Chien Français Blanc et Noir

The Chien Français Blanc et Noir, whose name means French white and black dog, is a large scenthound from France. It hunts in packs and descends from the old Hound of Saintonge.

History

The old Hound of Saintonge nearly vanished during the French Revolution. In the middle of the 19th century Count Joseph de Carayon-Latour used what was left of it to create the Gascon Saintongeois. Late in that century, Gascon Saintongeois hounds were crossed with the Poitevin, and the result was the Chien Français Blanc et Noir. It was officially recognized as a breed in 1957. In 2009 about 2,000 were registered through the FCI.

These are pack hounds in the full sense: they hunt as a group under human direction, not on their own. The packs are valued above all for hunting red deer and roe deer. Their looks and deep howl have also made them increasingly popular as pets in the United States.

Appearance

The breed is a typical pack hound, lean and muscular with long legs. The head is slightly domed, the ears are long and hang down, and the squarish upper lips just overlap the lower. Males stand 65 to 72 cm at the withers and females are a little smaller.

The coat is white and black with a black mantle, and is sometimes speckled or ticked with black or blue. There is a pale tan dot above each eye, and tan on the cheeks, below the eyes and ears, and under the tail. Some dogs also have a tan patch at the base of the upper thigh, known as the roe buck mark. Signs of Foxhound crossing or an off-color coat count as faults, and dogs showing them should not be bred.

Temperament

The hound is known for perseverance in the hunt, a good nose and a good voice. Unusually for a pack hound, it is friendly and easy for people to handle.

Facts on this page were checked against Wikipedia and may have changed since.