Saint-Usuge Spaniel

The history of this breed can be traced to the 16th century, however by the mid 20th century it had nearly become extinct. Following World War II, Robert Billard, a priest, was given a parish in Saône-et-Loire in the Bresse region of France. Billiard was an active hunter and began to search for a suitable hunting dog. He was told of a local dog breed known as the "Epagneul de Saint-Usuge", and contacted the Société Centrale Canine in order to find what happened to the breed. In 1950 he found a male spaniel named Dick, who was a son of Braco, the dog which won best in show at the show in 1936. He continued to find other male dogs around the region to include in the reconstruction of the breed. In 1962, a Small Münsterländer female named Bianca von der Rumerburg was used in the breeding programme, chosen as that breed's standards mostly closely resemble the Saint-Usuge's. In 1980, the work on reconstructing the breed was handed over to Serge Bey, a local conservationist. Father Billard's breeding programme bred nearly 250 dogs over a 33-year period. While the breed is not fully recognised by the American Kennel Club, it is listed as a breed in the club's companion animal recovery scheme. ==Description==

It is a small French pointing breed, They have a typical spaniel appearance, with ears that are located below the eyeline that have fringes long enough to reach the tip of the nose. The body should be well muscled with a broad, deep chest. The only color that the coat comes in is brown, but it may have white markings including a white "star" on the forehead, which some dogs can lose as their adult coat grows in. Temperament Described by its French breed club as easy to train, it is an obedient, passionate and affectionate breed. In the field it is suited to a variety of terrains, including swamps, water and thickets; quarry that the breed specialises in includes waterfowl and woodcock. ==See also==