best buddies…when they are not fighting!He has such a keen nose that he quite regularly sniffs out and dispatches all manner of “Critters” on our walks. He loves the family and seems very content. Training is going well: come, down and sit were picked up very quickly.Please enjoy the attached pics.  Many thanks for bringing him into our family!  (~3 months)Rich/NY

Today Genius, aka “Roffe” is 3 years old. He, probably, is the most handsome and best trained dog in our town.Since, I am taking care of my dissabled mother, we do not hunt much anymore. But Roffe ejoys long walks in the hills, meeting his friends dogs, chasing jack rabbits, squirrels and birds, watching coyoties (from afar), learning to stay away from the snakes and playing ball under the big tree (his favorite game). Two-three times a week he enjoys long runs along my bike in the mountains. He is extremely devoted to me and he is definatly the best dog I have ever had.That is why I made him his special Birthday’s Cake – suasages, bacon and his favorite…cheese. The candles were holding onto half hard boiled eggs. Roffe had a gift box with many new toys and a “Doggles” (we need them in California). We went to show them to our neighbor, who cares for him when we go out of town. Best regards  (~3 years)Marina/CA

Finally we got the kids to download some photos to send to you. We are loving having Willie as our new addition to our family, I call him my fourth child. He is so loving, and always has to be near someone. We just went on a vacation to the mountains, we all had a great time, I think Willie finally found his bark!!!! That could be good or bad. Well once again Thank you for making it possible to have Willie in our lives.  (~3 months)Donna/CA

Justice is doing fantastic. He has made himself right at home. He has rode shotgun with me both days at work, the guys at work love him, and are contributing in the spoiling him rotten project. He loves running around the warehouse and greeting our customers when they come in the door. I work in the construction supply business, and Justice and I have put a couple of hundred miles on making calls on my accounts and he rides in a vehical wonderfully. He is just happy to be with me, and that is all I really wanted. We, or “he” lol… went for a run tonight and he had a blast. He is at my feet all tuckered out as I write, he can flat ass fly. Im going to have to get him a wading pool or something, when we got home he heads strait for my pond. He can’t hurt anything, but he sure dosn’t smell all that good when he gets out. And yes he sleeps with us, and has the weaseling under the covers thing down really well. Thank God for the King size bed. lol All in all we are getting more and more of his personality each day as we gain his trust. He is quite special and as you said very obedient. Thankyou agian for giving us this opportunity. Thanks agian Shari (~2 1/2 years)UPDATE…Hey just a quick heads up, Justice is doing fantastic. We have our routine down, and he has adjusted very well. It has been alot of fun learning his personality, seems like we find something new everyday, he is quite the character. We have been running everyday, and going over basic commands. His retrieving is coming along just fine, Im excited to see what he will do in the field. Today were headed to a bird refuge to work on that wonderful nose, and we have a hunt scheduled in a couple of weeks, so thats going to be alot of fun for both of us.I am so happy you gave us this opportunity. Its always a gamble getting a mature dog on the blind date theory, but you have helped me strike gold. I couldn’t be happier. Friends and family absolutly adore him, and Im pretty sure you will be hearing from a couple of them to get on your puppy list. What a fantastic breed.Labor day weekend is coming up fast, Justice will be introduced to our family and friends favorite place to be. Camping on the Klickitat River up the Columbia river gorge. I will try to get some pictures for you its going to be alot of fun bringing him into that enviroment.On a funny note. Justice as I said before loves my pond, cant keep him out of it. Took him to the river this week, and in he jumps, he was having a blast. However…lol We had a rain storm this week, and you would of thought it was the end of the world. Had to put him on a leash to get him out to go potty. I have never seen a dog shake {in a good way} and wiggle so many body parts at the same time to get those drops of water off him. Its definatly something Justice will have to addapt to lol, for this is the Pacific NW, lots of rain on its way. Its alot of fun watching him adjust.Anyway, I just wanted to give you a quick heads up. You have a great day, and thanks agian. (~2 1/2 years)Randy/WA

Here is Rufnit Jana-Sophie having a break from conditioning on an Olympic Peninsula beach. The red boots protect her feet from sharp oyster shells. We are looking forward to our grouse season that is only three weeks away and are doing a lot of hiking and swimming to get into good shape.(~2 1/2 years)Sherrill/WA

I tried to snap a few pictures of Trigger/Triumph, but hard to get him to pose for the camera. He’s doing really great. Housebreaking has been a snap. He is eager to please, and is enjoying going to work with us everyday.  We sure love him.  Thanks! (~6 months)Heidi/AR

Just wanted to share with you that Quota had three great points yesterday – only out an hour down by Firth — and was as birdie as we could possibly want. We are totally in love with this quirky little guy who is both a lover and a hunter. He gets along great with our Springer and delights in pestering the cat. We just can’t get over his versatility as a companion, water dog and birder; so glad we found this breed and you. If only we had room for a dozen we would take them.  (~1 year)John/NE

