Ariégeois

The Ariégeois is a medium-sized scent hound from the Ariège, a department in the Midi-Pyrénées region of southern France. It hunts alone or in a pack and is used mainly on hare, and also on deer and wild boar.

History

The Ariégeois is a traditional breed of the Midi-Pyrénées. It may have come from crossing pack hounds such as the Grand Bleu de Gascogne or the Grand Gascon-Saintongeois with local Briquet dogs. France recognized it officially in 1912, and the FCI gave it definitive acceptance in 1954.

Appearance

The Ariégeois looks much like the Grand Bleu de Gascogne and the Grand Gascon-Saintongeois, but it is lighter in build and not as tall. Males stand about 52–58 cm and females about two centimeters less; the usual weight is around 25–27 kg.

The coat is short, smooth and dense. It is white or mottled white with clear-edged black patches, with tan markings on the face and tan spots over the eyes. The skin fits closely without wrinkles. The ears are soft and just long enough to reach the nose, the neck is slender and slightly arched, and the tail is slightly curved. The feet are a long oval, like a hare’s, with black pads and claws and no dewclaws.

Temperament

This is a working hound. It is used both to course game and to drive it toward waiting guns. It is light and tough and can work over difficult ground and through very thick brush, though it is not especially fast, and it bays while it follows a trail. It does not adapt well to life in town and is not usually kept as a companion dog.

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