Medium-sized Anglo-French Hound

Various mixes of white, black, tan and orange.

Smooth, short-haired, single coat.

Eyes are brown

The Vénerie is a well-proportioned and muscular dog without too much bulk. Its profile is that of a well-established French dog. Its head is elongated and relatively slim; its muzzle long and tapered.

Despite its hunting heritage this is an affectionate dog. The well-adjusted Vénerie does not tend to be aggressive.

An active dog that likes to play but is easily distracted; the Vénerie Hound will bore easily.

Not a calm dog, the Vénerie is happiest outdoors and in the company of other dogs.

This dog is intelligent but it easily loses focus, distracted by sounds, scents and noises.

The Vénerie Hound is bred to hunt and as such considers this its purpose in life. It has an exceptionally high prey drive.

Hounds such as the Vénerie Hound tend to welcome visitors warmly and enjoy human company.

The Vénerie Hound exhibits a stubborn independence that is only bolstered by its fearsome determination to do things its way.

This dog tolerates solitude within reason. Separation anxiety is seen of Vénerie Hounds that are left alone for long periods of time.

The dog is reasonably easy to train if the trainer is able to hold the attention of the dog and delivers lessons that are varied and exciting.

This dog barks to excess; it will also howl, and is not seen to tire.

A well-trained Hound can be recalled but on the whole the Vénerie will not come back if its focus is elsewhere.

The Vénerie Hound can be destructive if left on its own for long periods of time.

Vénerie Hounds need two meals a day of high-quality dog food formulated for an active body.

This breed is not a great watchdog.

The Vénerie Hound is not a suitable first dog. It is rarely kept as a household pet.

This dog cannot be kept in a flat. A well-fenced shared garden is also an insufficient provision.

The Vénerie Hound needs a lot of exercise throughout the day; exercise must be vigorous and prolonged.

The Vénerie is comfortable with new experiences.

The Vénerie Hound will only tolerate other Vénerie Hounds. It will not think twice of attacking a cat.

This dog must be kept with at least one other Vénerie. It does not do well as the single dog of the household.

On the whole this breed is good with children, in that the dog does not harm children deliberately or bare malice towards them. But the dog’s tolerance of boisterousness and teasing.

Because it is a dog that requires such a lot of exercise the Vénerie Hound is not the right dog for people of senior years.

The Vénerie moults only a moderate amount of fur.

11 to 13 years

This is an active and courageous dog that likes nothing better than a day of outdoor exploration.

The short coat of the Vénerie Hound allows it to be tolerant of hot temperatures.

The Vénerie Hound is robust enough to withstand walks in bad weather but care should be taken after cold walks to thoroughly dry out the dog’s coat.

Weight gain is not usually a feature of a well-exercised Vénerie. If it is not exercised as regularly as it should be and is fed too much human or substandard food, this dog will quickly become obese.

• Epilepsy
• Hip dysplasia
• Kidney ailments

The Anglo-Français de Petite Vénerie came about in the 1500s following an intermingling of breeds such as the Beagle and Poitevin. It is related to the English Foxhound, which is sometimes kept as a household pet often by people who live in rural climes. The ‘Petite’ part of the breed’s name refers to the size of game the dog chased rather than the dog itself.