Artois Hound
Artois Hound Appearance
A well constructed dog, muscled and not too long, giving the impression of strength and energy.
The Dog's Head
- Cranial Region: Its skull should be strong, broad, quite short, rounded and flat at its upper part but with the occipital protuberance only slightly pronounced. Its stop should be accentuated.
- Facial Region: Its nose should be black, strong, with wide opened nostrils. Its muzzle should be straight and, seen in profile, moderately elongated. Of its lips, the upper lip should largely be covering the lower lip and must be rather important so as to give a square shape to the extremity of the muzzle, (as seen in profile). Its jaws/teeth should have a scissor bite, the upper incisors covering the lower in a narrow contact and are well set squarely in relation to the jaws. Its eyes, in relation to the width of the forehead, should not be very close together; they should be round, level with the head surface, with a melancholic and soft expression; they are dark brown in colour. The mucous membranes of the lower lids must not be visible. Its leathers should be set at eye level, a little thick, broad, round at the tip, almost flat and quite long, reaching the beginning of the nose. Its is moderately long, powerful; very little dewlap.
Dog's Body
Its back is broad and well supported. Its loins are slightly arched. The hips give a slight inclination to its croup, which is well muscled. Its chest is broad and long, rather let down so that the sternal line arrives at elbow level. Its ribs should be well sprung. Its belly flanks fully its body.
Dog's Tail
It is strong and quite long; there should be some longer and coarser, slightly offstanding hairs, (like ears of grain) towards the tip. It is carried in a sickle fashion, never falling forward.
Limbs
Forequaters
A view of the ensemble indicates that its limbs are strong and vertical. Its shoulders are oblique and muscled. Its elbows are set well in the axis of the body. Its forearm should be lightly oblique.
Hindquarters
A view of the ensemble indicates that, (seen from behind), the point of the buttock, the middle of the leg, the hock, the metatarsal and the foot are on the same vertical line. Its upper thighs are let down and well muscled. Its hock joints are strong and moderately angulated, and the metatarsals are short and strong.
Feet
They are slightly elongated, strong but sufficiently tight; the pads are black, tough and compact.
Coat and colour
Its skin is quite thick. Its hair is short, thick and quite flat. The coat pattern is a dark fawn tri-colour, (similar to the coat of a hare or a badger), with a mantle or in large patches. The head is usually fawn, sometimes with a black overlay. Its main colours being tan and black and white in any combination.
Artois Hound Temperament
The Artois Hound is an energetic dog that is brave and loyal. Though it has a large amount of endurance, it is calm and well balanced. It is a moderate sized dog that will feature the best characteristics of the scenthounds. It has a powerful sense of smell, and it is fast and independent. These dogs were bred to hunt rabbits, and they are proficient at this task. These dogs need to be trained by owners who are consistent. They are affectionate and loving to those that care for them. Like all scent hounds they are happiest when on the trail of a good scent.
Hunting
The Artois Hound, (a Briquet, (of a small type)), is nowadays used especially in hunting dog with guns, and on horseback. It drives the game closer taking advantage of their faults with ingenuity; its speed is average but maintained.
- In general countryside : Because of its acute sense of smell, it is capable of out manoeuvring many of its prey's tactics.
- In woodland areas : With its ancestral qualities of a hunter, in sparse and well scattered groups of tall trees, it can hunt a deer efficiently, and in the desired direction of its owner.
- In the thicket : its intrepidity and bravery means that it can stir up and even the most obstinate boars.
- Additional points: It is a robust animal with a high pitched call which can be heard from as far away as 2 km.
Exercise
This is a hunting dog that needs extensive amounts of exercise. Without it, the dog could become problematic for its owners. It should be taken on walks daily, and this dog is great for healthy people who love to jog and hike. While it can live in an apartment, it may perform better in a small yard. It is important for owners to make sure this dog is never unleashed in an unsecured area, as it may run off in the direction of the first interesting scent it picks up. It is important for owners to make sure these dogs are given lots of space to move around in.
The Dog Grooming
The Artois Hound does not require a large amount of grooming. The Artois' smooth short-haired coat is easy to look after. Owners will simply want to make sure the coat is brushed on a consistent basis. These dogs should only be given baths when they need it. A wipe down with a damp towel should suffice for the bathing aspect, (although you should bathe it with mild soap only if or when necessary; you should also dry shampoo it occasionally), however a rubber, wire, or hard bristled brush would work best for the brushing aspect.The shedding patterns of these dogs are not known. Be sure to check the ears carefully for signs of infection. The nails of the D'Artois should also be trimmed, (particularly to avoid nail-born infections).
