The Billy is a large

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 ...

originating from central western

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 ar ...

Description

A Billy may be pure white, off-white or gray, sometimes with orange or lemon spots on the head and body. The coat is short, smooth and harsh to the touch. Weight is between 72 and 104 lbs and height is 60–70 cm at the shoulder for males and 58–62 cm for females. The

Fédération Cynologique Internationale The Fédération cynologique internationale (FCI) ( English: International Canine Federation) is the largest international federation of national kennel clubs. It is based in Thuin, Belgium. History The FCI was founded in 1911 under the auspice ...

standard suggests the dog should gallop easily in its movement. The standard for the breed was established in 1885 . The Billy is not suitable for a small house; needing a lot of exercise and being difficult to restrain and extremely fast.

History and use

The Billy was created by Monsieur Gaston Hublot de Rivault Taco in the 19th century, and was named after his home the Château de Billy, in

Poitou Poitou (, , ; ; Poitevin dialect, Poitevin: ''Poetou'') was a Provinces of France, province of west-central France whose capital city was Poitiers. Both Poitou and Poitiers are named after the Pictones Gallic tribe. Geography The main histori ...

. Billys were created by combining the three original strains of the Poitevin, the Montemboeuf, Ceris and Larrye. Whereas the modern Poitevin more closely resembles and the original Tri-coloured Larrye line, Rivault was more drawn to the paler colours associated with the Montemboeuf and Ceris lines, and colouration was a major determinant when selecting foundation stock. The pack was dispersed in 1927 and the breed almost faced extinction, only two hounds survived

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, however de Rivault's son, Anthony, set about reviving the breed by judicious use of the Poitevin, the

Porcelaine The Porcelaine is a breed of dog originating from France. In 1844, this scent hound was originally called “Briquets Francs Comtois” and named after a French region bordering Switzerland. Appearance The Porcelaine gets its name from it ...

and the

Harrier Harrier may refer to: Animals * Harrier (bird), several species of birds * Harrier (dog) Media * Harrier Comics, a defunct British publisher * Space Harrier, a video game series Military * Harrier jump jet, an overview of the Harrier family: ...

. The Billy was one of the foundation breeds used in the development of the

Grand Anglo-Français Blanc et Orange The Grand Anglo-Français Blanc et Orange translated into English as the Great Anglo-French White and Orange Hound, is a breed of dog used in hunting as a scenthound, usually in packs. It is one of the Anglo-French hound breeds which were crea ...

in the late 19th century. The Billy remains a rare breed, although there are several packs in its native France used to hunt

roe deer The roe deer (''Capreolus capreolus''), also known as the roe, western roe deer, or European roe, is a species of deer. The male of the species is sometimes referred to as a roebuck. The roe is a small deer, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapt ...

, and two packs to hunt

wild boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species is ...

.Alderton, ''Hounds of the World'', p 95.

References

Bibliography

* Alderton, David, ''Hounds of the World'', Swan Hill Press, Shrewsbury, 2000, . * Cunliffe, Juliette, ''The Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds'' Parragon, 2001, .
Federation Cynologique Internationale, ''Billy''
retrieved 12 Dec 14. * Fogle, Bruce, ''The Encyclopedia of the Dog'', DK Publishing, New York, 2009, . * Hancock, David, ''Hounds: Hunting by Scent'', The Crowood Press Ltd, Marlborough, 2014, . FCI breeds Rare dog breeds Scent hounds Dog breeds originating in France {{dog-stub

Description

History and use

See also

References

Bibliography