Grand Canyon Gun Dogs - Arizona Braque Francais Breeders

We got our puppy Norman from Steve at Grand Canyon Gun dogs in March of 2022 and it has been an amazing adventure. Norman is such a natural hunter and at 9 months old is doing amazing field work during our South Dakota pheasant season. He is using his nose very well and pointing lots of birds and is also flushing on release. I have never worked with a dog that was so natural and i have had to do very little teaching. Once he gets in the pickup and on the way to the field he is all business but when we are home it is full on playing with the kids and other dogs. He has an amazing personality and is a huge part of our family and a bit of a couch hog.

The entire process from talking to Steve and getting information on the breed until we picked Norman up was very simple with great communication. We have a friend that had gone through Steve a few years befor us and his dog is just as amazing as well. We will definitely be getting a 2nd pup from Steve in a few years. Highly recommended

The Braque Francais pup (Francois, French name, of course!) we picked up from Steve Janssen (Grand Canyon Gun Dogs) in February is everything the breed promises. In the field he's sharp, focused, has a great nose, doesn't give up, and is all about the birds. He began his training at 4 months and pointed his first bird during his first lesson; our trainer loves his intensity. His disposition at home is friendly, happy, playful, affectionate and he loves to be around his family. He is very smart, quick to learn and attentive. He enjoys being part of the family and we enjoy him being part of the family. We bonded quickly but Francois is also happy to play by himself.

Steve Janssen came highly recommended. His instructions to us about the pup reflected a responsible and caring breeder. He also knew his litter well - we explained to him the personality we were looking for and he picked the perfect fit.

We were in the market for a Braque Francais. A good friend of mine has one, and I was impressed with both the way his dog behaved in and out of the field. Unfortunately for me, his breeder had retired, and living on the west coast; my options were limited. I reached out to the handful of breeders on my side of the world, but the only one that got back to me was Steve from Grand Canyon Gun Dogs. Steve was extremely friendly and very helpful in answering the numerous questions I had about the breed.

I can not express how grateful I was that Steve was so user-friendly; this would be a significant investment for me in not only money but also time. I planned to spend a large part of my retirement with this dog, and he needed to be well-behaved. I was a little apprehensive about short-haired pointers. Most, if not all, that I have been around seemed very high strung, but Steve assured me he would be a good family dog.

Fast forward to picking Flynn up at the airport. Steve and his daughter met me. His daughter handed Flynn to me. By the look on her face and the whining that started as they drove away, I could tell that they had a bond. This gave me a lot of comfort, as you can imagine, there was no doubt in my mind that Flynn had been well taken care of.

Flynn is now a week from being 11 months old. Early on, during our morning walks, Flynn started creeping on and then pointing flocks of doves that were feeding. He was four months old. His prey drive was terrific fresh out of the box. We probably started a little early, but we taught him how to whoa and retrieve after watching the dove show every morning. At six months, we shot pheasants over him, pheasants that he had pointed and then retrieved. He was so young that his mouth was so small that he had to drag the pheasants back to us by their wings. To date, Flynn has pointed and or flushed over 100 pheasants, most of which were wild birds. Thirty of those birds were shot over him, and he had retrieved them all.

It is also important to mention how well-behaved Flynn is around the house. He is obviously still a puppy and, at times, can’t help but act like one. However, he has surpassed my expectations as far as being a family dog. Friends and family constantly comment on his mellowness and ability to quickly calm down if he does get excited. Flynn also helps me look after my ten-month-old granddaughter a couple of times a week and is very gentle with her. They have a close bond that is very noticeable. Flynn defiantly has a split personality, but He is a great loving family dog that turns into a beast once he enters the field. I highly recommend Grand Canyon Gun Dogs.

Thank you, Steve,
Dave

I first became aware of the Braque Francais breed in 1996 and since this time I have developed extensive experience four pups. I finished one dog, started another, and assisted two colleagues in acquiring their own. I have hunted and spent a great deal of time indoors with all of these dogs; I know them all well and would be honored to have any of them as part of my family and in our gun dog kennel.

