Great Anglo-French White & Black Hound
Other names: Grand Anglo-Français Blanc et Noir
This sophisticated giant takes her name not from her size, but from the big game who perish at the hands of the hunts who exploit her. Many a stag or deer has fallen to the mercenary teeth of a pack of Great Anglo-French White and Black Hounds. While she is friendly among people and can even enjoy the society of children, she is mostly used as a pack dog and rarely kept as a pet or show dog. The Great Anglo-French White and Black Hound is also rarely found outside of her native France.
Key facts about the Great Anglo-French White & Black Hound
Origins and history
From the 16th century onwards, French breeders of hunting dogs have attempted to create the ultimate scenthound, with particular efforts in the 19th century when the Gascogne Saintgeanois was crossed with the Poitevin and Foxhound; this, most likely, is the lineage of the Great Anglo-French we see today.
FCI breed nomenclature
FCI Group
Group 6 - Scent hounds and related breeds
Section
Section 1 : Scent hounds
Physical characteristics of the Great Anglo-French White & Black Hound
Adult size
Female : Between 24 and 27 in
Male : Between 26 and 28 in
Weight
Female : Between 62 and 66 lb
Male : Between 62 and 66 lb
Coat colour
Just like it says on the tin: Black and white. A limited amount of blue speckling will not discount the dog from the standard, while tan-coloured ‘eyebrows’ offer a little levity to her Batman-like mask.
Type of coat
Short, strong and dense.
Eye colour
Brown.
Description
This long, powerful dog seems to have dressed to emphasize her athletic appeal. Her black mantle appears as a cape draped over her back (which, alongside her Batman mask, gives rather an air of superhero) and her legs and flanks are likely to be paler, so that she looks even taller and stronger than she might in a chromatic onesie. Her belly is tucked; her chest, barrelled. Her short, tough neck appears necessary to support a beak that won’t quit. Her nostrils are flared, adding that curiously ambiguous sense of demureness and sophistication.
Good to know
It is hard to come by this dog in the UK, and extreme caution should be used when using the internet to find a breeder.