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Breed Characteristics
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Grand Gascon Saintongeois
| Nicknames | Virelade Hound |
| Country of Origin | France |
| Weight | 77lbs. (35 kg) |
| Height (at withers) | Males: 25 - 28.5 in. (63.5 - 72 cm) Females: 23 -27 in. (58.5 - 68 cm) |
| Coat | Short, thick, dense, smooth and weather resistant |
| Colour | The colour of the coat is white with black patches, sometimes speckled or ticked with black. Ears and face around the eyes are 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". |
| Litter Size | 6–10 puppies; average 7 |
| Life Span | 12 - 14 years |
| Origin & History | Only three old Saintongeois hounds survived the French Revolution, two dogs and a bitch. Count Joseph de Carayon-Latour in the mid-19th century crossed 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 Petit Gascon Saintongeois. The Grand Gascon Saintongeois is used for hunting big game including Wild boar, Roe deer and sometimes Wolf, usually in a pack. The Petit Gascon Saintongeois is a versatile hunter, usually used on hare and rabbit, but also for big game. |
| Personality | It is audacious, resistant, aristocratic, and is very affectionate off the hunting fields. |
Care Requirements
| Health | There are no known breed-specific health concerns. |
| Grooming | Their short, dense, smooth coats make them easy to care for. |
| Exercise | Exercise is of paramount importance for these tireless, energetic animals. They are more than a match for even the most active family and they should not be taken on as family pets unless they can be guaranteed plenty of vigorous exercise. They need to be taken on a daily, brisk, long walk, jog or run alongside you when you bicycle. If under-exercised, this breed can become restless and destructive. |
| Other Considerations | This breed is not recommended for apartment life and does best with a large yard and an active, athletic family. 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. |
