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Say Au Revoir to Language Barriers!


Americans who travel abroad for the first time are often shocked to discover that, 
despite all the progress that has been made in the last 30 years, 
many foreign people still speak in foreign languages. 
‒Dave Barry


I recently set up a Facebook group to help hunters outside of France find out more about the French pointing breeds. And that means there may be a language barrier between members that don't speak each other's language. Fortunately, there are some great tools available to help us overcome language barriers online.


Un homme qui parle trois langues est trilingue.
Un homme qui parle deux langues est bilingue.
Un homme qui ne parle qu'une langue est anglais.
- Claude Gagnière
1. Use Facebook's 'translate' option. At the bottom of a post or comment, look for a blue 'see translation' link. When you click it, the post or comment is automatically translated. Keep in mind that the translation is computer generated so may only give you the overall gist, but it's better than nothing. If the 'see translation' link is missing, don't worry. For some reason, Facebook drops the service from time to time. One day it's there, the next it's not.

Quand on voyage sans connaître l'anglais, on a l'impression
d'être sourd-muet et idiot de naissance.
- Philippe Bouvard

2. Use Google translate. Here's how: 1. Copy the text of the post or comment. 2. Visit the Google Translate page 3. At the top of the page, choose the languages to translate between. If you aren't sure what language you want to use, click Detect language. 4. Paste the text and Google will automatically translate it for you.

Not only does the English Language borrow words 
from other languages,it sometimes chases them down dark alleys,
hits them over the head, and goes through their pockets.

- Eddy Peters

3. Install a translation plugin or app. Browsers like Chrome, Firefox and others offer plugins or apps that translate facebook posts and comments. I've never used one, but I've heard good things about this one and this one.

The limits of my language are the limits of my world.
‒Ludwig Wittgenstein

4.  Learn! It's never too late to learn another language. I was a unilingual anglophone until my mid 20s. Now I also speak French and Italian and can read Spanish, Portuguese and (if I've had enough schnapps) a bit of German. So don't look at posts or comments in other languages as obstacles, think of them as opportunities to learn a new word or two.

Language is the road map of a culture.
It tells you where its people come from and where they are going.
‒Rita Mae Brown
In upcoming posts, I will take a look at some French words that non-French speakers who are interested in pointing dogs should learn. In the meantime, here is a post I wrote a while back about the the word "Braque".



Enjoy my blog posts? Check out my book Pointing Dogs, Volume One: The Continentals

www.dogwilling.ca

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French Pointing Breeds in North America and Beyond


Did you know that France has produced the largest number and widest variety of pointing dog breeds? It's true. French hunters developed close to twenty different pointing breeds, and while some of them went extinct or never really got off the drawing board, 12 of them are still with us today.

Yet despite the large number of breeds created by French hunters, only two became well known outside of France. The Épagneul Breton (Brittany) is one of the most popular pointing breeds in the world, and the Korthals Griffon (wirehaired pointing griffon), is popular in some areas of North America and Europe.

Some of the other French pointing breeds have gained small but loyal followings outside of France. The Épagneul Français (French Spaniel) for example is relatively popular in Québec. There is an official breed club there and a small but dynamic group of enthusiasts have been producing solid hunting dogs, and achieving excellent results in hunt tests since the late 1970s. The Braque du Burbonnais has also been in North American for several decades and there is now a club for the breed.

But some breeds remain almost completely unknown outside of France. And that is a shame. I believe that the French produce some of the very best pointing dogs in the world and that dogs from their native breeds would be perfect matches for a lot of North American hunters. So in order to get the word out and help North Americans and others find out more about the French pointing breeds, I set up a Facebook group called French Pointing Breeds in North America and Beyond.

The group's goals are:
  • To engage in an open, honest, and respectful exchange of information, expertise and resources.
  • To promote the French pointing breeds as versatile, upland hunting dogs in North America and beyond. 
  • To assist hunters seeking a hunting companion from one of the French pointing breeds find well-bred pups from proven stock.
  • To provide information about the French pointing breeds, their history, clubs, current situations, availability etc.
  • To facilitate the exchange of information between breeders, club members and hunters with French pointing breeds in France and North America...and beyond!

The French pointing breeds are:
Épagneul Breton (French Brittany)
Épagneul Picard (Picardy Spaniel)
Épagneul bleu de Picardie (Blue Picardy Spaniel)
Épagneul de Pont-Audemer (Pont Audemer Spaniel)
Épagneul Français (French Spaniel)
Épagneul de Saint Usuge (Saint Usuge Spaniel)

Braque d'Auvergne
Braque Francais (Gascony type and Pyrenees type)
Braque du Burbonnais
Braque Saint Germain
Braque de l'Ariege

Griffon Korthals (Wirehaired Pointing Griffon)

Extinct French pointing breeds and/or breeds that never really got off the ground:
Griffon Boulet (Boulet Griffon)
Griffon Guerlain (Guerlain Griffon)
Braque Dupuy
Épagneul de Larzac
Braque de Mirepoix
Braque Charles X

Notes: Posts to the group may be made in English or in French. Translation services beyond those offered by Google and Facebook are available upon request.
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South Dakota Dogs!

A few weeks before my birthday, my wife asked me how I would like to celebrate it. We could have a big party at home, or we could travel to South Dakota to hang around with great people and great dogs. I chose the latter. Because I am a dog nut.





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