Griffon bleu de Gascogne

Breed Rating

Breed Details

General

The Griffon bleu de Gascogne is a scenthound breed that is native to France. This versatile breed is used as pack or solo hunters of small and large game. Progenitors of this breed are Blue de Gascogne and Griffon Nivernais and possible Grand Griffon Vendeen. It is one the four Blue de Gascogne breeds; the other three being Petite Blue de Gascogne, the Basset bleu de Gascogne and the Grand bleu de Gascogne.

The breed appears a medium size, solidly built and rustic dog with slightly doomed and not too broad skull and same length muzzle as that of skull. The muzzle has either a straight or slightly arched nose bridge which leads to large and black nose with well open nostrils. Lively and oval shaped eyes have dark chestnut colouring. Thin and supple ears are set below eye level, slightly curled and pointed in appearance. Slender neck blends smoothly into well built muscular body. The back is short but firm with well muscled and slightly arched loin. Chest is well developed with rounded ribs. Bushy tail is set well on, reaching to the hock and is carried in a saber fashion. This dog has a unique coat that is hard, rough and shaggy. It comes in black and white mottled, with or without solid black patches. This dog typically stands between 19.5 to 22.5 inches and weighs between 36-40 lbs.

The Griffon bleu de Gascogne is NOT recognized by AKC however it is recognized by FCI and UKC.

Color

Coat

The coat is harsh, rough and shaggy. It is shorter on head and ears.

Personality

The Griffon bleu de Gascogne is a keen and enterprising dog with boundless energy and alert nature. It is a keen hunter of small and large game such as hares and wild boars. Very hardy and adaptable, the dog can work on all types of terrain and under treacherous weather conditions. A valuable and accomplished hunter, the dog is not valued for its exceptional hunting skills only. It has an even, affectionate and loving temperament that makes this dog a lovely family companion. It gets along well with children, enjoying playing games with them while being kind and considerate towards them. The dog is used to working in packs and as such gets along well with other dogs but due to high prey drive, it is not trustworthy around other non-canine pets and can potentially dangerous around them. With high demands of physical activities, the dog is not suitable for apartment living and will atleast need a yard to play and run. The Griffon bleu de Gascogne makes a very good pet and hunting dog as well as good watch dog due to its alert nature.

Care

The shaggy coat of this dog will need regular brushing to remove dead hair and to distribute natural oils equally to the hair. As a hunting dog, the Griffon bleu de Gascogne will need ticks and fleas removed from its coat and regular brushing will help remove these external parasites. Drop ears should be checked for yeast infection that may be formed if the ears have moist in them.

Training

Training this dog may not be very difficult with an experienced trainer. Positive training methods with gentle but firm trainer should be enough to train this dog.

Activity

As a very energetic breed, the dog will need lots of physical activities. It should be taken for daily walks and provided ample open space to play and run as it likes. This dog is not suitable for apartment life even if taken for regular exercises as it will best suit a rural , suburban setting or a house with a yard where the dog can play and run as it likes.