Chien Français Tricolore
Encyclopedia
The Chien français tricolore (FCI No.219) translated into English as the French Tricolour Hound, is a breed
Dog breed
Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock....
of dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
of the scenthound type
Dog type
Dog types are broad categories of dogs based on function, with dogs identified primarily by specific function or style of work rather than by lineage or appearance....
, originating in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The breed is used for hunting in packs.
Appearance
The breed is a typical large French hunting pack hound, with a lean and muscular body, long legs, elongated head with a noticeable occipital protuberance, long drop ears, and slightly square flews. Size is 62 cm to a maxium size of 72 cm (23.6 to 28.3 ins) at the withersWithers
The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of a four-legged animal. In many species it is the tallest point of the body, and in horses and dogs it is the standard place to measure the animal's height .-Horses:The withers in horses are formed by the dorsal spinal processes of roughly the...
, females slightly smaller.
The coat
Coat (dog)
The coat of the domestic dog refers to the hair that covers its body. A dog's coat may be a double coat, made up of a soft undercoat and a coarser topcoat, or a single coat, which lacks an undercoat...
is tricolour, with a wide black mantle, and tan parts are of a bright colour. A grizzled colour called "louvard" ("wolf-like") is also seen in the breed. Faults
Fault (dog)
The term fault is used in animal breed standards to describe an aspect of appearance or temperament that is considered detrimental to the breed type of the animal's breed. In dogs, faults have to do with the externally observable qualities of the dog such as appearance, movement, and temperament...
are listed as physical or behavioural abnormalities, and a dog with such faults should not be bred. Faults include fat feet, aggression, or any trace of crossing with English hounds.
History and use
The Chien français tricolore are pack hunting dogs, which means that groups of dogs are hunted together, always directed by a human, not running about hunting by themselves. Dogs bred to be pack hunting dogHunting dog
A hunting dog refers to any dog who assists humans in hunting. There are several types of hunting dogs developed for various tasks. The major categories of hunting dogs include hounds, terriers, dachshunds, cur type dogs, and gun dogs...
s do not usually make good pet
Pet
A pet is a household animal kept for companionship and a person's enjoyment, as opposed to wild animals or to livestock, laboratory animals, working animals or sport animals, which are kept for economic or productive reasons. The most popular pets are noted for their loyal or playful...
s.