Petit Blue De Gascongne

Breed Rating

Breed Details

General

The Petit Bleus de Gascogne is also known as Small Blue Gascony Hound or Small Gascony Blue. It is a pack hunting dog, originating in France and is classified as a Scenthound breed. Though tagged Petit, which means small, this dog is of medium height and Petit in its name only refers to small game that this dog is so excellently adapt to hunt. It can also be used to hunt large game but its specialty is small game, particularly Hares. These dogs are used in packs and kept in order to track and sniff out prey such as game, deer, and rabbits.This breed is a descendent of Old Great Gascony Blues (Grand Bleu de Gascogne) of ancient times. Selective breeding of relatively smaller sized Grand Bleu de Gascogne resulted in the development of Petit Blues de Gascogne breed.

It is a medium size dog with well proportioned body with height and weight between 20-23 inches and 40-48 lbs respectively. This dog comes with a long and refined head and slightly doomed skull. Strong muzzle comes with a slightly arched nasal bridge that leads to black and large nose with wide nostrils. Gentle, oval shaped eyes are brown in colour. Moderately long ears hang down the head. A slight dewlap is present on medium length neck. The chest is deep providing ample space for the large lungs. The forelegs are surprisingly strong in relation to the rest of the body. The thighs are flat but have powerful muscles. The feet are oval and fairly long with black pads and tan hair. Slender tail is carried in sabre fashion. Supple skin is black or marbled with black patches but never white. It has short, dense and semi-thick coat that comes in white mottled with black, giving a slate blue overall appearance.

Though present since long, this breed is still rare outside France. This breed is NOT recognized by AKC however it is recognized by FCI and UKC.

Color

The Petit Bleu de Gascogne comes in same color as its ancestor, Grand Bleu de Gascogne. It is entirely mottled with black and white colors giving an over all appearance of slate blue coloring effect. Two black patches are present on either side of the head. A white patch on top of the head has a small black area which is typical of this breed. Tan markings over eyebrows give this dog a four-eyed dog appearance.

Coat

The coat of this dog is short, thickish and profuse.

Personality

Bred to be a thorough and thorough hunter with exceptional nose, the Petit Bleu de Gascogne makes an excellent hunting companion. Its outstanding scenting abilities and exceptionally friendly temperament towards other dogs irrespective of their breed, makes it a great pack hunting hound that will sniff out all sorts of game. It is a hardworking and tenacious hunter who has been in use all across France since long. As a family pet, the Petit Bleu de Gascogne is loving and friendly to its family including children. It is not an overly friendly dog and does take some time to warm up. It is an independent breed that shows stubborn attitude from time to time, specially when the dog picks up an interesting scent, it is unlikely that it will listen to its master until it finds origin of the scent. This breed is hard to train due to its stubborn and willful behavior and will need a very strong and assertive owner who can make this dog obey commands. For this reason, this breed is not suitable for first time or weak owners. This energetic breed has needs a large yard to play and may not suit apartment living. These dogs most definitely are much more suited as a pack dog used for hunting rather than a family dog.

Care

This breeds thick and dense coat needs a thorough weekly brushing to remove dead hair. Bath when necessary.

Training

The Petit Bleu de Gascogne is a difficult breed to train. It is difficult to get their tracking instincts away from them and they are quite stubborn. These dogs will need a firm, experienced and confident owner who can guide them with firm hand.

Activity

They are fairly active and energetic dogs that need atleast a yard to play and let off their energy. This breed is not for apartment dwellers as apart from needing large open space, this dog's loud bark will irritate the neighbors. It is best suited in a house with a large yard.