My name is Xavier Thibault. I live with my wife and three children in central France in the region of Charentes. I am an avid hunter and professional dog trainer. I have been breeding Braque Saint Germains for over 15 years.  However I have been an admirer of the breed for much longer than that.

You see, when I was twelve years old I read a book aoubt various kinds of hunting dogs. Two breeds in particular peaked my interest: the Braque Dupuy and the Braque Saint Germain. Unfortunately I soon found out that the Braque Dupuy disappeared long before I was even born and the Braque Saint Germain was extremely rare. So, like many others in France, I turned toward the "Britannic" breeds, specifically the English Setter. I owned and trained a number of excellent setters and did well in field trials. However, I always felt as if there was something missing.

It wasn't until years later, when a Braque Saint Germain named "Chanel du Hameau de Ferrière"  was sent to me for training that I realized that she was exactly what I was looking for in a hunting dog. Chanel turned out to be an excellent dog winning titles in summer and fall field trials. She soon become the foundation bitch of my kennel.

So now, after 15 years of breeding field and show champion Braque Saint Germains I will readily admit that it is not a money making proposition. I breed for two main reasons. First of all, as a hunter, I strive to produce gundogs that are easy to handle, easy to train and that thrive as a member of the family. Secondly it is my goal to assist in the preservation of this fine breed. I feel it is important to honour the heritage of our national gundog breeds and to keep them viable. With only 80 or so births per year world-wide, the Braque Saint Germain, as a breed, is not yet out of the woods.

There is hope however. Breeding for field abilities is once again the main focus of the national breed club. For the first time in many years it is organizing field trials and tests. More and more BSG's are being entered into field competition and hunt tests. Perhaps the most promising development has been the realization that the genetic challenges the breed faces must be addressed by an infusion of Pointer blood.