The Grand Anglo-Francais Tricolore is a breed of

dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. Do ...

used in

hunting Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler, ...

as a

scenthound Franz Rudolf Frisching in the uniform of an officer of the Bernese Huntsmen Corps with his Berner Laufhund, painted by Jean Preudhomme in 1785 Scent hounds (or scenthounds) are a Dog type, type of hound that primarily hunts by scent rather than ...

, usually in packs. It is one of the Anglo-French hound breeds which were created by crossing French scenthounds with English (Anglo)

Foxhound A foxhound is a Dog type, type of large hunting hound bred for strong hunting instincts, a keen sense of smell, and their bark, energy, drive, and speed. In fox hunting, the foxhound's namesake, packs of foxhounds track quarry, followed—usuall ...

Appearance

A typical hound in general appearance, with long legs, long drop ears, and a long tail. Their short, double coat is tricolour, black, white and tan. They stand 60–72 cm (24–28 in) at the

withers The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species, it is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, cattle a ...

and weigh between 34.5-35.5 kg (76-78 lbs).

History and use

The Grand Anglo-Francais Tricolore is descended from

crosses Crosses may refer to: * Cross, the symbol Geography * Crosses, Cher, a French municipality * Crosses, Arkansas, a small community located in the Ozarks of north west Arkansas Language * Crosses, a truce term used in East Anglia and Lincolnshire ...

between tricoloured Poitevins and

s. This combination has strongly influenced this breed in many ways. These animals are strong and compact in stature like the foxhound with a black blanketed tri-colour coat. They were used as a pack dog to hunt large game such as

red deer The red deer (''Cervus elaphus'') is one of the largest deer species. A male red deer is called a stag or hart, and a female is called a hind. The red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Anatolia, Iran, and parts of we ...

wild boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species is ...

and

roe deer The roe deer (''Capreolus capreolus''), also known as the roe, western roe deer, or European roe, is a species of deer. The male of the species is sometimes referred to as a roebuck. The roe is a small deer, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapt ...

or smaller animals such as fox. "Grand" does not necessarily refer to size, "in most cases it is simply a label for a pack that is used for larger game". The breed is recognised in its country of origin by the Société Centrale Canine (French Kennel Club) and internationally in 1983 by the

Fédération Cynologique Internationale The Fédération cynologique internationale (FCI) (English: International Canine Federation) is the largest international federation of national kennel clubs. It is based in Thuin, Belgium. History The FCI was founded in 1911 under the auspices ...

in Group 6, Scenthounds. In France it is bred and kept primarily as a hunting dog, not as a

pet A pet, or companion animal, is an animal kept primarily for a person's company or entertainment rather than as a working animal, livestock, or a laboratory animal. Popular pets are often considered to have attractive appearances, intelligence ...

or showdog. The breed has been exported to North America, where it is recognised by the

United Kennel Club The United Kennel Club (UKC) is a kennel club founded in 1898 in the United States. In contrast with the American Kennel Club, which is non-profit and which only clubs can join, the United Kennel Club is a profit-making corporation, open to indivi ...

in its Scenthound Group. It is also registered by numerous minor registries and internet dog registry businesses, and is promoted as a rare breed for those seeking a unique pet.

Health and temperament

This large Anglo-French hound requires an immense amount of exercise. They are normally kept in large packs in rural areas and may not adapt well to city or family life, although they are said to be good natured. Letting them off the leash may be hazardous as the hunting instinct is very high.

Tricolour

A tricolour coat is a pattern of some shade of black or brown, some shade of red often called tan, and some white. Eumelanin and

phaeomelanin Melanin (; from el, μέλας, melas, black, dark) is a broad term for a group of natural pigments found in most organisms. Eumelanin is produced through a multistage chemical process known as melanogenesis, where the oxidation of the amino ...

pigmentation occurs on the same dog; "the back is black from eumelanin pigment being made and the belly is tan or red from phaeomelanin pigment being made".

References

External links