Petit Gascon Saintongeois

Breed Rating

Breed Details

General

The Petit Gascon Saintongeois is a breed of scenthound dogs that originated in France. It was developed to be an apt hunter of small game with all the noble characteristics of Grand Gascon Saintongeois. For this very purpose, the smallest puppies from a litter were selected and they became foundation of this breed. They were later crossed with Airegeois and other local Briquet hounds to achieve their present size and type. This breed was developed in early 20th century, specifically to hunt hare. Though tagged 'Petit' which means small, this breed, with average height of 22 inches, is just six inch shorter than its its Grand cousin. With very fast speed, superior scenting abilities and a resonant deep melodious voice, this dog is a hunter par excellence. This versatile dog can hunt in packs as well as on his own and is not limited to small game hunting. With its tenacious and fearless nature, the Petit Gascon Saintongeois can bravely take on game that are larger than its size.

This dog has an elegant appearance with its well proportioned body and distinguished looks. It comes with a doomed and rather narrow skull and strong, slightly convex muzzle which leads to a black nose with wide open nostrils. Brown, oval shaped eyes have friendly expression. Set very low and well back, thin ears are twisted inwards and taper to a point. Slight dewlap is present on medium length neck. This breeds' well proportioned body with deep and wide chest, slightly arched loin, muscular shoulders and a firm back exudes impression of strength and endurance. Its short but dense coat is weather resistant and comes in predominantly white colour with speckled or black markings. Black patches in both sides of the head are most common.

The Petit Gascon Saintongeois is NOT recognized by AKC however it is recognized by FCI and UKC.

Color

This breeds' basic color is white with black patches; either openly speckled or ticked. Tan points above eyes give this dog a four-eyed appearance. Tan specking on the legs is also common.

Coat

The coat is short, close fitting and weather-resistant.

Personality

Apart from being a tenacious and able hunter, the Petit Gascon Saintongeois also has an even and friendly temperament as family pet which makes this breed one of the best family companion among other hunting breeds. It is friendly and loving with all family members and extremely patient and gentle with children. This is an intelligent, amiable and very tractable breed that is easy to train. The dog is attentive and responsive to positive training and will learn fast. It is inherently wary of strangers. Though it will get along very well with other dogs as it is accustomed to living in a pack, the Petit Gascon Saintongeois has high prey drive and needs to be supervised when it is around other non-canine pets. This dog can suffer from separation anxiety so it should not be left alone for long time periods. It loves to live in a pack with other dogs. With lots of physical exercise needs, this dog is not for apartment dwellers. Though an excellent hunter and companion dog, the Petit Gascon Saintongeois is among the rarest sporting dog breeds in France.

Care

This dog needs very little when it comes to coat grooming as a weekly brushing will take care of its coat. After a hunting trip, it is necessary to clean eyes and ears of this dog to avoid risk of infection.

Training

Amenable and eager to please, the Petit Gascon Saintongeois is an easy to train breed. It is an intelligent and responsive dog who will thrive on positive and consistent training sessions.

Activity

As a high energy dog, the Petit Gascon Saintongeois needs lots of physical activities. It is not a dog for apartment or small space living. It will need a large yard to play and run.