The following comment was received on FaceBook:
I have to say, Shari, you are an absolute blessing. Gracie is a dream fulfilled, and I wouldn’t trade her for the world. Thank you so much for your wonderful work, and for taking such perfect care of your dogs that they may be able to share their progeny with us. I can’t imagine life without our (not so little) wigglebutt. 🙂  (~1 1/2 years)Kate/IL

Well it’s been 2 years now since Lava (we call him Lincoln) has been born.  Here is a picture from this past Saturday. He pointed this rooster like a pro and retrieved him to included a victory lap around the guys before dropping. He’s a great dog! Thank you!  (~2 years)Robin/SD

The following comment was received on FaceBook and via Email:
Quincy say’s “Hi.”  He decided the vacuum is a devil and the broom is bad!  It was funny, he gathered his toys up and put them on the bed in the spare room and was hiding under the pillows.  Brady shares HER bed with him, they sleep curled up together on her bed at the end of our bed.  He tries to get her to play and she will for a while.  They really are getting along great.  He even share’s his food with her.  He will take a mouth full and carry it to the room where she eats and drop it for her then go back and take a bite for himself.  We play ball three times a day and he actually places the ball in my hand 50% of the time.  Quincy definately has a home for life here! He is such a love and a good boy. I think he has decided he is my dog.  (~1 year)Carrie/NE

Rufnit progeny making history!  As the honored breeder, I am thrilled to share following information from a proud Rufnit Companion owner. 
Introducing Ch. Rufnit Fletcher, the 1st North American Braque du Bourbonnais Tournament Hunter Bird Dog Challenge Champion.On April 19th, 2008 Fletcher started a quest to become the 1st Braque du Bourbonnais to win 20 BDC Championship points to earn the title of BDC Champion.On November 17th, 2009 after about 1.5 year Fletcher has earned a total of 25 points. Many of these points were earned in small quantities, going to several tournaments and competing head to head against great dog of all breeds (Vizlas, German shorthairs, Wirehairs, Griffons, English pointers and Setters). On November 19th, 2009 Fletcher earned the last 8 Championship points at a Major tournament in Tehachapi, CA against some of the best dogs from Nevada and California.There are no words to express my gratitude to all of those that helped us, those that trained with us and those that competed with us and against us. Both this dog and his handler have learned a great deal.Of course without a great breeder none of this could have been possible: Thank you Shari for taking the time to pick the right Sire and Dam and especially for calling me when Fletcher became available, I have not regretted my decision, not a single day, and I know that you are very proud of him.As for Fletcher, to me and many others that spend time with him, he has always been the Champion that he officially is today. In my mind there is no better companion, no better dog, no better hunter. We will continue to run in the tournament circuit and he will continue to amaze the crowds with his hunting skills in the fields and his dog tricks when he is off the field. His repertoire include holding his own leash and taking himself for a walk, picking up dropped items (he especially like wallets) and returning them, of course the treat on the nose trick, and the one trick that always gets a good laugh is his impression of a cocktail table his back is nice and wide so he stands still and lets us put our drinks there, without spilling. What a dog !!!Along the way Fletcher successes got other BBs interested in competing and getting the breed recognized. We now have a several BBs competing some occasionally others very regularly. Here is the list: Brock, JJ, Demi, Maya, BJ, Samantha, Cody, Duke and Remi. We don’t call ourselves a team or a club, there are no dues, no president or chairman but we are close and willing to help each other as much as we can and we work together for the recognition and betterment of this wonderful breed. Dogs and Handlers are forming great relationships which I hope will last a long time.So please, join me in congratulating all that had a hand in this success from those special breeders in France who got the breed restarted to the new breeders in the USA and other countries that are ensuring continuity but especially the wonderful dogs that we share our lives with and of course Ch. Rufnit Fletcher.  Claude & Fletcher (~3 1/2 years)Claude/CA

My son, Jeffrey, of LA purchased one of your puppies, I think he was an “I”, several years ago. Our family had always had dogs: beagles, labradors, and pound puppies but we couldn’t figure out why Jeffrey thought he had to purchase a dog from all the way in Nebraska! And then we met Jacques Imo.He is, with total objectivity, the most wonderful dog in the world…and I have two of my own! He is joyful. He is obedient. And he is not only intelligent, he is intuitive.So if you ever have anyone ask you why they should buy a dog from all the way in Nebraska, just let them talk to me. It will be the best purchase they ever make.Thanks for giving us this wonderful dog and keep up the good work.  (~3 years)Jeffrey’s father/LA 

2010

Mancha is doing great. We have found a few toys she likes and she even dressed up as Santa’s helper on Christmas. We are still getting to know each other. I’m sure that will continue forever. She is a wonderful dog. Nina and I are really enjoying her.  (~2 1/2 years)Lamar/TX

