Griffon Bleu de Gascogne
Encyclopedia
The Griffon Bleu de Gascogne (FCI No.32) Is a breed
Dog breed
Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock....
of dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
of the scenthound type
Dog type
Dog types are broad categories of dogs based on function, with dogs identified primarily by specific function or style of work rather than by lineage or appearance....
, originating in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and is a versatile hunting dog, used on small and large game, in packs or individually. The Griffon Bleu de Gascogne has a speckled, rough coat.
Appearance
The Griffon Bleu de Gascogne is a medium-large dog, 50 to 57 cm (10.5-22.4 ins) at the withersWithers
The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of a four-legged animal. In many species it is the tallest point of the body, and in horses and dogs it is the standard place to measure the animal's height .-Horses:The withers in horses are formed by the dorsal spinal processes of roughly the...
, with a distinctive rough (shaggy) blue speckled coat, drop ears that are not as long as those on other hounds, and a tail carried up and in a slight curve.
The colour of the Griffon Bleu de Gascogne's coat
Coat (dog)
The coat of the domestic dog refers to the hair that covers its body. A dog's coat may be a double coat, made up of a soft undercoat and a coarser topcoat, or a single coat, which lacks an undercoat...
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, and tan is found on the cheeks, inside the ears, on the legs, and under the tail. Texture of the coat should be hard and rough, a little shorter on the head than on the body.Faults
Fault (dog)
The term fault is used in animal breed standards to describe an aspect of appearance or temperament that is considered detrimental to the breed type of the animal's breed. In dogs, faults have to do with the externally observable qualities of the dog such as appearance, movement, and temperament...
are deviations in appearance or temperament 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 timidity, soft topline, snipey muzzle, cowhocked, splayed feet, and a wolley coat.
History
The Griffon Bleu de Gascogne is descended from crossesCrossbreed
A crossbreed or crossbred usually refers to an animal with purebred parents of two different breeds, varieties, or populations. Crossbreeding refers to the process of breeding such an animal, often with the intention to create offspring that share the traits of both parent lineages, or producing...
between the Bleu de Gascogne and the Griffon Nervais, and possibly the Grand Griffon Vendéen
Grand Griffon Vendéen
A Grand Griffon Vendéen is a breed of hunting dog originating in France. It existed as early as the 16th Century, and was the first of the Vendée griffons to be bred...
as well. The breed declined for many years, but is now experiencing a revival.
The breed has a good nose and a good voice, and is a good and very alert hunting dog for all kinds of hunting, not just as a pack hound for large game. Examples of the Griffon Bleu de Gascogne have been exported to other countries, where they are promoted as a rare breed
Rare breed (dog)
Rare breed is any breed of dog that is small in number. Since dogs have greater genetic variability than other domesticated animals the number of possible breeds is vast...
for those seeking a unique pet.
Health and temperament
No unusual health problems or claims of extraordinary health have been documented for this breed. The breed's temperament is described in the breed standard as being highly excitable, but affectionate. Temperament of individual dogs may vary.See also
- Anglo French and French HoundsAnglo-Français and Français (hound)Anglo-Français and Français hounds are a general type of hunting dogs that include ancient French hounds and breeds created by mixing the French dogs with English foxhounds. There are seven dog breeds that are described as Anglo-Français and Français hounds.- Breeds :*Français tricolore, the...
- Dog terminology
- Grand Bleu de GascogneGrand Bleu de GascogneThe Grand Bleu de Gascogne Is a breed of dog 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 many other hounds.- Appearance :The Grand Bleu de Gascogne...
- Petite Bleu de Gascogne
- Basset Bleu de GascogneBasset Bleu de GascogneThe Basset Bleu de Gascogne , also known as the Blue Gascony Basset, is a long-backed, short legged breed of dog of the hound type. A breed with origins in the Middle Ages which descends from the Grand Bleu de Gascogne however it nearly went extinct around the early 19th century and its saviour was...