Blue Gascony Griffon (Griffon Bleu de Gascogne)

The Blue Gascony Griffon is a smart and lively breed with very powerful hunting drive. In its native France it serves both as a hunting partner and a lovely family pet. It can become a wonderful addition to families who like active way of life and enjoy the company of their four-legged friends.

The Blue Gascony Griffon is a hound-type dog that was invented in France many centuries ago. According to the prevailing opinion of dog experts, it was produced by mating of an average-sized Gascony Blue with a rough-coated Griffon Vendeen. The resulting breed was smaller and quicker than its progenitors so French hunters who didn’t have horses could easily follow it afoot. In its homeland it’s also frequently referred as «Petit Griffon Bleu de Gascogne».

The Blue Gascony Griffon is a valuable gain for any enthusiastic hunter. Apart from having an extremely sensitive olfactory organ, this dog also stands out for irreproachable work ethic and readiness to trail the prey rain or shine. It’s capable of hunting both alone and in the group of its counterparts. The breed predominantly specializes on killing rodents and different small animals.

Recently the Blue Gascony Griffon has gone through a difficult period but today its long-term future is pretty secured by efforts of its loyal fanciers. In France it’s still used as a hunting dog although the number of the breed’s members that is kept only as companion animals is increasing continuously.

The merry, easy-going and affectionate personality of the Blue Gascony Griffon causes it ever-growing popularity as a family pet. Of course, hunting instinct is deeply ingrained in the nature of this dog so it must be thoroughly socialized in an early age to tolerate other animals in the household. Appropriate socialization also makes it a fabulous playmate for children who are usually delighted with limitless vigorous of this breed.

In most cases the Blue Gascony Griffon is on the look-out if strangers are around its dwelling or masters. But this unaggressive dog would rather prefer to avoid the confrontation than to attack the offender. That’s why it can’t be ascribed to a good guardian. This breed is a barker and should be trained to fall silent upon command. Most of its members are vigilant enough to make great watchers although you may end up with the Blue Gascony Griffon that is simply uninterested in such assignments.

This breed gets on very well with friendly dogs but it will never back down from a fight if heavily provoked. Furthermore it’s fond of chasing other species of animals and should be kept reliably leashed outdoors. Domestic cats are in safety in the presence of this dog as long as you introduce your pets early and in a proper manner.

The most common problems for the breed include:

· ear infections.

The maintenance of the Blue Gascony Griffon will consume average amount of your time. The master should brush coarse hair of his pet two or three times per week in order to avert the formation of tangles and mats. It’s unnecessary to bathe this dog very often since water and canine shampoos can wash off natural oils from its coat and skin.

Trim its nails at least every other month and clean its ears regularly as well as after each and every hunting adventure. Weekly dental hygiene will keep teeth of your pet free of tartar and nasty bacteria.

The Griffon Bleu de Gascogne has self-sufficient obstinate character and doesn’t like performing orders. It’s no wonder that its training requires lots of patience and well thought-out methods. The master should build fiduciary relationship with his pet before he can count on its obedience.

Any form of negative reinforcement will only make the dog to retire into itself or show even more willful behavior. On the whole the Blue Gascony Griffon can be successfully trained each and every basic trick if you reward its efforts with tasty canine food and kind words.

The exercise session of the Blue Gascony Griffon should include a long walk and at least half an hour of playtime in a properly fenced area. This dog suits best for keeping in a house with a large yard where it can roam at any time.

Actually this breed usually enjoys physical activity of any intensity and will be absolutely excited to participate in active outdoor pastime of its human family. The Griffon bleu de Gascogne that doesn’t receive sufficient chances to move and play will most likely fall into habits of unreasonable barking and destructiveness in the house.