Blue Gascony hound dog (large and small) - description and photo

The blue Gascony hound was bred in France and later became an indispensable hunting assistant for nobles and nobles. By nature, the dog was very friendly and devoted to its owners.

The breed is divided into two subspecies: the large Gascony hound and the small one. The main feature of their difference is size. Otherwise, they are very similar. If you decide to purchase a dog of this breed, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with its main characteristics.

History of the breed

There are many theories about the origin of the blue Gascony hound. Experts claim that the dog was bred during the Roman Empire. But the French claim that the animal was brought to their country by Phoenician merchants from Spain. This breed was intended for hunting; its coat color had a bluish tint. Despite the fact that dogs were known as early as the 13th century, they were first noticed in Gascony at the beginning of the 14th century. It was in honor of the French province that the breed got its name.

The Gascony hound has established itself as an indispensable assistant during hunting . The dog could work both in a pack and alone. At the court of the kings and nobles of France, this breed was considered the most popular. The dog could single-handedly drive down a large animal (boar or deer). He is also fearless in hunting wolves.

Initially, the dog came in one variety. But the hunters wanted to see the Gascony hound in smaller sizes. For this purpose, breeders bred the breed in a small size. Thanks to its mass and short stature, the dog became more agile and could easily hunt small game (ducks, hares and foxes).

Distinctive features of hounds

Hounds, along with greyhounds and pointers, belong to the hunting group of dogs. Unlike the latter, dogs of this species work to drive the animal under the hunter’s gun, and can travel enormous distances while tracking it down.

Greyhounds are determined to catch only visible prey, bait it, develop great speed, but over a short distance. The cops track the target, usually a bird, and take a special stance that gives a signal to the owner about its location, and then drive out the find under fire.

All groups of hounds have some common external characteristics, such as:

1. Free-hanging ears of varying lengths, with tips pointing down;
2. Straight bridge of the nose;
3. Black lobe;
4. Lips tightly adjacent to the jaw (with rare exceptions);
5. Large skull with a rounding at the junction with the neck;
6. Smooth back;
7. Volumetric breasts;
8. Strong, muscular legs;
9. Most often smooth, short hair, piebald, saddleback, wolf, merle or red-yellow.

In addition to similar external features, hounds also have other common characteristics. They are resilient and persistent, and can pursue their goal for many hours. Thanks to their keen sense of smell and high speed of movement, they are excellent at tracking down prey. The loud, ringing bark of all representatives of the species helps the owner understand where the animal and pet are.

Hounds are human-oriented, submissive, have the ability to quickly learn, and have an agility that allows them to control the animal well during the hunt. They are also excellent for group work, quickly establish contact with other individuals in the pack, harmoniously chase the animal, change formation together, walk in a bow, turn around, and take the necessary positions.

All hounds have a tendency to run away.

General description of the breed

Representatives of the Gascony Hound breed, both large and small, are hardy and work well with humans and other hunting dogs. Thanks to their instincts, they can easily find a victim using a blood trail without it. Large breed animals are massive and a little slow, but always keep a certain pace in motion, persistently pursuing their prey. The voice is rough and loud.

Small Blue Gascony hound dogs are active, run fast, which allows them to catch up even with a hare. This breed is often used in hunting under a gun. The animal's voice is clear.

Both subspecies of animals are used for hunting. Such dogs cannot live in apartments. The most suitable option is in the enclosure of a private house. They need regular ear cleaning, at least 2 times a month, and ear care. They tolerate cold weather because they have warm fur.

Conditions of detention

The Blue Gascony Hound is not suitable for living in the average city apartment. She needs space for physical activity and some freedom of movement. A house with a large area for the hound to run around is ideal. Representatives of this breed need to be walked for a long time, and the walks should be exciting and active. Remember that you cannot walk a hunting dog without a leash! No matter how well-mannered she is, the instinct of pursuit may one day take over.

Photos: Yandex.Pictures

Breed characteristics

The Gascony Hound is a dog with a large skull, extended forward, with a wide nape. The animal's head is long, with a clear line of cheeks, and a wide nose. The eyes are oval, brown in color. The ears are slightly pointed and curled.

The body of the animal is powerful, the back is wide, and the ribs are convex. The height of the large blue Gascony hound is 65–72 cm , and that of the small breed is 52–60 cm . A large dog weighs about 35 kg , and a small one - 25 kg .

Dogs have well-developed limbs. They are strong and strong, since the hound spends most of its time in motion. The tail resembles a saber in appearance and is covered with hair.

The coat is dense, thick and not too long. In winter, the dog does not freeze. The hair color is black with gray markings - this gives the color a bluish-ashy tint. Basically, this color is on the back of the dog, and the head is expressed in a darker color.

Use and manner of working of hounds

There are 6 types of hunting dogs:

• likes;
• retrievers and spaniels;
• greyhounds;
• burrows;
• cops;
• and hounds.

