At a glance the quick version
Coat and looks how to spot one
short, dense
A medium-sized, well balanced scenthound with long, low-set ears and a short, close, thick coat that needs little upkeep.32
Personality what they are like
Even-tempered and friendly, this hound is easy to handle and responds well to direction. It hunts in a steady, thorough way and gets along with other dogs, though a few individuals can be a little reserved with strangers.324
Daily activity how busy a day looks
High. Bred to follow a scent trail for hours with great stamina, so it needs long daily walks or runs and scent work, ideally in a securely fenced area.23
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
The short, dense coat needs only a weekly brush-down. Check and clean the long drop ears regularly.32
Home where they are happiest
Best in a rural or active home with a secure garden; traditionally kept as a pack hound rather than as a house dog.43
Company who they like around
A pack-oriented hound that enjoys canine company; aggression toward other hounds or people is not typical of the breed.32
The story where it all began
The Petit Bleu was produced by deliberately selecting smaller dogs from the Grand Bleu de Gascogne, whose line goes back to medieval French hounds. Hunters in Gascony wanted a hound suited to hare and other small game once wolves had disappeared, and the FCI recognised the breed in 1963.3241
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
"Petit" refers to the smaller game it was bred to hunt, not to its size: it is actually a medium-large dog.4
- 2
Its black and white mottling blends into a blue-grey look, which is where the "bleu" in its name comes from.3
- 3
The breed standard singles out its beautiful hunting voice as a breed hallmark.3
- 4
In FCI countries, dogs must pass a working trial to become full champions.1
Recognised by the official bits
- FCI
- Standard No. 31, Group 6 (Scent hounds), Section 1.2 medium-sized hounds; definitive acceptance 23 Oct 1963; working trial required1
- UKC
- Recognised January 19912
- Société Centrale Canine
- Breed standard held by the French national kennel club (country of origin)4
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Petit Bleu de Gascogne. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- Brushingevery week
- Bathevery 8 weeks
- Nail trimSooner if you hear clicking on the floorevery month
- Ear checkFloppy ears trap moisture, so check and dry themevery week
- Teeth brushingDaily brushing is idealevery 2 days
- ExerciseDaily walks and playevery day
- Flea, tick and worm protectionSchedule as your vet recommendsas your vet recommends
- Vet check-upSenior years usually start around age 8every year
You might also like
Grand Bleu de Gascogne
Griffon Bleu de Gascogne
Basset Bleu de Gascogne
Gascon SaintongeoisLike what we are building? Buy Archy a bone.
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at support@furrydiary.app and we will fix it.
- FCI nomenclature: Petit Bleu de Gascogne (31) fci.beused for recognition, origin
- UKC breed standard: Petit Bleu de Gascogne ukcdogs.comused for history, temperament, coat, height, recognition
- FCI standard No. 31 fci.beused for size, coat, colour, temperament, history
- Wikipedia: Petit Bleu de Gascogne en.wikipedia.orgused for history, fun facts, recognition
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.