Ariégeois

Ariégeois

Ariégeois

French breed of dog

For the "Ariègeois Pony", please see Mérens horse

The Ariégeois is a French breed of medium-sized scent hound from the département of Ariège in the Midi-Pyrenées region of southern France. It may have derived from cross-breeding of pack-hunting hounds such as the Grand Bleu de Gascogne or Grand Gascon-Saintongeois with local Briquet dogs.[2] It hunts either alone or in a pack, and is used both as a courser and for driving game to waiting guns. While most successful with hares, it is also used for hunting deer and boar.[3] It does not adapt well to urban life,[4] and is not usually kept as a companion dog.[5]: 46 

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History

The Ariégeois is a traditional breed of the Midi-Pyrenées, and particularly of the Ariège. It may have derived from cross-breeding of pack-hunting hounds such as the Grand Bleu de Gascogne or Grand Gascon-Saintongeois with local Briquet dogs.[2] It was officially recognised in France in 1912,[1]: 164  and was definitively accepted by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in 1954.[6]

Characteristics

The Ariégeois is similar in appearance to the Grand Bleu de Gascogne and Grand Gascon-Saintongeois, but is lighter in build and not as tall.[2] The usual weight is approximately 25–27 kg.[1]: 164  Dogs stand some 52–58 cm, bitches about two centimetres less.[6] The skin is close-fitting and without wrinkles; the mucosa are black. The coat is dense, smooth and short, white or mottled white with clearly-defined black markings; there are tan markings to the face, and tan points over the eyes.[1]: 164 [2] The ears are soft and just long enough to reach the nose. The neck is slender and arched slightly. The feet are of long oval shape, like those of a hare, with black pads and claws; there are no dewclaws. The tail is slightly curved.[2]

Use

The Ariégeois is a scent hound. It may hunt either alone or in a pack, and is used both as a courser and for driving game to waiting guns. While most successful with hares, it is also used to track deer and wild boar.[3] It is light and tough, and can work on difficult terrain and in even the thickest brush, but is not particularly fast.[7]: 67 [8]: 31  It bays while tracking.[7]: 67 

It does not adapt well to urban life,[4] and is not usually kept as a companion dog.[5]: 46 

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ariégeois.
  1. [1]
    [Bruce Fogle] (2013). The Dog Encyclopedia. London; New York: Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 9781465408440.
  2. [2]
    FCI-Standard N° 298: Ariégeois. Fédération Cynologique Internationale. Accessed January 2022.
  3. [3]
    Standard de l'Ariegeois (in French). Club du Bleu de Gascogne. Archived 1 June 2002.
  4. [4]
    Ariegeois(in French). Société Centrale Canine. Accessed January 2022.
  5. [5]
    Tamsin Pickeral (2014). Dogs Unleashed. San Diego: Thunder Bay Press. ISBN 9781626860681.
  6. [6]
    FCI breeds nomenclature: Ariegeois. Fédération Cynologique Internationale. Accessed January 2022.
  7. [7]
    Maxence Ponroy (2000). Toutes les chasses du chevreuil (in French). Paris: Editions Jean-Paul Gisserot. ISBN 9782877475310.
  8. [8]
    Pierre Rousselet-Blanc (2019). Le Larousse du chien et du chiot (in French). Paris: Larousse. ISBN 9782035968562.
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