F.C.I. Standard No.: 22/24.01.1996/F
Name of the breed: GRAND BLEU DE GASCOGNE (Great Gascony Blue)
Translation : Mrs. Peggy Davis
Origin : France
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE VALID ORIGINAL
STANDARD :
24.01.1996.
Utilization: Scent hound used for hunting with the gun and
sometimes for coursing big game, but also hare hunting, generally in a pack or
individually as a tracking hound.
F.C.I. Classification: Group 6 Scent hounds
Section 1.1 Large sized hounds with working trial.
Brief historial summary: He is of a very old breed;
contemporary of the St. Hubert-Hounds he composed, in the 14th
century, the pack of Gaston FEBUS, Comte (count) de Foix who used him to hunt
the wolf, the bear or the boar.
Very widespread in the South (midi) and South-West of France, particularly in
Gascony, from where he takes his name, he is at the origin of all the scent
hounds named "from the South" (du midi).
GENERAL APPEARANCE : Ancient breed of dog, of
outstanding French type when it comes to the head, the coat and the expression.
Imposing, giving an impression of calm strength and of great nobleness.
BEHAVIOUR/TEMPERAMENT:
behaviour: Very fine nose; endowed with a sonorous howling voice, with
deep tones. Very intent in his way of hunting. Instinctively a pack hound.
temperament: Calm, obeys orders easily.
HEAD:
CRANIAL
REGION:
skull: seen from
the front, slightly domed and not too broad; occipital protuberance is marked. Seen
from above, the back of the skull is ogival in shape. The forehead is full.
stop: slightly accentuated.
FACIAL REGION
nose: black, well
developed, nostrils well opened.
lips: quite drooping, covering well the lower jaw, giving the front part
of the muzzle a square profile. The corner of the lips is well marked without
being loose.
muzzle: of equal length to that of the skull; strong; nasal bridge
slightly arched.
jaws: scissor bite. Incisors set well square to the jaws.
cheeks: lean; the skin shows one or two folds.
eyes: oval shape; appear slightly sunken beneath thick eyelids; brown. The
lower lid sometimes shows a certain looseness. Expression gentle and a little
sad.
leathers: characteristic of the blue dog: they are fine, curled in,
ending in a point and must reach beyond the extremity of the nose. The leather
is narrow at its base which is situated well below the eyeline.
NECK: Moderately long; slightly arched; dewlaps
developed.
BODY:
back: rather long but well supported (firm).
loin: well fused.
rump: slightly sloping, emphasizing the haunches.
chest: long, broad; let down to elbow level. Forechest broad.
ribs: moderately rounded and long.
flank: flat and well let down.
tail: rather thick, sometimes there should be some longer and coarser,
slightly offstanding hairs (like ears of grain) towards the tip: reaching the
point of the hock; strong at its root; carried sabre fashion.
LIMBS:
FOREQUARTERS:
view of the ensemble: powerful forehand.
shoulder: quite long and muscled, well sloping.
elbows: close to the body.
forearm: strong bone structure; tendons prominent.
feet: of a slight elongated oval; toes lean and tight. Pads and nails
black.
HINDQUARTERS:
view of the ensemble: solidly built.
upper thigh: long and muscled.
hock: broad, slightly bent, well let down.
GAIT/MOVEMENT: Regular and easy.
SKIN: Quite thick, supple. Black or strongly
mottled with black patches, never entirely white. Mucous membranes (hairless
zones) black.
COAT:
HAIR: Short, quite thick; very dense.
COLOUR: Entirely mottled (black and white) giving a
slate blue colouring effect: either marked or not with more or less extended
black patches. Two black patches are generally placed at either side of the
head, covering the ears, surrounding the eyes and stopping at the cheeks. They
do not meet up on the top of the skull; they leave a white interval in the
middle of which there is often a small black oval spot, typical of the breed. Two
more or less bright tan markings are placed above the superciliary arches
giving a "quatreoeillë" appearance to the eyes. There are also traces
of tan on the cheeks, lips, inner face of the leather, on the legs and under
the tail.
SIZE:
HEIGHT AT THE WITHERS: males: 65 to 72 cm
females: 62 to 68 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.
Head:
too short,
skull too flat or too narrow,
leathers set high, short, insufficiently curled in.
Body:
lack of substance,
slack (soft) back,
rump falling away,
deviated tail.
Limbs:
bone structure insufficiently developed.
straight shoulder,
splayed feet,
cow hocks, seen from behind.
Coat (hair):
too fine and short.
Behaviour:
timid subject.
ELIMINATING FAULTS:
- Lack of type.
- Any coat other than that indicted in the standard.
- Light eye.
- Serious anatomical malformation.
- Visible disabling (invalidating) defect.
- Frightened or aggressive subject.
- Prognathism.
N.B. Male animals should have two apparently normal
testicles descended into the scrotum.