Overview
The Petit Bleu is the smaller of the Gascony blue hounds, developed in south-west France to hunt hare in packs where the larger Grand Bleu was too slow and too big. Despite the name it is a medium-sized dog, with the breed's trademark blue-ticked coat, black patches, long ears and a sad, handsome face.
Like most French pack hounds it is gentle, sociable and quiet in the house, and a different animal once it has a scent. It is not a common pet in France and is almost unheard of in Britain, so expect an owner who imported it with a purpose.
Exercise and walking needs
An hour and a half a day of steady exercise keeps a pack hound content. They trot for hours without tiring and are happiest following a line across open country. Speed games mean little; distance and scent mean everything.
The short, dense coat is adequate for most British weather, though the dog will get cold if left standing wet. The long ears collect mud and need checking.
On the walk
- Recall: Effectively none once the nose is engaged. Enclosed fields for free running and a long line on a harness elsewhere.
- Voice: The Gascony hounds have deep, carrying voices and use them on a trail. On a lead walk that may mean a bay every time a fox has crossed the path.
- Other dogs: Bred to live and work in a pack, so usually easy with other dogs and uninterested in squabbles. Good company on a group walk.
- Pulling: Steady and strong on a scent. Let the dog track on a long line where it is safe, and hold a short lead near roads.
Tips for professional walkers
- Walk routes away from roads; a hound on a line of scent does not look up for traffic.
- Dry and check the ears after wet walks and look inside for grit.
- Give the dog a scent game to do, such as a treat trail, when free running is not possible.
What to ask the owner
- Has the dog hunted, and what does it do when it crosses fox or deer scent?
- How does the owner manage baying, and will the neighbours on your route tolerate it?
- Any ear or joint problems the vet is monitoring?