Coco has been a wonderful dog for our family.  She is very personable, smart (sometimes too smart) and very easy to train.  She did an excellent job in Michigan’s UP hunting woodcock and ruffed grouse for the past two years.We moved to Alaska last August and we go hunting several times every week (weather permitting).  Coco learned quickly how to handle ptarmigan, which they are worse than pheasant (they run a lot and fly away if they are overcrowded). So, she is very cautious and points from a long distance.She is also doing water retrieves even though I haven’t really trained her. I guess she is a natural retriever.Thanks again for breeding Coco. Keep up the good work.  (~4 years)Peter/AK

Thanks for the information. She is really hitting a new stride today. Yesterday, as you would expect, she was very tentative in her exploring. Today she is off and exploring both inside and out. She has a very outgoing personality – quick to want to meet people and situations. Your early training really is showing!BTW, I think you and I also have the same whistle. I “called” her the same way I used to call my dog (with short tweets) and she came running. My wife was floored…I knew better, it was not my magic…it was yours.  (~8 weeks)UPDATE…Uno (Bec) is growing like a weed. It is amazing how much she has grown in the two weeks we have known her. I have attached a photo from Sunday. We received our first snow fall with her home on Sat. She had a blast. She is out exploring at every opportunity which is fun to watch.She and the family have settled into a good schedule. She goes for three 20-30 min walks during the day and then plays outside in the yard with me 2 – 3x a day. The great news is she is sleeping bt 6-7.5 hours straight thru the night which is nice. (~10 weeks)Tom/VA

Ultimate arrived as scheduled. He slept better than I expected last night – about 5.5 hours before having to go out. We are getting him on a schedule and potty trained. Our son Bryce loves him!!!  We will keep you posted with some pix and updates over the next couple of weeks. (~8 weeks)Bill/CA

Yes, he was pretty tuckered out and still is. He spent the entire 3 hour drive back to Fresno out like a light with his head resting on Austin’s sleeping head :). We did 2 little potty and play sessions since then (1 when we got home last night, 1 a few hours ago with a feeding included) but he’s still konked out in his crate now :). Thank you so much :). We’ll keep you posted, including pictures and videos if you’d like. (~8 weeks)UPDATE…Dodger’s been sleeping through the night and an all around champ with potty training. His leash manners are really coming along, we’re all taking fun walks together, he’s a hoot and a half during playtimes, and a big cuddle bug when he’s tuckered. I’ll tell ya, he’s got some great spunk and he’s an all or nothin guy right now. When he’s on he’s on full blast and then even kicks in a little rocket fuel right at the end before he completely zonks. It’s hilarious. He will literally go from bounding all around one minute to plopping in my lap, snoozing hard the next. (~9 weeks)Stacie/CA

Well, Max is settling in nicely. He hasn’t caught on to his new name yet, but he seems in his own little focused world of fun most of the time. Puppies seem to be that way. He hears cars going up and down our road from a mile away (we’re several hundred yards through the trees just to get to the road), and he stared down a school bus today when we walked out to get the mail. No fear at all, and he loves to run through dried leaves, which are as deep as he is tall.He is enjoying the outdoors immensely, though he does confuse all our pea gravel for dog food often. (He attempts to eat anything not nailed down). He is very fond of turnip greens, which are likely good for him! He is running up and down stairs already and loves his dog beds. (~9 weeks)Paul/TN

My niece, Erin got her first ever cock pheasant that she shot over one of Braque’s points.  We got four pheasants and six chukars that afternoon, all off of solid points.  The dogs backed each other beautifully.  Looking forward to next fall!UPDATE…As you could see, Erin was as proud as she could be to have harvested this rooster! She and my brother’s family were here from Virginia and mostly hunt quail. The big roosters are a real treat for them! I did fail to mention that after the shot, Braque ran back to the flush spot and pointed a hen that had been holding there during the rooster’s flush. He knew that there was another bird there and ran right back to the original point spot. Braque is really good with other dogs also. He honors and backs them without any training or direction. It came naturally.Diane and I are so happy that we have him! He has brought a lot of joy to us over this past year, especially during my extended illness.Hopefully I will be able to get out with him a lot more this fall. We only got to hunt five times for only a couple of hours at the most due to my limited mobility. I should be ready to go full bore by Sept.I’ll stay in touch over the summer.  (~1 1/2 years)Barry/NY

First, we are loving Max to no end! He is the greatest, most well-behaved dog I’ve ever been around! I’ve never had a dog before, but Paul has had many bird dogs so I went along…. My older sister was attacked badly by a German Shepard in my childhood and I’d always been a bit afraid – but not of my dear Braque! We are so thankful for this pup. Many thanks ! (~4 months)UPDATE…Thanks for much for bringing Ulysses into our lives. I have recently had to go on disability and it was a serious self-esteem blow, but Maxie has brought so much joy and purpose tio my life! Now we’re looking for acreage for him to be able to roan freely (fenced!). I can’t thank you enough. And soon (like Fall) we want a little girl so keep us in mind!  (~4 1/2 months)Sharon/TN

