They are the best hounds I've had to date.
The eldest pup is now 10 mnths and performing excellently.The training conditions are not ideal where I currently stay as more perfect scenting conditions are hard to find so they have not really explored their capabilities yet but when I return home to SA that will change.
They cold trail great and have worked out the cat goes up a tree but are not Coonhounds standing on the back legs and throwing their heads back in full cry but rather try to climb the tree to get at the cat.
In essence they are Wolf hounds also excelling on boar, deer and hare.
Training teaches them to tree.
They stem from the dry south-western region of France and this breed is regarded as one of the coldest nosed hound in Europe.
They are very nice looking hounds. I have looked at numerous sites on the web trying to do some research. We have finally located a Grand Blue De Gascogne that we are going to breed to this fall with our Blue Gascon. Where are you located?
I believe there is a Grand Bleu club in the UK - visited their website before.I have not found any Gascogne-Saintongeois in the US but perhaps try the Gascogne club there.The only info I have recieved is the following:
I believe it is from an article in the Field & Stream, August 1939.
[quote="African"]The Grand & Petit Gascognehere I`m learning today/ thankyou ! Thes hounds of yours how long have you been into them for hunting anyof this breed ? What will you be hunting them on in Africa ? Again thank you we appcreated hearing something about this breed .
2005 I saw a Gascon Saintongeois in person for the 1st time and was not been able to rest until I got involved with this breed.
Previously using Grand Bleu and Bluetick Coonhounds I saw greater potential with the Saintongeois due to the white coat.
They also seem to carry muscle mass better than the Grand Bleu I've hunted with before.
They will hunt Leopard and Caracal in Southern Africa.
I plan to make up a Bushpig pack later.
Leopard - now we are talking! Do you prefer the white coat because they handle the heat better? What didn't you like about the Grand bleau and the Bluetick?
It's not that I found any great fault with either just that I found something more precisely suited to our hunting conditions.
The Bluetick stock I imported from Ontaria and had a rather heavy coat.
He and some of his offspring didn't handle the heat so well and I nearly lost him to heatstroke in Mozambique.
He preferred not to cold trail and jumped ahead on the tracks.(intellegent for Pigs and small cats but not for Leopard)
He had a huge heart and treed well.Good stamina and a super character.
The Gascon's in SA all generally stem from 1 source so there is not much genetic diversity and no register,records or pedigree to work with.
The size has been reduced and blood has been mixed with other breeds.
(greyhound,pointer,bloodhound,bull,foxhound,coonhound,great dane)
I also didn't really know much better until seeing the consistency achieved in France and understanding the logic behind this.
They were cold nosed and fearless.
I prefer the Saintongeois for the white coat and muscle mass.
The other benefit is that I am the only hunter in SA with this breed exclusively so can follow a breeding program.