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Grand Bleu de Gascogne
Breed standard (FCI)
F.C.I. Standard Nº 22/24.01.1996/F
Origin:
France
Utilization:
Scent hound used for hunting with the gun and sometimes
for coursing big game, but also hare hunting, generally
in a pack or individually as a tracking hound.
F.C.I. Classification:
Group 6 Scent hounds
Section 1.1 Large sized hounds with working trial.
Brief historial summary:
He is of a very old breed; contemporary of the St.
Hubert-Hounds he composed, in the 14th century, the
pack of Gaston FEBUS, Comte (count) de Foix who used
him to hunt the wolf, the bear or the boar.
Very widespread in the South (midi) and South-West
of France, particularly in Gascony, from where he
takes his name, he is at the origin of all the scent
hounds named "from the South" (du midi).
General
Appearance:
Ancient breed of dog, of outstanding French type when
it comes to the head, the coat and the expression.
Imposing, giving an impression of calm strength and
of great nobleness.
Behaviour/Temperament:
Behaviour: Very fine nose; endowed with a sonorous
howling voice, with deep tones. Very intent in his
way of hunting. Instinctively a pack hound.
Temperament: Calm, obeys orders easily.
Head:
Cranial Region:
Skull: seen from the front, slightly domed and not
too broad; occipital protuberance is marked. Seen
from above, the back of the skull is ogival in shape.
The forehead is full.
Stop: slightly accentuated.
Facial Region:
Nose: black, well developed, nostrils well opened.
Lips: quite drooping, covering well the lower jaw,
giving the front part of the muzzle a square profile.
The corner of the lips is well marked without being
loose.
Muzzle: of equal length to that of the skull; strong;
nasal bridge slightly arched.
Jaws: scissor bite. Incisors set well square to
the jaws.
Cheeks: lean; the skin shows one or two folds.
Eyes: oval shape; appear slightly sunken beneath
thick eyelids; brown. The lower lid sometimes shows
a certain looseness. Expression gentle and a little
sad.
Leathers: characteristic of the blue dog: they are
fine, curled in, ending in a point and must reach
beyond the extremity of the nose. The leather is
narrow at its base which is situated well below
the eyeline.
Neck:
Moderately long; slightly arched; dewlaps developed.
Body:
Back: rather long but well supported (firm).
Loin: well fused.
Rump: slightly sloping, emphasizing the haunches.
Chest: long, broad; let down to elbow level. Forechest
broad.
Ribs: moderately rounded and long.
Flank: flat and well let down.
Tail: rather thick, sometimes there should be some
longer and coarser, slightly offstanding hairs (like
ears of grain) towards the tip: reaching the point
of the hock; strong at its root; carried sabre fashion.
Limbs:
Forequarters:
View of the ensemble: powerful forehand.
Shoulder: quite long and muscled, well sloping.
Elbows: close to the body.
Forearm: strong bone structure; tendons prominent.
Feet: of a slight elongated oval; toes lean and
tight. Pads and nails black.
Hindquarters:
View of the ensemble: solidly built.
Upper thigh: long and muscled.
Hock: broad, slightly bent, well let down.
Gait/Movement:
Regular and easy.
Skin:
Quite thick, supple. Black or strongly mottled with
black patches, never entirely white. Mucous membranes
(hairless zones) black.
Coat:
Hair:
Short, quite thick; very dense.
Colour:
Entirely mottled (black and white) giving a slate
blue colouring effect: either marked or not with
more or less extended black patches. Two black patches
are generally placed at either side of the head,
covering the ears, surrounding the eyes and stopping
at the cheeks. They do not meet up on the top of
the skull; they leave a white interval in the middle
of which there is often a small black oval spot,
typical of the breed. Two more or less bright tan
markings are placed above the superciliary arches
giving a "quatreoeillë" appearance
to the eyes. There are also traces of tan on the
cheeks, lips, inner face of the leather, on the
legs and under the tail.
Size:
Height at the Withers:
Males: 65 to 72 cm
Females: 62 to 68 cm.
Faults:
Any departure from the foregoing points should be
considered a fault and the seriousness with which
the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion
to its degree.
Head:
too short, skull too flat or too narrow, leathers
set high, short, insufficiently curled in.
Body:
lack of substance, slack (soft) back, rump falling
away, deviated tail.
Limbs:
bone structure insufficiently developed, straight
shoulder, splayed feet, cow hocks, seen from behind.
Coat (hair):
too fine and short.
Behaviour:
timid subject.
Eliminating Faults:
- Lack of type.
- Any coat other than that indicted
in the standard.
- Light eye.
- Serious anatomical malformation.
- Visible disabling (invalidating)
defect.
- Frightened or aggressive subject.
- Prognathism.
N.B.
Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles
descended into the scrotum.
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