Wanted to send you a photo and update on Branson (Rufnit Perfection). He had his first agility trial this weekend and had 3 Qualifying Runs out of 4 with 2 first places, 1 third place and a 4th place. He is an awesome dog!!!  (~1 1/2 years)Terry/MA

I just wanted to give you a quick update on the amazing puppy you sent us. As you would expect she is growing like a weed. She has fully adjusted to her family as we have to her. She is great on lead, but even more fun she is just as good off-lead. I have been able to take her out to socialize in different environments and she comes when called, stops when she goes too far. It really is great esp for a puppy barely 5 mos old.She went to FL for spring break and had a blast…running in the Gulf, playing in sand. As you can see below, life was really rough for herThank for breeding such a great dog.  (~5 months)Tom/VA

We just received Velvet and she is beautiful. She seems to have had a great flight with her brother Valor. Can’t wait until tomorrow! (~8 weeks)Mark/NY

Rufnit Velvet and Valor arrived as scheduled without a hitch. They seemed to make the trip extremely well and didn’t even dirty their crate. Both adjusted to their new families quickly . We hope to remain in touch with Velvet and her new family . She lives about 5 miles from us and I share the same hunting interests with Mark. Barry ( Obsession) has also been following Valor’s (Pax’s) progress on the Rufnit site and we are planning to have Pax and Velvet visit with Barry and Obsession in the next week or so. Pax already has been to our country property and loves to swim and retrieve. He visited the vet today who found him in excellent shape. I would like to thank you for Pax, the care you have taken in managing this wonderful breed and the information and help you have provided both through your web site and Emails directed to us. Thanks again and we’ll keep you posted on Pax’s progress. (~8 weeks)Vince/NY

Just a quickie to let you know that Vista arrived safe and sound and on time. She is doing fine and has met Rufnit Ian (AKA Scout) and Lucy, the cat.So far so good! (~8 weeks)Pat/NJ

Just thought I would let you know that Vanessa is doing great! She’s so amazing, the kids just love her and she loves playing with them. The crate training is going well, she really loves her kong toy and a old (clean) sock of mine. I will get some pictures to you soon but just thought I would let you know how much we appreciate such a wonderful addition to our family. We can’t believe how great she fits in, she was absolutely the “pick of the litter”! Thanks again   (~9 weeks)UPDATE…My sister saw Vanessa this weekend and was head over heels with her. She said she might be giving you a call.  I’m still working on getting Vanessa’s pictures together, you were right, not as easy as it sounds! Thanks again (~10 weeks)John/NE

Just a quick thank you for putting all the time and effort into your website. I have to say that I have visited numerous other sites and yours is the most complete and informative. I also appreciate the weekly pictures and videos of the puppies. Now that we are expecting Whitney into our home, I cannot tell you how fun it is to see how much she changes from week to week and also watching her on video. You should have heard us last night, “There she is. No, there she goes. Look, I see her.” Keep up the great work!  (~ 4 weeks)Jenny/MN

I wanted to send a quick note, and tell you that we’ve been bragging about you and the Braque breed as a whole. We had a visit from a business associate yesterday, and during the course of her visit she mentioned that she just lost her German short-hair. She is looking for a new dog. David asked her if she had heard of the BDB and she said she had just seen them on the internet. He of course started to show off pictures of Trigger, and showed her your web-site. She loved Winnie. David was pretty excited to tell her that she was going to be ours also. Anyway, I think she will be making contact with you. We were really excited to tell her about you.  (~1 year / ~4 weeks)Heidi/AR

Valerie arrived safely and is in her new backyard exploring and showing off her fetching skills.  She is so playful and happy!  Thanks for such a wonderful pup!  (~11 weeks)UPDATE…Valerie (Luna) is settling in nicely and our kids love, love, love her! She is charming all of our neighbors and their dogs as well. Thanks again! (~12 weeks)Tracy/VA

Big-B (Parfait) is a sweetheart, enjoying the good life with her sisters Dorsey (Springer) and Lizzie (Boykin). She is Debbie’s baby and thinks that she is a 50lb lap dog.  (~2 years)Dennis/TX

Vanessa (Veda) is doing great, the kids are in love with her! She has really enriched their time in the outdoors! She is a quick learner and is eager to please. I have had her out with bird wings, she does really well with retrieving already and name recognition when she is off the check cord.  (~10 weeks)John/NE

The following comment was received on FaceBook:  (Bryce Mann is a professional trainer, working with pointing, flushing & retrieving dogs of all varieties for upland game and waterfowl hunting.  He has multiple local and state titles on dogs he has trained.  Bryce has been exposed to several Rufnit Companions and regularly teams up with a few of them in competitions.)
For the folks that do not know, this line of BdBs is fantastic, easy to train and exceptional hunters.Bryce/CA

Winston is awesome! We stayed up all morning. He played hard with my 4 year old and wife. They love him. He’s a keeper! Angie and I have gone home throughout the day and he’s been great.  (~8 weeks)Tanner/TX

Just a quick note to let you know that Whitney arrived safe and sound with Winter.  (~8 weeks)Jenny/MN

