Grand Blue de Gascogne: An ancient and well-balanced breed, the Grand Blue de Gascogne is a five-star hound, ideal for hunting hare that is not afraid to confront its long-time enemy, the wild boar.
Gifted with an intelligent look and a proud demeanor, the Grand Bleu de Gascogne is an excellent hunting dog, belonging to the group of hounds and more precisely of the blood trail dogs. Widely widespread in France, as the name itself suggests, the dog has a great history and many hunters choose it for their hunting adventures.
He has a certain predisposition for hunting with a shotgun on foot which more often than not turns into a real pursuit, he is not afraid to deal with small game, but according to some he gives his best with that of large size: it is worth it. as an example the wild boar.
This fantastic dog adapts well in packs, but is able to offer excellent performance even during a solitary hunt, as the traits that distinguish him are really notable:
• very fine sense of smell;
• screamer's voice with heavy tones;
• constant and determined, with a surprising instinct for following;
• calm character and willing to follow any orders dictated by the hunter.
As far as not everyone knows, the Blue de Gascogne is a family made up of 3 different specimens: the Petit Blue, the Basset Blue and the Grand Blue. They all have in common the fact that they are superlative track and follow dogs. Of course there is a superstar within the family: it is the Grand blue de Gascogne; it is no coincidence that in the past it was commonly defined as the most noble and imposing hound in the whole world.
Origins of the Grand Blue de Gascogne:
As previously mentioned he is originally from the French South West, and it was Gascony that hosted his birthplace. It is commonly believed that it is a particularly ancient breed, born from the meeting of the Saint Hubert, some other local hounds and the Bloodhound: this is justified by its surprising sense of smell.
Originally used for wolf, wild boar and even bear hunting, it seems that in the past it made more than one sovereign fall in love and that over time, to make Blue de Gascogne infallible, constant selections have led it to be non only an excellent hound, but also an infallible hare chaser.
Characteristics of the Grand Blue de Gascogne:
It is his blue-tinged coat that earned him the name Blue de Gascogne. However, the color of the fur is actually mixed, with small spots on the trunk and a certain mixture of black and white hairs. Hard worker and very fast during the gallop, the Blue de Gascogne is tall up to 72 centimeters in the case of males and 68 in the case of females and its weight varies between 32 and 38 kilos.
The dog is temperamentally very obedient, easy to train and a scrupulous hunter, although in some cases he proves to be a little lazy. It is practically impossible for it to bite a man, which is why, in addition to being an excellent hunting dog, it proves to be a faithful companion.
Although it is able to hunt, as mentioned, even small game, its historical enemy is the wild boar and not infrequently in Italy it is used during this kind of hunting activity. If you are thinking of choosing a nice Petit Blue remember that it needs great open spaces in which to run around.