In late 2019, a Veteran grouse and woodcock hunter friend of mine (David) was looking for a young dog and his own research brought him to Grand Canyon Gun Dogs and Steve Janssen. David was fortunate to acquire a female, "Abby" from Steve. Abby was whelped around Halloween of 2019.

During much of September and October of 2020, I was able to hunt with Abby in Northwest Wisconsin for ruffed grouse and woodcock on public land. David developed Abby on an accelerated path with: consistent training, positive reinforcement, and lots of opportunities to hunt. My entire exposure to Abby in 2020 was while she was less than one-year old and I spent approximately 15 hours in the field with her completely under my control.

I find Abby to be a joy to hunt with. Abby crates indoors and is excellent with older gun dogs. Abby exhibits unusual situational awareness, moderate retrieve drive, and a moderate -to- long nose. Further, Abby posseses a significant amount of confidence and problem solving ability for such a young dog. Abby handles well at short -to- medium ranges and she is very biddable. Abby is one of the very easiest dogs I have ever had the pleasure of handling; she is a true teammate.

The very first day I hunted with Abby in 2020 she had 27 productive points. Her efforts resulted in a full bag and she retrieved all birds to hand.

Other: Abby weighs 40#'s and has a light, efficient gait. She is heat tolerant and does not tire easily in the field. Her confirmation is consistent with the established standard and she has no health or behavioral issues.

Final note: Abby is the product of a great deal of conscientious work. Dogs like her do not just happen, they bless our lives at the intersection of: respect, intellect, drive, and resourcefulness. Thank you to men like Steve Janssen and thank you to Grand Canyon Gun Dogs. - Lane Hokanson, MN

Athena, our 18 month old braque francais from Grand Canyon Gun dogs, has quickly become the favorite of the family. We have had several family dogs over the years but Athena is by far the most cooperative and intelligent dog we have been blessed with. When we contacted Steve about getting her as a puppy for a Christmas surprise he worked with us to make all the details work out. Athena has been the best addition to our household. She is full of energy but has a great off switch in the house. She has exhausted my training knowledge, she will simply learn anything we teach her! My 6 yr old daughter taught her to climb a 5 foot vertical ladder into the playhouse and slide down the slide in less than an hour!!
She is a natural hunter with extreme prey drive. She has successfully pointed, held steady to release, and retrieved dove, quail, and chukar in her first season. Excited about the years ahead and considering getting a second pup soon! Highly recommend Grand Canyon Gun dogs and Steve!

We’ve had an excellent experience working with Grand Canyon Gun Dogs and would highly recommend them to anyone interested in purchasing a Braque Francais puppy. They were very helpful throughout the process and communicating with them was easy, whether it was via phone call, text, or email.

Our puppy, Rudy, is over 10 months old now and is embracing his life with us in Alaska. We aren’t hunters, but Rudy has been a great outdoor companion and a fun addition to our family. He is a quick learner and has been easy to train; in fact there are some things we haven’t had to teach him directly because he picked them up on his own by watching our older dog. He is full of personality, is incredibly friendly, and is always happy. He loves to be part of the action and is always ready to go, regardless of where we’re going or what we’re doing. Since we’ve had him, Rudy has shown that he has a natural hunting instinct and isn’t bothered by fireworks or loud noises like that, so he would likely be a great gun dog.

If you are considering getting a Braque Francais puppy, we definitely recommend Grand Canyon Gun Dogs!

We got our Braque (Olive) almost 1year ago from Steve at Grand Canyon gun dogs. She is happy, healthy & full of energy! Steve was great to work with. He communicated frequently throughout the process and I still remember the excitement that we felt going to the airport at midnight to pick her up! I would highly recommend Steve!

ObI is almost 10 months old and the smartest easiest dog I could ever imagine. Obi is as happy to find a bird in the field and go on mountain adventures as he is to hang out next to me at work.

From day 1 he was eager to please and at 5 months he was highly praised at gun dog kindergarten, where he found/pointed a bird by scent on day 1. The trainers were blown away at how much of a natural bird dog he was.

Steve was easy to work with and is a responsible breeder.