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.

ORIGIN: France

HISTORY:
The race came created from the baron De Virelade intercrossing the best French dogs from hunting, the Saintongeois, the Grand Bleau de Guascogne and the Arigeois. To memory of the baron the Grand Gascon Saintongeois known also with the name of Virelade

DESCRIPTION:
In the males the height goes from the 63 to i 70,5 cm while in the females the height comprised between the 60 and 65 centimeters while like for the Grand Bleau not indicated a weight

It has a dry and lengthened head, with the skin that forms two wrinkles on cheeks the labbra is falling back and the convex skull, tartufo black very developed.
The eyes are dark brown with sad and sweet expression.
The orecchie much long thin and are rolled up.
Ia large long tail and comes capacity to scythe.
The limbs are very muscolosi and straight on the appiombi.
The mantle covered from hair I shave and thin. The bottom color the white man punctuated of black or with irregular spots. Some Spots are placed on the head turning around the eyes and finishing in cheeks

I USE:

In the hunting to the lupo, and the capriolo and in the search of the lepre between the best dogs from track than blood beyond to an exceptional one fiuto, it succeeds in modulating its latrati ones making to understand to the hunter the direction of the preda.