Gascon Saintongeois

FCI-Standard N° 21/  28.03.07 /GB

GASCON SAINTONGEOIS

TRANSLATION : Jennifer Mulholland in collaboration with Raymond Triquet

ORIGIN: France

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD: 06.03.07.

UTILIZATION: Great Gascon Saintongeois: Dog used for shooting and sometimes hunting big game but also hare; generally with the pack or alone as a sleuth.

Small Gascon Saintongeois: Versatile dog used for shooting. Its origins make it a hare specialist but also a good hunter of big game.

CLASSIFICATION F.C.I.: Groupe 6 Scenthounds.

Great G.S. : Section 1.1 Large sized scenthounds With working trial.

Small G.S. : Section 1.2 Medium sized scenthounds.

With working trial.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY:

Great G.S.: In the middle of the 19th century the Count Joseph de Carayon-Latour, wanting to regenerate the declining breed of the  Hound of Saintonge, crossed the last descendants with the Bleu de Gascogne of Baron Ruble, thus creating the Gascon Saintongeois but causing the extinction of the Hound of Saintonge.

Small G.S.: In the middle of the 20th century some hunters from the South West of France selected the smallest subjects from their litters of Great Gascon Saintongeois and thus created this variety, intended originally for hare hunting.

GENERAL APPEARANCE:

Great G.S.: Very well constructed dog, giving at the same time an impression of strength and elegance.  Very French in type with regard to the head, coat and expression.

Small G.S.: Medium sized dog, well proportioned and distinguished.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS:

Height at the withers/scapular-ischial length, ratio 10/10.5

Length of muzzle equal to that of the skull.

BEHAVIOUR/TEMPERAMENT:

Pack hound par excellence, fine-nosed, wide-casting and endowed with a very sonorous voice. Joins the pack instinctively. Calm, affectionate and amenable to orders.

HEAD: The lines of the skull and the muzzle are divergent.

CRANIAL REGION:

Skull: Seen from the front, domed and rather narrow; the occipital protuberance is well defined.  Seen from above, the back of the skull is of a pronounced ogival shape.

Stop: Only slightly pronounced.

FACIAL REGION:

Nose: Black, well developed; nostrils well opened.

Lips: Covering the lower jaw; corners discreet. The edges of the lips are black.

Muzzle: Strong; slightly convex.

Jaws: Scissor bite. Incisors are set well square to the jaws.

Cheeks: Lean.

Eyes: Oval shape; brown. Edges of eyelids are black. Gentle and trusting expression.

Ears: Fine and curled, they should reach at least the tip of the nose. Set on below the level of the eye and placed rather backwards, freeing the skull.

NECK: Of medium length and thickness. Slightly arched with little dewlap.

BODY:

Back: Very taut, without excess in length.

Loin: Well attached, slightly arched, quite muscular and not too long.

Croup: Of good length, slightly sloping.

Chest: Broad and long, reaching the elbow. Forechest rather broad.

Ribs: Slightly rounded and long.

Flank: Slightly tucked up.

TAIL: Strong set on; tapering well to the tip, reaching the point of the hock. Carried elegantly like a sabre.

LIMBS

FOREQUARTERS:

Overall view: Powerful forehand.

Shoulder: Quite long, muscled; moderately oblique.

Elbow: Close to the body.

Forearm: Strong bone.

Feet: Slightly elongated oval; toes lean and tight-fitting. Pads and nails black.

HINDQUARTERS:

Overall view: Well proportioned.

Upper thigh: Long and well muscled.

Hock: Broad, well angulated and well let down in line with the body.

GAIT/MOVEMENT: Regular and effortless.

SKIN: Supple and not too thick. White with black patches.

COAT

Hair: Short and tight.

Colour: The ground colour is white with black patches and sometimes speckled but not excessively. Two black patches are generally placed at either side of the head, covering the ears, surrounding the eyes and stopping at the cheeks.  The cheeks are tan, preferably pale.

Two tan markings placed above the superciliary arches give the eyes  a “quatroeillé” (four-eyed) appearance. Traces of tan are also found on the inner side of the ears and in speckles along the legs.  Some fawn hairs may appear on the upper part of the ear but without giving the head a tricolour appearance.  Sometimes at the base of the upper thigh there is a typical dead-leaf marking called “roe buck mark”.

SIZE

Height at withers:  Grand G.S.: Males: 65 to 72 cm Females:  62 to 68 cm

Small G.S.: Males: 56 to 62 cm  Females: 54 to 59 cm

With tolerance of +/- 1 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:  

Short

Broad skull

Ears: short, high set

Absence of tan markings

Body:  

Lack of substance

Slack back

Croup falling away

Deviated tail

Limbs: 

Bone structure insufficiently developed

Shoulder too oblique or too straight

Splayed feet

Hind angulation straight

Cow hocked

ELIMINATING FAULTS:

Aggressive or overly shy

Lack of type and, in particular, broad and round skull

Overshot or undershot mouth

Light eyes

Any other coat than that stipulated in the standard.

Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.

N.B.: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.