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Blue Gascony Griffon |
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FCI standard Nº 32 |
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Origin |
France | |
Translation |
Mrs. Peggy Davis | |
Group |
Group 6 Scenthounds | |
Section |
Section 1.2 Medium sized hounds | |
Working |
With working trial | |
Acceptance on a definitive basis by the FCI |
Monday 30 September 1963 | |
Publication of the official valid standard |
Wednesday 24 January 1996 | |
Last update |
Tuesday 29 August 2023 | |
En français, cette race se dit |
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Griffon bleu de Gascogne |
Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar |
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Blauer Griffon der Gascogne |
En español, esta raza se dice |
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Grifón azul de Gascuña |
In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd |
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Griffon bleu de Gascogne |
Usage |
Multipurpose hound used for hunting the hare with the gun. His keenness and fine nose make of him also a precious assistant in the tracking of the wild boar. |
Brief historical summary |
Of very ancient Pyrenean origin, he is the offspring of the crossing of a medium sized Gascony Blue with a Griffon. After having practically disappeared from the official dog fancy, the breed is actually experiencing an important revival. |
General appearance |
Griffon of rustic appearance, solidly built, being halfway between the two breeds from which he is issued. |
Behaviour / temperament |
Fine nose, good voice, intent in his way of hunting, but also full of keenness and enterprise. Temperament alert, even overwhelmingly agitated but yet affectionate. |
Head |
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Cranial region |
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Skull |
Seen from the front, slightly domed and not too broad; the occipital protuberance is lightly marked. Seen from above, the back of the skull is ogival in shape. The forehead is full. | |
Stop |
Not very accentuated. |
Facial region |
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Nose |
Black, large, nostrils well open. | |
Muzzle |
Practically the same length as that of the skull. Nasal bridge straight or slightly arched. | |
Lips |
Lightly developed but covering the lower jaw. | |
Jaws and teeth |
Scissor bite. Incisors set square to the jaws. | |
Cheeks |
Lean. | |
Eyes |
Oval shape; dark chestnut. Very expressive and lively. | |
Ears |
Supple, curled in without excess, very slightly pointed; must reach the beginning of the nose without going beyond its extremity. Set just below the eyeline. |
Neck |
Rather slender, with a little dewlap. |
Body |
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Back |
Well supported, firm; short. | |
Loin |
Muscled, slightly arched. | |
Croup |
Very slightly oblique. | |
Chest |
Well developed. Ribs rounded without exaggeration. | |
Side |
Full; underline slightly tucked up towards the back. |
Tail |
Quite hairy; just reaching the point of the hock; well set; carried gaily sabre fashion. |
Limbs |
Forequarters |
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Generality |
Strong and vertical legs, the whole without heaviness. | |
Shoulders |
Quite oblique and muscled. | |
Elbows |
Close to body. | |
Forearm |
Strong. |
Hindquarters |
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Generality |
Vertical and parallel legs. Hindquarters well developed. | |
Upper thigh |
Well muscled. | |
Hock |
Well let down. |
Feet |
Oval shape, toes lean and tight. Pads and nails black. |
Gait and movement |
Supple and lively. |
Skin |
Quite thick, supple. Black or strongly marbled with black patches, never entirely white. Mucous membranes (hairless zones) black. |
Coat |
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Hair |
Hard, rough and shaggy. A little shorter on the head where the eyebrows, quite bushy, do not cover the eyes. Much shorter and flat on the leathers. | |
Colour |
Entirely mottled (black and white) giving a slate blue effect; marked or not with more or less extended black patches. Two black patches are generally placed at either side of the head, covering the leathers, surrounding the eyes and stopping at the cheeks. They do not meet on top of the skull, they leave a white interval in the middle of which is frequently found a little black oval shaped spot, typical of the breed. There are two more or less bright tan markings above the superciliary arches giving a “quatroeuillé” effect to the eyes. Equally one finds traces of tan on the cheeks, the lips, the inner face of the leathers, on the legs and under the tail. |
Size and weight |
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Height at withers |
Males 50 to 57 cm, females 48 to 55 cm. |
Faults |
• Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and its ability to perform its traditional work. • Faults listed should be in degree of seriousness. |
General faults |
Head :![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Body : ![]() ![]() Tail : ![]() Limbs : ![]() ![]() Behaviour : ![]() |
Disqualifying faults |
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NB : |
• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified. • The above mentioned faults when occurring to a highly marked degree or frequently are disqualifying. • Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum. • Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding. |
Bibliography |
https://www.fci.be/ |
Additional information from visitors |
By crossing the Petit Bleu de Gascogne with bearded hounds, such as the Wirehaired Pointer, French hunters created the Petit Griffon de Gascogne in the 18th century as a rugged and hard working gundog for a variety of game, capable of whitstanding even the harshest of climates. Apart from coat type, this breed is physically very similar to its shorthaired cousins, but is reportedly much more aggressive and driven than other Gascony hounds. Moderately popular, the Petit Griffon de Gascogne is a trainable and well-mannered companion when properly socialized and handled. The coat is harsh, wiry and wavy, coming in typical blue mottled tricolors of all Gascony breeds. Average height is around 20 inches. |
Detailed history |
Forgotten, neglected, this friendly small dog is usually only a few lines in cynology books. It is also a breed whose origin remains mysterious, although it is obvious that the Griffon Bleu de Gascogne received blood of Bleus de Gascogne so dear to Gaston Phoebus. Indeed, it is very difficult to specify with which Griffons were crossed the Gascon dogs so that this race was born: were they Nivernais, Vendeans or Fauves of Brittany? To tell the truth, no one dares to speak, not even the president of the Club of the Blue of Gascony, Gascon-Saintongeois and Ariégeois, who, considering his situation, could have been the most able to inform us. The answer may lie in the unsuccessful attempts of MM. de Lacaze, whose crew, the Pindères rally, was founded in the middle of the nineteenth century to hunt hare in the Landes de Gascogne, which was then composed of Blue Lighters, enlarged thanks to crossings with Gascons. Saintongeois In 1875, the boatswains brought "Griffons de Côte d'Or", that is to say, dogs that were probably very close to the Nivernais, who did not acclimatize badly to Gascony, so Messrs. De Lacaze replaced them quickly by Gascons-Saintongeois, and especially by Virelade's dogs, but these Côte d'Or Griffins probably had time to grow, and their products had, in all probability, been adopted by hunters from the region. , current dog lovers. Other strains may have emerged, as was probably the case with the crew of Alain Bourbon, who hunted the hare in Mayenne with dogs with Nivernais blood from the crew of the Marquis du Bourg of Bozas. He was also keeping a pack of Bassets Bleus for shooting, and there is no evidence that there was any interference between his Bassets Bleus and his crossed dogs from Nivernais. In the same period, before the First World War, Georges Delcasse Huc de Monsigou created a pack of 32 Gascons-Saintongeois and Griffons to hunt wild boar in the Aude. It must be said that the record of this mixed pack quickly became excellent, since it went from 22 wild boars during the season 1907-1908 to 45 the following season. And it is probable, too, that the success of this crew of Limoux could have incited other hunters to cross Griffons and Gascons. It is also possible that the Griffons Bleus de Gascogne are very close to the Griffons Ariégeois used at the beginning of the century, MM. Lamarque and Vasilières to hunt wild boar in the area of Pamiers. Indeed, the Ariégeois, which descends from the Gascon and Saintongeois, crossed with lighters of Ariège, has perhaps some responsibility in the fatherhood of the Griffons Bleus. It is also possible that Henri Genouilhou, who at the same time was keeping a pack of Griffons at Mios, in the Gironde, had allowed one of his dogs to mate with a list of one of Bleus's crews. Gascony of the region, like that of M. Gaubert, in Bordeaux. Still, some Blue Griffons of Gascony began to appear on the exhibition benches, too rarely indeed in the opinion of experts. On December 30, 1963, the International Canine Federation transmitted to the Central Canine Society of France its standard of the race, thus officializing the existence of these beautiful little dogs, which however remain few in number (31 inscriptions to the Book of French origins in 1986 and 68 in 1987). The Griffon Bleu de Gascogne combines the qualities of Griffons and Gascons. On the side of the latter, it seems closer to the Petit Bleu, since its size should in no case exceed 52 cm. In addition, he has all the finesse of nose and the very eye-catching character, which can sometimes make him thief. But, Gascons, he also holds his powerful voice and, especially, the pretty blue and black dress that characterizes him, especially in the eyes of the judges. The hair of the Griffon Bleu de Gascogne must be dry and rough, and not woolly as is allowed for some Griffons. This rustic aspect is rather a quality, because it allows this dog to better manage in the grounds covered with brambles or gorse. It is therefore a race which might have been good in the way of the wolf, if, however, it had been created before this animal disappeared from the Hexagon. Too small for wild boar, this Griffon seems ideal for that of the hare, and in the most difficult terrain. As for shooting hunting, this is an area where the Griffon Bleu de Gascogne can do great service, whatever the species hunted. |