Just wanted to drop you a quick note to let you know that everything went well last night – I met the owners of Whitney and we had a nice chat before the dogs arrived. So, both dogs got picked up and they looked just fine.Not much sleep last night, but that’s to be expected with a puppy. Winter has had a busy morning already, being outside with me in the garden for a while. She liked the cucumber plants, and was having fun trouncing through them. And now she’s having fun “helping” me make pickles!Thanks for everything you do, in case you don’t get told that enough. This breed is really a “one of a kind” as far as I’m concerned, and without good people like you who really love these dogs and breed them, people like us wouldn’t have the wonderful opportunity to own a Braque. So, thank you, thank you, thank you for everything.  (~8 weeks)Mark/MN

Made it back alright, drove stright through, puppy stops only, we were all “dog” tired. Got in around 4 AM and proceeded to sleep the rest of the day. The pup is starting to show signs of good acclimation. He seemed tired and a little bummed out, no Bros., sisters, or Shari around but he is finally starting to eat and drink bigger portions, jumping around and smiling. Josie loves him!  (~8 weeks)Nelson/TX

We just wanted to say “hi” and give you a quick update on Winter (we liked the name so we’re keeping it). Attached is a picture of her from about a week ago. She is doing really well, and is a ton of fun. She is known in our house as a real lover – she is constantly giving us kisses (and she seems to like to nibble on earlobes!). J She has a lot of fun playing tug-of-war with her two new brothers (ages 6 & 4). She’s already gained 2 pounds. And her tail is constantly wagging. She’s also a real snuggler – she loves a nap on your lap, for those times when she gets worn out from playing.Thanks again for raising such great dogs, for the great website, and the great experience working with you all the way up to getting the dog. It has been a lot of fun, and I can see she’s really going to turn into a sweet dog.  (~10 weeks)UPDATE…Winter is doing great! She is quite an amazing little puppy, probably the most loving dog I’ve ever been around. She is constantly giving us kisses, and she’s potty trained and has mastered the sit/stay/come commands easily. The one thing I find really interesting is your comment that you don’t need to use a “heavy hand” to train this breed. So true! I never quite understood what the meant until Winter came to live with us, but now I know. She hates getting into trouble and wants to reconcile immediately each time she does something a little naughty – like eating mulch or digging or something minor like that. You hardly have to raise your voice at her and she’s giving you this “I’m really sorry” look on her face, tail (what little there is) between her legs, and crouching low. It’s amazing! She just wants to love you and have a great relationship and she can’t stand it when you might be just a little upset with her. Wow, never seen another breed do that before. This is another benefit of this breed – to go along with so many other benefits – they really are a perfect family dog!  (~3 months)Mark & Kim/MN

2010 Opening weekend; Scout listened perfect today. I never had to use the shock collar once. The weather was hot, almost 80 degrees, and no wind, as a result he had a hard time pointing birds. However he did flush a couple of birds which I shot and he retrieved. Also, right at the end of the day I flushed and wounded a bird. Scout followed the scent of the wounded bird for a long ways and retrieved the bird. There was no way I would have found the bird without Scout.UPDATE…I only went hunting for the last 40 minutes before sunset. Scout went on point and a hen took off. I was so excited I was going down to congratulate Scout on his first point when a rooster took off. I missed on the first shot and wounded him on the second. When I started walking that way another rooster took off further out. I wound that bird and it goes down on the other side of the road in a slough. It took about 20 minutes but Scout was able to find and retrieve both live birds. I would give Scout a A+ on today’s hunt! (~ 1 1/2 years)Steve/SD

Winston has been a fantastic wild stallion. free spirit. Lot’s of energy. He and my 5 year old have bonded well.  He is making great progress with field training.  (~6 months)Tanner/TX

Photos are from Sunday, December 5, 2010 after a morning hunt at our club. Temp was about 22 degrees with a strong wind chill. As you can see, we were pretty successful even in tough conditions. There were two of us hunting with Braque that morning.He pointed and held each bird, and did not break, even if they started running. He is learning to head them off and hold them for the shot. These are really good, strong birds that do well in our Western NY winter weather and they run like the devil. It’s a great learning experience for him. Most of the setters in our club can’t handle the running pheasants. Braque seems to be able to do pretty well most of the time. On this day he was perfect!Braque really warmed up to his his new Rivers West vest. It works great in this kind of weather and cover. This was his first outing with it and it really protected his tummy and chest. I would recommend this to anyone who hunts in harsh conditions.As you know, I was not able to hunt at all last year, so we are trying to spend as much time afield as we can this year.Shari: Diane and I are so happy to have Braque that we can’t even describe it.! He is so loving, happy, friendly and cuddly in the house, and such a ball of energy when he’s outside it’s unbelievable!All of our friends and neighbors love him too. He’s such a good boy and very obedient in and out.UPDATE…We had a great bird season this year! Braque has over 100 solid points to his credit this season, and the shooting was of a high standard. We both did our parts.We are so happy with him that I begin to explain how much joy he brings into our home! Every day begins and ends with a laugh. He is such a character, so smart, loving, friendly, playful, happy, certainly energetic, and likes to ” talk ” to us. There is no doubt as to what he wants when he talks to us. He is very treat oriented, and expects a little bit of dried lamb ear for “dessert” after he finishes his kibble every day. It’s like clock work.Did I mention that he sometimes has to wake us up to go to bed? If we drift off at night, he nudges on of us awake, and stands by the stairway until we get up to go to bed. Then he races upstairs and re-arranges the pillows on our bed to his liking and settles in, so we have to work around him! Who’s got who trained? LOL.Anyway, Happy New Year! I’ll send some more photos shortly and keep you updated as he reaches his third birthday! (~2 1/2 years)Barry/NY 

