Basset Bleu de Gascogne
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For more information about the Basset Bleu de Gascogne Click hereThe Basset Bleu de Gascogne is a lively dog breed that has a lot to offer the right person. They are great hunting dogs with short legs, long ears, and a mottled coat. This French-born dog is sometimes known as the Blue Gascony Basset.
As a rare dog breed, they aren't as well known as many other hunting dogs, though they have a long and interesting history and are certainly active and fun dogs.
Basset Bleu de Gascogne Traits
The Basset Bleu does best when they are well trained. They are big people pleasers. When left alone without much exercise or much to do, they have a tendency to become destructive dogs. When well trained, they are lively and active and happy.
This dog breed hasn't often been kept as pets. They have a long history as hunting dogs. They enjoy scenting for things with their nose to the ground and are well known as great hunters of small game. They can be kept as family pets though, particularly if they are kept that way from a young age. They are not known for being great with children. If they are raised with children, they can get along fine, though they will likely remain suspicious of unknown children.
A fun fact that is less well known about this dog is their distinctive howl. They have a rich and deep-throated howl that really stands out.
While they can be quite active and need a daily walk, they can adjust to apartment life as long as they still have a fair amount of exercise worked into their daily routines and they are still getting plenty of attention. They are social dogs. When kept as pets, they do best in a house that is active. They would make a great hiking or hunting dog.
What This Dog Breed Looks Like
On average, the Basset Bleue de Gasscogne is between twelve and fifteen inches in height. They weigh between thirty-five and forty pounds. At fifteen inches tall, they can be a bit taller than some of the other six recognized Basset Hound breeds. They are still low to the ground, making them great hunting dogs for small game.
They have large brown eyes, a stocky and long body, and a strong muzzle.
Like other Basset Hounds, they have long ears and a narrow head. Their long ears fold inward. These ears sweep scents up toward the nose, adding to their ability as great scent hounds. While these dogs are known for being fairly healthy, they can be prone to ear infections because of their long floppy ears, so this is something to keep an eye on.
The area of France where these dogs were originally bred has a strong sun. For this reason, they were bred to bring out a mottled coat that would help protect them from the heat. Their coats are short and often appear to be a blue color, hence the "bleu" in their names. In truth, the blue appearing coat is white with black ticking, making it look slate in appearance. Sometimes, these dogs will have black spots. They can also have tan spots on their faces or on their legs. Many of these Basset Bleus will have a large white circle on top of their head with a black circle in the center.
While similar in appearance to the classic Basset Hound, the Basset Bleu has slightly longer legs. They are still stocky, but have a lighter build. Their skin appears to be fit more tightly to their body, another advantage for them as hunting dogs.
The History Of The French Hunting Dogs
You won't find many of this dog breed outside of France. They've been around since the 14th century primarily as hunting dogs. As they are low to the ground, and great scent hounds, they were loved for their ability to dive under underbrush and hunt small game, particularly rabbits.
By the late 1800s however, there weren't that many left. Hunting had become less popular and the need for the Basset Bleu de Gascogne was falling out of style. Their numbers had dropped dramatically.
Then, in the early 1900s, Alain Bourbon decided to revive the breed. There isn't a lot of information about how this happened, though it does seem that this basset hound looks slightly different than before, so he likely bred the Basset Hound with something similar to create the Basset Bleu de Gasocogne that is known today.
Today, the breed is still rare. They can be found in the United States, but not commonly so. They are still most commonly found in France.
The dog breed has been recognized by both the United Kennel Club (UKC) and the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI).
Hunting Dogs and Great Companions
The Basset Bleu de Gascogne are great hunting dogs, companions, and people pleasers who love to be trained and given a job to do. For the right family, they can make great pets that are lively and love a good weekend of hiking and camping.
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