Ariegeois Dog Breed: Pictures, Info & Care Guide
The Ariegeois (pronunciation here) is an ancient French dog breed that is intelligent and loyal but can also be quite independent at times.
Known for their long ears and muscular build, the Ariegeois makes a great family pet or companion in addition to being an excellent working dog.
Learn more about this fascinating breed here, from their character traits and health needs to their grooming habits and diet.
Overview of the Ariegeois Dog Breed
| UTILISATION | Scenthound |
| FCI-CLASSIFICATION | Scenthound |
| BREED GROUP | Hunting/Sporting |
| COUNTRY OF ORIGIN | France |
| HEIGHT | Female: 50-56 cm (19.6-22 inches), Male: 52-58 cm (20.4-22.8 inches) |
| WEIGHT | Female: 25-27 kg, Male: 25-27 kg (55-59 pounds) |
| LIFE EXPECTANCY | 10-12 years |
| TEMPERAMENT | Social, hard-working. trainable, affionate |
| INTELLIGENCE | High |
| SHEDDING AMOUNT | Occasional |
| DROOL AMOUNT | Medium |
| EXERCISE AMOUNT | High |
| ENERGY LEVEL | Very high |
| BARKING LEVEL | Occasional |
| TRAINABILITY | Moderately easy |
| COAT LENGTH/TEXTURE | Short |
| COLORS | Black and white, tri-color |
About the Ariegeois Breed
The Ariegeois is a distinct French dog breed known for its hunting abilities, muscular build, and long ears.
Originally bred to hunt small game such as rabbit and hare in the mountainous terrain of the Pyrenees mountains in south western France, this medium-sized canine is intelligent and loyal but also independent.
The Ariegeois can make an ideal companion or family pet while at the same time being an excellent working dog.
Characteristics
The Ariegeois is a strong and athletic breed of dog with deep chests and prominent leg muscles.
They typically measure around two feet in height at the withers and can weigh from 60 to 65 pounds.
Their heads are domed with long, triangle-shaped muzzles and downward-pointing ears that hang past their faces.
The coat is short, smooth, white with black markings and sometimes flecked with tan or pink skin underneath.
This breed carries its head slightly forward, has a straight back, and sports an evenly angled hindquarter.
Their tail is medium-long in length and shows a mild wave when moving.
Utilization
The Ariégeois is a French scent hound, distinguished by its lightness and toughness which allow it to traverse difficult terrain and dense brush.
While commonly used for pursuing hares, the breed is also used to track deer and wild boar with packs or even solo hunters.
Its notable capabilities make it ideal for driving game to waiting guns with its slow speed of pursuit.
They do not do well when kept in a city environment, as they prefer to run and roam in spacious outdoor environments.
As a result, they are usually kept as working dogs or companion pets on rural farms.
Temperament of a typical Ariegeois Dog
The Ariegeois is well known for its friendly, affectionate and playful nature.
It is intelligent and can be trained relatively easy; however, it can sometimes be stubborn when aroused by something prey-like.
They are capable of being active due to their considerable energy level, which requires a lot of exercise to expend.
While this breed is used as watch dogs less often, they do need open space to run and play or be able to go on runs with their owners in order to stay healthy and fit.
Due to their trusting nature towards strangers, caution must be taken around other smaller animals in the house because of the dog’s hunting drive.
Although they require some degree of care, they have large hearts, an easy-going attitude and highly adaptive natures making them ideal pets for many different types of households.
Health Information Related to the Ariegeois Dog Breeds
The Ariegeois is a relatively healthy breed as long as they are given proper diet and exercise.
The Ariegeois is a relatively recent breed of hunting dog that can live between 10 and 12 years (see its history below).
While not much is known about its overall health, it is believed to be prone to certain conditions.
These include musculoskeletal afflictions such as hip and elbow dysplasia, intervertebral disc disease, and cruciate ligament ruptures.
Dietary Requirements
Ariegeois dogs have unique dietary needs based on their activity level and size.
In general, they should be fed a high-quality dry kibble that’s specifically formulated for their size (small or medium).
For maximum health and energy levels, look for a diet that contains 35-45% protein and 15-25% fat.
The calorie content of diet should also reflect the amount of physical activity of the animal – larger Ariegeois dogs who are very active will require more calories than small ones who are less active.
It is important to avoid unnecessary fillers in your dog’s diet; always look for ingredients like real meat, fruits, vegetables and omega fatty acids as these will provide optimal nutrition.
Training
The Ariegeois breed is highly intelligent, making them easy to train.
They respond very well to positive training techniques such as clicker training and reward-based methods.
To help them develop trust, it is also important to provide regular walks and playtime with plenty of praise and affection throughout.
Grooming
The Ariegeois is a low-maintenance dog breed that requires only one to two brushings per week with a fine bristle brush.
In their heavy shedding season, the brushing requirement can be increased to three or four times weekly.
Additionally, due to their consumption of large amounts of food, their teeth should be checked and brushed on a regular basis.
If they are mainly kept as companion dogs, they will also need their nails to be monitored and trimmed regularly in order to prevent cracking or breaking.
History
With its origins heavily steeped in antiquity, the Ariegeois is a French scent hound that developed from three established hunter-dog breeds.
Those three breeds include the Briquet, Grand Gascon-Saintongeois and Grand bleu de Gascon.
The latter two were thought to have been brought with the Phoenicians, an ancient civilization that traveled throughout Europe.
Moreover, pre-Roman Gauls also used Briquets for hunting.
As their bloodlines mixed over time a new breed of dog was born: the Ariegeois.
This breed became widely popular as a pack dog specifically due to its extraordinary sense of smell and mild temperament.
Nonetheless, they were nearly wiped-out during WWII, yet some dedicated breeders managed to bring these dogs back to life after the war passed and today, they continue to be highly valued for their intelligence, affectionate nature, and proficiency as hunters and coursers.