2011

I couldn’t wait to send you the good news.  Pax was judged in the Finger Lakes NAVHDA Natural Ability Test today and scored 104/112 and was awarded Prize I !  We are all very proud and excited.  He has proven to be everything that you have stated the breed to be ; a great companion, easily trainable, a wonderful versatile hunter with an incredible nose.  I have attached a picture of Pax resting after his busy day.  I can’t praise him enough and will continue to spread the word on this outstanding breed.  Our training is not done and I hope to enter him in the UPT in the Fall.  Contgratulations on the outstanding job you are doing with the BdB.  Thanks so much.  And, I see by your web site that Pax’s parents have just produced a litter that was whelped on May 8, 2011.  No doube they too will turn out to be a proud testiment to the fine work you are doing.  (~1 year)Vince/NY

We picked the pups up this morning and we got home safely. What awesome dogs.  I just spoke with mike and all is well and Zandos,(Ozzy), is sleeping in his crate currently.  Thanks  (~10 weeks)UPDATE:Ozzy, (Zandos), definitely comes as advertised. He is such a little lover and so good. I take him to work all day and he just loves it. He is also retrieving a pheasant scented retriever and actually brings it back and sets it in my hand. He also walks on a leash like he was born to. Thanks for the great dog.We actually went over to Mikes and Ozzy played with his sister Cooper, (Zindra) for quite some time. They had a blast. (~11 weeks)Scott/MN

Scott and I picked up puppies today with no problems. Thanks again to your father in helping with the transport and his insight. Zindra (cooper) has had a great first day and has already stolen the hearts of our family. Thank you!  (~10 weeks)Mike/MN

Just to let you know we just arrived home with Walter safe and sound.  He did very well on the trip, slept the whole way !! No accidents !!!  Send you some pics tomorrow with his new sister (Casey) in his new home.  Many thanks!  (~8 weeks)Domingo/FL

Rufnit Ambre (her call name will be “Tina” after my first pup – many years ago) arrived on schedule yesterday…and she is beautiful!She was a little bit nervous and timid at first, but within a few minutes she was out of her crate and fully engaged in playing with Toby. She took to the back seat of my truck as though she had been born there, and slept almost all of the 360 mi trip home. We came home via my daughter-in-law’s house (Becca is also my vet) so that the family could meet the new pup, and Tina got a clean bill of health. I’ve set it up for her to get her next set of shots on the 19th.  Today we’re off to introduce her to a few friends, get her licensed, and hit the pet store for a collar and some of her very own toys.I’ll get some pictures of the two of them playing (they look like bigger and smaller versions of the same dog) and send them along as soon as I figure out how to work the camera.  Thanks for everything Shari. I couldn’t be more pleased with my new pup.  (~8 weeks)Bob/WA

SHE’S DOING AWESOME.  Playful, Greets everyone, Follows me everywhere outside, Plays and respects her elder Labs, naps in crate, travels awesome in van (in her crate), She’s awesome on a leash btw!!  EATING GREAT!!!  No accidents in house!!  AND SO FRIGGIN CUTE!!!!  WE LOVE HER SOOOOOOO MUCH!!!! (~10 weeks)Serena/CANADA

Ammo (Avalon) is doing great! Sleeping by my legs right now… He is so people friendly, it’s crazy! Everyone just loves him & want to “steal” him from us!  (~8 weeks)Patty/IL

The following reference was posted on our “LinkedIn” business page which can be found at www.LinkedIn.com::Shari’s work at Rufnit Kennels has produced a superior breed of Braques. Our pup as been everything and more than what we expected. You can not go wrong if you are fortunate enough to get a companion from Rufnit Kennels.  (~3 years)Barry/NY

Parfait is now known as “Big-B”.  She is the sweetest dog we have ever had.  She is the worlds BEST swimmer and frisbee catcher.  She is the best companion and snuggler and has brought much joy to us and some of our senior neighbor ladies.  We love her dearly and thank you for bringing her into our lives.  (~3 years)Dennis/TX

Bridger aka Hank is at home and well. Below is a small video of him. He is a handsome dog. Glad we found you. I will send a picture tomorrow after things get settled down. (~8 weeks)Dag/VA

