| Poitevin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Other names | Chien du Haut-Poitou | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Common nicknames | Haut-Poitou | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Origin | France | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Dog ( domestic dog ) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Poitevin, also known as the Chien de Haut-Poitou, is a breed of French scenthound from the province of Poitou, this predominantly pack hound was created in the 17th century to hunt wolves.
The Poitevin is a refined, athletic hound with sighthound features. In appearance it looks like a mixture of a foxhound and a greyhound. [1] The Poitevin typically stands 60 to 72 centimetres (24 to 28 in) at the withers and weighs 20.5 to 30.5 kilograms (45 to 67 lb). They have a flat, gently sloping skull; a long, narrow tapering muzzle; a slender, well-muscled neck; long, straight, heavily boned legs and a long tail. [2] [3] The Poitevin's short coat is usually tricolour; all other breeds of tricolour hounds are sometimes described as having Poitevin heritage. [1] [3] [4]
The Poitevin is renowned for its speed, stamina, scenting abilities and melodious voice whilst hunting. Packs have been known to reach speeds of 56 kilometres per hour (35 mph) and to hunt for up to seven hours. [1] [2] [3] [5] In his book La Vénerie, Pierre de Cossé Brissac, 12th Duke of Brissac said of the Poitevin "He is able to chase the quarry more than 7 hours. Because of his speed, the Poitevin's nickname is 'Greyhound among the French hounds'." [3] [6]
While not shy, the Poitevin is known to be more aloof than many other hound breeds and does not adapt well when not kept in a pack environment. [3] [5]
Poitevins descend from 12 English Staghounds that were gifted to the Dauphin of France in 1692. Some of the offspring of these hounds were given to François de Larrye, Marquis of Haut-Poitou, who crossed them with local hounds. The offspring of this crossbreeding resulted in strong, athletic tricoloured hounds that the Marquis used to hunt wolf, the first examples of the breed. [1] [2] [3] [5] In addition to the Larrye pack, two other packs of Poitevins were bred, both named after their owners, the Montemboeuf and Céris. These two packs were distinguished from the Larrye hounds in being bicoloured (orange and white), and both were considered inferior to the Larrye hounds. [1] [3] [5]
During the French Revolution, the fortunes of Poitevin suffered greatly. The then-Marquis de Larrye was beheaded in 1793 during the Reign of Terror, and the Larrye pack was dispersed and the breed almost disappeared. [1] [2] [3] [5] After the Revolution, two brothers, Emile and Arthur de la Besage of Montmorillon who lived in Poitou, sought to revive the breed. They collected whatever remaining Poitevins they could, including two from the Larrye pack, and reestablished a pack. [1] [2] [3] [5] In 1842, disaster struck the de la Besage hounds, with an outbreak of rabies in the kennels nearly destroying the pack. The breed was revived by the importation of English Foxhounds, a carefully considered crossbreeding program was implemented, and within three generations the Foxhound influence was barely perceptible within the pack. [1] [2]
The breed suffered greatly during the First and Second World Wars, and at the end of the Second World War further outcrossings to English Foxhounds were necessary to reconstitute the breed. [1] [3] [5]
Whilst the Poitevin was originally created to hunt the wolf, several packs are still maintained in France but today are used to hunt boar and deer in the traditions of the 'Grande Vénérie'. [1] [3] [4] [5] The Poitevin was central to the development of the two most popular of France's packhound breeds, the Grand Anglo-Français Tricolore and Chien Français Tricolore, as well as the Anglo-Français de Petite Vénerie. [1] [2] [5]
A hound is a type of hunting dog used by hunters to track or chase prey.
Scent hounds are a type of hound that primarily hunts by scent rather than sight. These breeds are hunting dogs and are generally regarded as having some of the most sensitive noses among dogs. Scent hounds specialize in following scent or smells. Most of them tend to have long, drooping ears and large nasal cavities to enhance smell sensitivity. They relatively need to have high endurance to be able to keep track of scent over long distances and rough terrain. It is believed that they were originally bred by the Celts.
A foxhound is a type of large hunting hound bred for strong hunting instincts, a keen sense of smell, their bark, energy, drive, and speed. In fox hunting, the foxhound's namesake, packs of foxhounds track quarry, followed—usually on horseback—by the hunters, sometimes for several miles at a stretch; moreover, foxhounds also sometimes guard sheep and houses.
