Gascon Saintongeois

FCI:

Gascon Saintongeois - Group VI - Scenthounds and related breeds, Section - Large sized Hounds.

General Appearance:

Character is calm, easy manageable dog, characterized by courage and perseverance. Outside when it is hunting its behaviour is dignified, noble aristocratic. Its owner it loves and it is fully committed to owner. However, this dog is bred mostly by hunters, that why all its features cannot be appeared because the dogs are permanently kept in kennels.

If there are more dogs the right pack is kept in areas with favourable climate they can be accommodated throughout the year in outdoor kennels. Worse, if the owner of one dog keeps it in an outdoor kennel, which because of its short hair in the winter, e.g. in our conditions, quite not possibly without a heated shed. In this case, however, the behaviour of the dog it shows that suffers loneliness that contact with the owner it is absent.

Training/Behaviour:

The education is not so simple. The owner must keep in mind that this is a Scent Hound accustomed to the various situations that occur during hunting and especially during the chase, make decisions independently, in its sole discretion, to rely only on itself and not wait for the commands from the owner, who may be far away. Therefore, since it is not good enough expected or require absolute blind obedience.

Owner needs consistent, but benign, purposeful, patient, tenacious, empathetic, rigorous, fair and kind. Usage of hard (parforce, law enforcement) training methods will be absolutely big mistake. They only lead to disruption of the relationship between dog and owner, and complications in mutual coexistence.

Body:

Dog with perfect physique, overall growth habit, the shape of the head and expression typical French Hound inspiring at first look quite justified impression of strength and elegance. Height at withers  is in the case of this large breed , male is 65-72 cm  and female is  62-68 and in the case of small variant male is  56-62 cm  and female is  54-59 cm , each with a tolerance of + / -1 cm.

Nose required large, black, and well open.

Desirable scissor bite, the incisors must be placed in the jaws.

Eyes should be oval, brown. Their view is gentle and trusting. The rims are black in colour.

The earlobes should be fine, slightly spirally rolled and long so that it stretched forward to reach the tip of the nose. They are set below the eye line and fairly in the back of its head. Loosely merge the sides of the skull.

The tail is thick at the root towards the tip gradually narrowing. It should be long enough to reaching the hock. It is supported by elegantly curved sabre.

Chest should be long and deep so that it reaches to the elbows. Chest: Seen from the front is appropriately broad. The forelegs must be strong. They have fairly long, well muscled and moderately sloping shoulder blade. Feet should have a shape slightly elongated oval. Fingers are dry and tight, wear pads and black nails. The hindquarters should be proportional.

The coat is short and contiguous. The basic colour must be white with black patches and spots, which may not be many.

For bug is considered short head, broad skull, ears short and set high, missing tan colour, body without proper substance (weak), soft topline of the body.

The eliminating faults include excessive aggression or fearfulness, lack of distinctiveness overall appearance caused partly broad and rounded skull, overshot or undershot jaw, light-coloured eyes and hair than any other in the standard.