I just wanted to let you know that Scout is hunting really well this year. I wouldn’t be surprised if you sell a few more Braques here in SD because of him. I had him at the Governor’s Hunt last week, and all of the people I hunted with were very impressed with him. He had numerous points and retrieves and listened well. Having you train him was money very well spent. Thanks. (2 1/2 years)Steve/SD

Attached are few photos of Hunter from few days ago. He is doing great, learning shockingly fast, and is most loving creature. He really lives up to breeds’ reputation. He gets in his share of trouble as well, but nothing major.   Just wanted to keep you updated, and let you know that he is loved, and well cared for. (~4 months)Marko/NY

Yager is such a wonderful companion, we are so happy to have found you!  Be sure to tell your dad and brother how well Yager did and thank them again for bringing him down to you!! THANK YOU!!! (~10 months)Ginny/MN

Here are a couple of photo’s of Ozzy retrieving a hen pheasant. He did good, there was not much wind and he was having trouble zeroing in on the scent. He would get scent and go crazy looking for the bird. He retrieves like he is on a mission. Very impressive retrieves. After today, I am not worried about taking him out on a wild hunt. I know I have to really pay attention to him, (as he is still very young), but I am excited to get out and hunt more with him. (~5 months)UPDATE…Hunted for wild pheasants in Wisconsin yesterday. Unfortunately the grass was pretty tall and thick and he has not been it that yet. We walked the edges and paths, but we saw no birds. I could tell one time he was really scenting the air and a few seconds later a deer ran away. We got to a place where there was some short grass that ran perpendicular to some pine trees. We saw two hens run to the pines and before Ozzy and I got too close two more hens flew out of there. Ozzy chased but of course hens. He got on a scent later, (of a hen I saw fly away before we got there), and he went crazy circling and looking for her. I know when he smells game he starts looking for it like crazy. Just needs more experience. He actually listens very well also to the command “here”, and he is learning my personnel whistle very well.  He’s definitely young, but an awesome dog!! I will keep you posted.  (~5 months)Scott/MN

Just wanted to let you know that I could not have been any happier with the way Scout performed this hunting season. Hope you have a happy 2012.  (~2 years)Steve/SD 

2012

My Brittany, Zoe, and I were invited to guide at a local hunting preserve. Zoe quickly became a crowd favorite. She naturally honored, points, retrieves, and holds birds like a veteran. I was thrilled with her learning ability. I think this is the youngest I’ve ever had a dog finished.She does get bored easily, her favorite dog treat lately are iphones, expensive, but she really seems to like them. Thanks again for everything, I’ve put several people on your Website. (~7 months)Bill/MO

Quick update – Zindi is doing fabulous! She is “working” with me today at the office.  (~9 months)Steve/MN

Justice is doing fantastic…feel so lucky to have him.  Hey let me know if another pup needs adoption…were talking about another and you might catch us at a weak moment. So love the Braque temperment.!!!!  You do a wonderful job, and your passion for your dogs are the reason for your success. Keep up the good work!  (~3 1/2 years)Randy/WA

The following are communication with a top French breeder/enthusiast regarding my companion Rufnit Taurus and my breeding program:

Your Taurus is a really spledid dog!  I didn’t see a so high quaility dog show from a long time!  It seem the old Julius and seem me better than Capy, the nose is better.  Perfect color and tailess.  Really splendid, I want to have babies of him!!Marc/FRANCE-SPAIN(breeder of the first Braque du Bourbonnais to be imported into North America)

2013

We went on our annual family pheasant hunt in South Dakota .. Trigger (aka Rufnit Cordoba) did do amazing!!! What a little champion he is! For a little boy he has a big heart. He quartered so nice and he even braved some cattails! Grass of course is where he did the best. He had done great points and tried so hard to help find a few downed birds. He caught two cripples that were on the run.. Boy is he fast!!
It will be nice next year to have the two! We shot 74 birds total for the time we were here.. It was an awesome weekend. Thanks for all of your help. (~7 months)
Sara/MN

It has been a month now since Chester (aka Rufnit Ethan) arrived and I just wanted to shoot you a note to update on his progress—-you must already be well aware that your dogs are exceptional but I really have to express how thrilled I am—-Chester is the most wonderful dog and everyday I love him more and more.  Not only is he beautiful, he is a truly smart boy who learns easily and incredibly fast.  He is tenacious and has a strong individual streak but is always constantly affectionate, curious and playful.  Everyone that he comes into contact with immediately falls for him—–he is truly a joy.  Thanks again!  (~3 months)
Curtis/NY