The Chien Français Blanc et Noir is a breed of dog of the scenthound type, originating in France. The breed is used for hunting in packs and descends from the old Hound of Saintonge type of large hunting dog.
The English Foxhound is one of the four foxhound breeds of dog. It is a cousin of the American Foxhound. They are scent hounds, bred to hunt foxes by scent.
The Artois Hound is a rare breed of dog, and a descendant of the Bloodhound. A scent hound 22–23 inches high at the withers, weighing anything between 55 and 65 pounds, it is a well constructed dog with a slow graceful gait. It has a large, strong head, a medium-length back and a pointed tail that tends to be long and sickle-shaped. Their ears are set at eye level; they have large prominent eyes and quite thick lips.
The Treeing Walker Coonhound is a breed of hound descended from the English and American Foxhounds. The breed originated in the United States when a dog known as "Tennessee Lead" was crossed into the Walker Hound in the 19th century. The Treeing Walker Coonhound was recognized officially as a breed by the United Kennel Club in 1945 and by the American Kennel Club in 2012.
The Billy is a large scenthound originating from central western France.
The Grand Anglo-Francais Tricolore is a breed of dog used in hunting as a scenthound, usually in packs. It is one of the Anglo-French hound breeds which were created by crossing French scenthounds with English (Anglo) Foxhounds.
The Anglo-Français de Petite Vénerie is a medium-sized breed of dog used in hunting as a scenthound, usually in packs. It is one of the Anglo-French hound breeds which were created by crossing French scenthounds with English (Anglo) foxhounds. The name Petite Vénerie does not mean that dogs of the breed are petite or small, but rather that it is used to hunt small game.
The Southern Hound was a breed of dog that existed in Britain probably until sometime in the 19th century, now extinct. The exact date of its extinction is not known; it is likely that it was gradually interbred with other breeds until the genuine Southern Hound bloodline ceased to exist.
The North Country Beagle, Northern Hound or Northern Beagle was a breed of dog that existed in Britain probably until early in the 19th century. The exact date of its extinction is not known; it is likely that it was gradually interbred with other breeds, particularly the modern Beagle, until the genuine North Country Beagle bloodline ceased to exist.
The Chien Français Tricolore translated into English as the French Tricolour Hound, is a breed of dog of the scenthound type, originating in France. The breed is used for hunting in packs.
Anglo-Français and Français hounds are a general dog type of hunting dog that include ancient French hounds and breeds created by mixing the French dogs with English (Anglo) Foxhounds. There are seven dog breeds that are described as Anglo-Français and Français hounds.
The Grand Anglo-Français Blanc et Noir translated into English as the Great Anglo-French White and Black Hound, is a breed of dog used in hunting as a scenthound, usually in packs. It is one of the Anglo-French hound breeds which were created by crossing French scenthounds with English (Anglo) Foxhounds.
The bloodhound is a large scent hound, originally bred for hunting deer, wild boar and, since the Middle Ages, for tracking people. Believed to be descended from hounds once kept at the Abbey of Saint-Hubert, Belgium, in French it is called, le chien de Saint-Hubert.
The Chien-gris a.k.a. Gris de Saint-Louis is an extinct breed of dog which originated in Medieval times. Like the Chien de Saint-Hubert, it was a scent hound, and formed part of the royal packs of France, which were composed, from about 1250 till 1470, exclusively of hounds of this type. According to King Charles IX, (1550–1574) they supposedly were introduced to France through Saint Louis, who had encountered these hounds while a prisoner during the Crusades, and subsequently received some as a gift. Old writers on hunting liked to ascribe an ancient and remote origin to their hounds, and these were claimed to be originally from Tartary. They were large, and, even though they did not have such good noses, were preferred by the Kings to the St Huberts, which were said to be only of medium size.
The West Country Harrier, sometimes called Somerset Harrier, is a breed of scent hound from the south west of England that is used to hunt hare in packs. The West Country Harrier is often considered to be a variety of the more common Harrier breed, which is sometimes referred to as the Studbook Harrier.
The King's White Hound, the Chien Blanc du Roi in French, was a now extinct breed of scent hound from France. The breed was said to be the favourite of the French kings from Louis XI to Louis XIV.