Each type has its own role in the hunt:

• huskies are northern hunting dogs, universal;
• retrievers bring shot birds from the water;
• burrowers - hunt burrowing animals;
• greyhounds are very fast, they drive animals in open areas;
• cops hunt birds. Their peculiarity is the hunting stance, which shows that the dog has scented a bird. On command, the bird is raised to fire.

The hound's job is to search and track the animal in the forest, and then drive it. The methods of operation depend on the type of hunt.

Complete hunt

In this type of hunting, packs have always been used - from 40 or more dogs united in bonds (a pair of dogs of different sexes trained to work together). In such a hunt, a pack of hounds acted with a pack of greyhounds. Dogs in a complete hunt should not get separated from the pack in pursuit of a random animal. The pack moves strictly behind the horse of the senior hound (the rider).

The dogs first tracked and then raised the beast. The rut must be coordinated; this is achieved by good work in the pack of each individual and equal running speed (for this, the dogs must be equal in stature and strength).

When the animal got out of the forest or thickets, greyhounds joined the hunt. Then the hounds had to immediately stop the race, regardless of the excitement.

Parfors hunt

Parfors hunting was practiced by the ancient Gauls, but in its modern form it is considered the property of England. For such a hunt, a pack of up to 40 hounds was used. All hunters ride horses of a special breed (gunter). Riders follow a pack of hounds through the forest, without waiting for the dogs to drive the game into the open. For such a hunt, dogs must be well-coordinated, hardy and vocal.

Foot gun hunting

Such a hunt does not require more than 4 dogs (usually one dog or a bow is used). Dogs for such hunting are more independent.

First of all, the dog is required to be able to find the animal. The hound should cover a fairly large area in its search, moving away from the hunter to the right and left, but not moving too fast, checking the speed of the person. Also, the dog should be able to immediately stop searching and start rutting.

When the animal is raised, the hound must persistently pursue it, keeping the trail. If lost, the dog moves in circles in an attempt to find it. The size of the circles depends on the animal: for a hare - small, for a fox and wolf - much larger. Usually in such a hunt they use experienced, trained and vicious dogs with high characteristics: a ringing voice, good scent, endurance and speed.

Hunting for blood

Hounds for such hunting are famous for their phenomenal sense of smell and endurance. Now they are used in the search service. Such dogs should not raise their voices during the search, but when they find an animal, they bark to indicate the place where it lies. The work of such dogs is purposeful, they are calm, strong and should not be distracted by other, even more recent, tracks. It is impossible to escape them in any area.

Possible diseases and their treatment

If you notice that your dog is lethargic, constantly sleeps, or has a dry nose, there is reason to panic, contact your veterinarian immediately. The most common diseases in Gascony hounds are:

• Allergy . You should not feed your animal human food. Sausage, sausages, flour products, sweets - all these products can cause an allergic reaction. If you feed your animal porridge, wheat, buckwheat and rice are suitable for such dogs. The third part of the serving must be meat or fish. You should not give your dog tubular bones so that it does not damage the larynx.
• Ear infections . Clean your dog's ears once a week. This way you will protect her from all kinds of infections or mites. If you notice that your animal is constantly scratching in the ear area and whining at the same time. This is the first symptom of ear disease, contact your veterinarian.
• Hip dysplasia . Since the Gascony Hound spends most of its time on the move, after a couple of years this can affect the animal's joints. For prevention, you should give your dog vitamins containing calcium.
• Eye infections . Since the animal spends a lot of time outside, in the forest or field, dust often gets into the eyes, which causes redness or infection of the eyeball. To prevent this from happening, wipe your pet's eyes with an alcohol-free wipe after a long walk.

Character and training of the dog

This is such a hunting dog that it simply needs regular exercise, and primarily for its health. It will not suit you if you are a homebody or lead a calm, measured life. She needs will, she needs space and periodic forays into nature, where at least somehow she can show her hunting abilities. Therefore, this dog is not at all suitable for city life.

The Blue Gascony Hound is difficult to train. The dog has an independent character, she is used to completely surrendering to her instincts. Of course, the animal is teachable, but only the most basic commands. During the training process, avoid cruelty and rudeness towards the animal, otherwise you will turn it against you.

As a rule, this dog chooses one owner, but is quite friendly with its close circle and family. The dog is unlikely to even approach the rest. In communication she is very calm. He is flexible and tries to please in everything; he is a faithful companion on hikes, which can be allowed without a leash without any problems. The dog is not prone to wandering and will always come back to the owner, perhaps even with some kind of prey.

Photo

Price

It is better to buy a Gascony hound from a kennel. The breeder provides you with a passport for the puppy, which indicates: the animal’s pedigree, its color, gender, vaccinations, etc. The cost of an animal from a nursery will be more expensive than purchasing it through an advertisement.

The price for dogs varies:

• If the animal is from a nursery, then a large breed will cost from 20 thousand rubles, a small one - from 15 thousand rubles.
• If the animal is purchased through an advertisement, then the cost of a large dog will be from 15 thousand rubles, a small one - from 10 thousand rubles.