I wanted to give you an update on Sophie (Destin) and send a few pictures.  I’ve been taking Sophie to the Sproting Club three or four times a month to work “planted” birds since she was 5 months old.  We started with Chukars and moved up to Pheasants the last few weeks.  The first Chuker she bumped and the second she creeped on it so I didn’t shoot it.  The third bird she held point and I flushed it then shot it.  All subsequent trips she did not bump or flush any holding birds.  The pheasants tend to run rather than hold so she would initially point then break off and track it.  For such a young dog I’m very impressed and already had her out on wild birds this season.  We didn’t find wild birds in Nebraska but did find some nice roosters in Iowa.
I’m not pushing her but am letting her learn at her own pace.  It seems the more I get her over birds the more she figures out for herself what needs to be done.  She has outstanding hunting natural abilities and I feel will develop into a truly outstanding field dog.
Sophie is not gun shy and is not intimidated by the large roosters.  She always finds the downed birds and brings them to within a few steps of me.  I’m sure the NAVHDA training will improve this as she gets a little older.
Sophie recalls to my training whistle 100% now even in the field when running hard.  She also obeys sit, stay and is getting better at heeling.
Needless to say I’m very proud of Sophie and could not have asked for a better puppy.  She weighs 51 pounds now and just turned 8 months old on Monday.
I want to thank you again for allowing me to buy Sophie from you as I know we will have many enjoyable years together.  She is a perfect companion.  (~8 months)
Tom/NE

Wanted to send you a quick note about Faran.  She is doing very well and growing so fast, as you’ll see from the attached photos.  I went to NAVHDA’s first 2013 training day yesterday.  I can’t wait to really get into training her for the field.  She is so scary smart, and she has surpassed all of my expectations about BdB’s.
Thanks so much for all the work you do in choosing breeding pairs for optimal home and field performance, and for raising the pups right for those first eight weeks.  Itmakes our jobs as puppy parents and trainers so much easier.  As a first time bird dog companion/trainer, I am so impressed with how this breed and your program make my job way less intimidating.  I liked everything I read on your site and heard from you in our conversations, but I tend to take things with a grain of salt so I tried to temper my expectations.  In this case, though, it’s impossible to oversell the intelligence, drive, and loyalty of your pups!  It’s looking like you’ll have one more return customer to add to what I can only imagine as an ever-growing list of multi-Rufnit households!  (~3 months)
Joe/PA

Today Sophie (Rufnit Destin) and I took part in a hunters challenge event.  In two hours Sophie found 27 birds and we were able to bag 23 of them.  She was very excited and ran hard the first 10 minutes then she settled down and hunted like she knew what she was doing.  She blew by a bird or two the first few minutes but then had solid pointes on the rest of the birds without creeping or jumping them, her steadiness is improving weekly.  Sophie retrieved all the downed birds but has yet to understand delivering to hand.  She brings them to within a step or two of me then drops them.  I understand she is still very young, 9 months, so I expect things to improve with time.  The other hunter with me was very impressed with how well she worked while still a fairly young puppy.  I’m particularly pleased with her tracking ability.  She tracked several running roosters and got them up for us after working their scent for dozens of yards.  As you can tell I’m very proud of Sophie.  she has a long way to go to become a finished dog but I couldn’t ask for nor did I expect so much progress in such a short time.  (~9 months)
Tom/NE

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As the above information indicates, our breeding practices are proving to be superior. ALL of our breeding’s are matched up for the production of OUTSTANDING companions, in and out of the field. We are providing progeny with a solid foundation that each family/individual can build/mold to their personal styles/situations.
(due to spam, Email addresses and phone numbers for the above comments/references are available upon request)
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There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.

~Bern Williams~

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Sole recipient of the prestigious

“Natural Ability Breeder Awards”

presented by NAVHDA for the

Braque du Bourbonnais

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Producing…

the FIRST litters of

Naturally Short Tailed/Tailless

Braque du Bourbonnais’

in North America

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Rufnit Kennels, LLC is honored to be recognized and supported by the Club du Braque du Bourbonnais (breed club in the country of origin – FRANCE)

There are many reputable breeders of fine upland hunting dogs throughout North America.  Unfortunately in this business like so many others, the buyer needs to be aware. Make sure that the puppy comes from a line of dogs that have good health credentials.  There should be a good history in the pedigree of dogs that perform in the field (field trials, hunt tests, etc.).  As a rule, avoid “backyard breeders.”  Leave the art and science of breeding to the breeders experienced with the breed and have produced proven progeny.  Take the time to make contacts and see if there are any consistent problems reported about the particular breeder you have selected.  NAVHDA (North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association) is the foundation registry and testing organization for the Braque du Bourbonnais in North America.  We sell to only responsible owners and utilize the “Breeding Restriction” registration offered by the registries.  Rufnit Kennels assumes a lifetime responsibility for the canine lives we place on this earth.  We require the dog/pup be returned to Rufnit Kennels should a situation arise and a dog/puppy need to be relocated.
Remember that the least expensive part of the cost of a dog is its initial price. Vet bills, feeding, kenneling, training etc. are what really cost the most. Our advice: Do your research, you and your companion will benefit in the long run.

License #KN744

Rufnit Kennels, LLC BdB * C/O Shari Stueck * 5900 Saltillo Road * Lincoln NE 68516-9209 * (402) 423-0995 or (402) 560-8652

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