The Petit Bleu de Gascogne is a breed of

dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. Do ...

of the

scenthound Franz Rudolf Frisching in the uniform of an officer of the Bernese Huntsmen Corps with his Berner Laufhund, painted by Jean Preudhomme in 1785 Scent hounds (or scenthounds) are a Dog type, type of hound that primarily hunts by scent rather than ...

type, originating in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

and used for hunting in packs. Today's breed is the descendant of a large hunting dog. The Petit Bleu de Gascogne is not a small (petite) dog, the name comes from its use on small game.

Appearance

The Petit Bleu de Gascogne is directly descended from the

Grand Bleu de Gascogne The Grand Bleu de Gascogne is a breed of hounds of the scenthound type, originating in France and used for hunting in packs. Today's breed is the descendant of a very old type of large hunting dog, and is an important breed in the ancestry of ...

, a hound of ancient type. Smaller examples of the Grand Bleu de Gascogne were selected for hunting small game such as hare (the Grand Bleu de Gascogne was developed to hunt wolves, bears and boars) and eventually became a separate breed. It is a medium-large size dog, not a small dog, standing at the

withers The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species, it is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, cattle a ...

, with females slightly smaller.Breed Standard
The colour of the coat is the same as the Grand Bleu de Gascogne, white mottled with black, giving a slate blue overall appearance. There are black patches on either side of the head, with a white area on top of the head which has in it a small black oval. Tan "eyebrow" marks are over each eye give a 'quatreoeuillé' (four-eyed) effect. Faults are deviations in appearance that have an effect on the health and working ability of the dog, as well as an absence of expected features of colour, structure, and size, indicating that a dog with such faults should not be bred. Faults include aggression or fearfulness, anatomical malformation, and lack of type. The Petite Bleu de Gascogne is noted for working well in a pack and being calm and easy to handle.

History

The Grand Bleu de Gascogne's ancestors were contemporary with the St. Hubert Hounds, dogs that were hunted in packs by the 14th century Comte de Foix on wolves, bears and boars. The slightly smaller Petit Bleu de Gascogne used on small game may have existed along with the boar hunting dog for centuries. "Petite" does not necessarily refer to the size of the dogs, but refers to the French expression for hounds used for smaller game.

Health and temperament

No unusual health problems or claims of extraordinary health have been documented for this breed. Temperament of individual dogs may vary, but in general dogs bred to be pack hunting dogs do not make good

pets A pet, or companion animal, is an animal kept primarily for a person's company or entertainment rather than as a working animal, livestock, or a laboratory animal. Popular pets are often considered to have attractive appearances, intelligence ...

References

External links

Search The Open Directory Project (DMOZ) links for clubs and information about the Petite Bleu de Gascogne
{{French dogs FCI breeds Scent hounds Dog breeds originating in France

Appearance

History

Health and temperament

See also

References

External links