Blue de Gascogne

History

Seen in drawings since the beginning of the 1900s, mystery follows the Bleus de Gascogne as many debate exactly what other bloodlines besides the Grand Bleu de Gascogne it originated from. Whether it was from the bloodlines of native hounds at the time, or selective breeding, we do know that this breed is a wonderful breed today. Taught to hunt wild boar and wolves in packs, the Bleus de Gascogne is best for those who choose to hunt on foot rather than horseback, due to this breed being slower moving than other hounds because of their short legs. Other names are Blue Gascony Basset and Basset Bleu de Gascogne.

Appearance

Built long, thick and low to the ground, both males and females typically weigh 35-40 pounds in weight and measure 13-17 inches in height. Four, short and stocky legs hold up a muscular, medium sized body with a long tail that should be curved upwards when relaxed. Their very large, pendant shaped ears hang along side of their long face as two almond shaped eyes are seen in either a dark brown or black in color. Their single layer, smooth coat is available in a base coat of white, with blue and black tickling or markings within their coat. They are also available in a dark blue and black with gray "ticking" pattern.

Temperament

Affectionate, loving, loyal and goofy best describes the Blue Gascony Basset. Wonderful around other pets, dogs, children and elderly it is raised with, you can't really go wrong when considering adding this breed to your family! With positive reinforcement training methods teaching this breed your rules and boundaries indoors, you are sure to have a perfect companion. This breed does require a daily walk as well as some other playful activities that can encourage mental stimulation for the health and well being of your dog. As always, hounds have an excellent sense of smell, so be sure to only walk your Bleus de Gascogne with a proper leash and harness or within a properly, safe fenced in yard at all times. This breed can become mischievous when not receiving enough attention and activity, so be sure not to add this breed to your family if he or she will be left home alone for long time periods every day. This breed can be stubborn at times, so they typically require an owner with patience who is calm and persistent.

Grooming

We recommend using a damp cloth to wipe down your Bleus de Gascogne after a hunting trip in the wilderness, however brush and bathe only when needed. Pay close attention to trimming their nails and cleaning their ears regularly.

Special Notes

As always, dogs that are built long and low, are prone to spinal and other bone and joint issues with age as well as weight. Please fully educate yourself about the Bleus de Gascogne prior to adding one to your family to ensure this is the right breed for you. Do not add one to your household unless you meet the requirements of owning one for a life long commitment, financially and physically. A proper installed fence is highly recommended. All dogs originate from wolves (Canis Lupus). Each breed of dog was originally created by mixing different breeds together in an effort to bring forth certain characteristics. Once a breeder has created acceptable “breed characteristics” within their bloodline and these “breed characteristics” have shown to be reliably reproduced in the offspring for three (3) generations, the bloodline may be upgraded from the category of “foundation stock” to “pure-bred”. The same “pure-bred” breed standards vary from different continents, countries, territories, regions, breed clubs, and canine pure-breed registries depending on the goals of their breeders. Dog DNA testing companies can have accurate results for a specific bloodline of a small colony of dogs. However, there are tens of thousands of different bloodlines in the world which have not yet been tested for marker baseline results by Dog DNA testing companies as of 2017. For this reason Dog DNA testing companies do not guarantee the 100% accuracy of their breed lineage results and will also show different marker results for the same pure-bred breed in different continents, countries, territories, regions, breed clubs, and canine pure-breed registries depending on the goals of their breeders.