Grand Gascon Saintongeois
Encyclopedia
This page is about the breed of dog. For the type of cattle, see Gascon cattle
. For type of language see Gascon language
The Gascon Saintongeois (FCI No.21) is a breed
of dog
of the scenthound type
, recognised in two sizes, Grand (large) and Petite (smaller than the Grand, but not a small dog.) Originating in France
, the breed is used for hunting in packs and descends from the old Hound of Saintonge type of large hunting dog.
, females at total 24 to 26 inches; size for the Petite is 56 to 62 cm (22 to 24.4 ins) at the withers, making it still a fairly large dog; females are slightly smaller. Grands weigh 66 to 71 pounds.
The eyes are dark chestnut. It has an elongated head. Its black nose is well-developed, and the lips are pendent. It has a deep chest, and a strong back. The tail is elegant and saber.
The colour of the coat
is white with black patches, sometimes speckled or ticked
with black. Ears and face around the eyes is black and the cheeks are tan, but there should not be a tricolour appearance. Two tan markings are above the eyes, and sometimes a tan marking is found on the base of the upper thigh, which is called the 'roe buck mark'. Faults
, which indicate the dog should not be bred, include lack of substance, weak back, deviated tail, cow hocked, or legs that are too angulated or straight, which would impede running ability, as well as being off-colour or overly aggressive or overly shy.
The breed is noted for its good nose, excellent voice, and beautiful gallop, important attributes in a hunting dog. It is instinctively a pack dog. It is not only used for hunting small game, but also large like deer or wolves.
It is audacious, resistant, aristocratic, and is very affectionate, off the hunting fields.
the last of the old Hound of Saintonge with a few of the remaining old type Bleu de Gascogne. The hounds that were white with black ticking were retained and later given the name Gascon-saintongeois.
In the middle of the 20th century, hunters in the south west of France selected smaller dogs from litters of Grand Gascon Saintongeois for hunting hare and other small game. These became the Petite Gascon Saintongeois.
The Grand Gascon Saintongeois is used for hunting big game, but also hare, usually in a pack. The Petite Gascon Saintongeois is a versatile hunter, usually used on hare but also for big game.
Gascon cattle
Gascon Cattle is a breed of cow. Two different types of this breed of cattle are: à muqueuses noires and aréolé. These were combined in 1955 into a single herdbook, but in 1999 they were once again made two different breeds.-Characteristics:...
. For type of language see Gascon language
Gascon language
Gascon is usually considered as a dialect of Occitan, even though some specialists regularly consider it a separate language. Gascon is mostly spoken in Gascony and Béarn in southwestern France and in the Aran Valley of Spain...
The Gascon Saintongeois (FCI No.21) 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....
, recognised in two sizes, Grand (large) and Petite (smaller than the Grand, but not a small dog.) 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...
, the breed is used for hunting in packs and descends from the old Hound of Saintonge type of large hunting dog.
Characteristics
The breed is a very typical French hound, with a lean and muscular body, long legs, long drop ears and pendulous flews (lips). Size for the Grand is 65 to 72 cm (25.6 to 28.3 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...
, females at total 24 to 26 inches; size for the Petite is 56 to 62 cm (22 to 24.4 ins) at the withers, making it still a fairly large dog; females are slightly smaller. Grands weigh 66 to 71 pounds.
The eyes are dark chestnut. It has an elongated head. Its black nose is well-developed, and the lips are pendent. It has a deep chest, and a strong back. The tail is elegant and saber.
The colour of the 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 white with black patches, sometimes speckled or ticked
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...
with black. Ears and face around the eyes is black and the cheeks are tan, but there should not be a tricolour appearance. Two tan markings are above the eyes, and sometimes a tan marking is found on the base of the upper thigh, which is called the 'roe buck mark'. 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...
, which indicate the dog should not be bred, include lack of substance, weak back, deviated tail, cow hocked, or legs that are too angulated or straight, which would impede running ability, as well as being off-colour or overly aggressive or overly shy.
The breed is noted for its good nose, excellent voice, and beautiful gallop, important attributes in a hunting dog. It is instinctively a pack dog. It is not only used for hunting small game, but also large like deer or wolves.
It is audacious, resistant, aristocratic, and is very affectionate, off the hunting fields.
History
Only three hounds survived the French Revolution, and Count Joseph de Carayon-Latour in the mid-19th century crossedCrossbreed
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...
the last of the old Hound of Saintonge with a few of the remaining old type Bleu de Gascogne. The hounds that were white with black ticking were retained and later given the name Gascon-saintongeois.
In the middle of the 20th century, hunters in the south west of France selected smaller dogs from litters of Grand Gascon Saintongeois for hunting hare and other small game. These became the Petite Gascon Saintongeois.
The Grand Gascon Saintongeois is used for hunting big game, but also hare, usually in a pack. The Petite Gascon Saintongeois is a versatile hunter, usually used on hare but also for big game.