Chien d'Artois

Aliases Briquet Height 20-24 inches Group Scent Hounds Weight 40-65 lb. Coat Short & Dense Color Tri-Colored in broken patterns Life Expectancy 12-14 years Grooming Simple curry once or twice a week Shedding Average

Appearance: Head: Square with a broad, slightly arched skull and a strong, broad muzzle that comes to an abrupt stop, with thick lips. Eyes: The eyes are large, well-opened, dark in color, and melancholy in expression. Ears: Set low, soft, thick, pendulous, and folded, they are long, but not too long. Nose: Black and self-colored according to coat. Bite: Scissor or level. Neck: Slender, muscular, and slightly arched, with little throatiness present. Chest: Wide and deep. Body: Back is long and straight, with broad loins. Legs: Forelegs are straight and well set, with hind legs being parallel and having hocks bent slightly. Feet: Hare-like, with hard pads. Tail: The tail is long and carried in a saber-like curve, held aloft when alert. Movement: Swift and very agile, with a flowing gate. Temperament: High-spirited, yet very lovable.

The Chien D' Artois is a small, well-constructed dog, well-muscled and densely-boned, not too long, giving the impression of strength and energy. It is an athlete inside and out.

One of the oldest of France's scent hounds, and one of the original breeds of French hunting dogs, the Chien d'Artois served nobles with its hunting skills since the 1400s. Used primarily for hare hunting, this breed would chase down the quarry by itself or in small packs. This breed is named after the French province of Artois, where it was developed by crossing hounds and pointing breeds. It is the forerunner of many of the later breeds of hounds seen today.

Also referred to as the Briquet, meaning "small hound", its size is what saved it from extinction during the French Revolution. Its long legged cousins did not fare as well. Their numbers thrived until World War I, as the Chien became the popular choice for small game hunting. This breed had no trouble traversing dense undergrowth, and could be nicknamed the small juggernauts of their time.

Around the end of the 18th century, pure strains were altered with the introduction of British gundogs. Only a few packs retained their original characteristics. Both wars further depleted their declining population. It was not until the mid 1900s that breeders resumed careful breeding programs. While the Chien still remains rare, its numbers have stabilized and continue to grow.

This affectionate character lavishes his love on one or two people while remaining friendly and social, if less demonstrative with the rest of the 'pack'. Both sexes are strong willed, however males tend to have dominant personalities, and prefer being top dog in the house. This breed is not for the faint of heart, and makes a poor candidate for new dog owners. The Chien has a happy persona and thrives in action packed households which can keep up with his energetic nature.

Good with children, the Chein will instigate younger family members into a game of play, on his terms. He enjoys a rough and tumble, but should the game become too tiring, he will simply walk away. He is a gentle soul who rather avoids conflict. Aggression in this breed is minimal, and rarely displayed towards his human family members. As mentioned before, males tend to possess alpha type personalities, and may try to dominate other dogs in the household. With proper socialization, this is usually not a problem, and dog aggression is relatively unheard of. A brief scuffle tends to be the worst of it. Social and friendly, most individuals get along with other pets.

Intelligent, yet stubborn, the Chien does best with a firm handler who uses motivational training techniques. Sessions should be short, fun, and rewarding. Never use aggression towards this breed as he will only become more obstinate and unwilling to learn. Once a handler has this dog's love, anything can be achieved. Encouragement is the key to successful training sessions.

Although the Chien is courageous in nature, he may not be the most dependable watchdog. While he will raise an alarm when something is sighted, this breed does not possesses the watchful alertness found in breeds such as the German Shepherd. This energetic character needs to work his legs, and thrives on vigorous exercise. He makes for a good jogging companion, and should have access to a yard. As with most gundog breeds, if under worked, the Chein will become restless, and difficult to handle.

Overall, careful breeding practices have developed a robust character. The Chien is a wonderful companion for outdoor loving individuals, however due to a small population, obtaining a pup can be difficult.

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.

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.

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.

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 color
Its skin is quite thick. Its hair is short, thick and quite flat. The coat pattern is a dark fawn tri-color, (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.

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 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.

Health Problems
There are no known health problems that are specific to the Artois Hound. Any health problems it may develop can be found in most other dog breeds. Although the Chien suffers from few ailments, it can be prone to periodic ear infections. Proper cleansing and ear care can greatly reduce this problem.

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.

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).

History
This breed, formerly named Picard, was much appreciated in ancient hunting at the time of Henry IV of France and Louis XIII of France, and much sought after. Selincourt already made much of it, wondering and amazed to see these dogs pulling a hare which had passed by one hour ago in dry weather. Le Couteulx de Canteleu, in Manuel de Vénerie Française (1890), (Manual of French Hunting - 1890), praises also the Artois hound. He reports that the artesian breed of his time was crossbred and difficult to find pure but, in spite of that, it still remained one of the best breeds for hare hunting. Northern France, bordering the English Channel, consists of the historical regions of Artois Hound. Hounds from this region stem from some of the earliest types.

The Artois Hound was a favorite by the 17th century. The Prince Alexandre de Gray wrote to the Prince de Galle, in 1609, of his intention to "send a pack of little d'Artois dogs to the king ..." In fact, this small French hound may have contributed to the formation of the Beagle in England.

By the 19th century it became popular among French hunters to avail themselves of the dogs from the British Isles. With the importation of many British types, the inevitable crossbreeding resulted in the deterioration of the pure Artois Hounds. Crossing also took place with the taller, more elegant, longer, scroll-eared hounds called Normands (now extinct). During the 1800s, only the packs kept at Chantilly and those of the Prince de Conde retained the ancient type.

In the 1880s, Ernest Levair and his cousin, M. Therouanne, began a 20-year effort to breed the original d'Artois, removing the last of the Normand blood.

Their efforts resulted in great success. At the end of the XIXth century and at the beginning of the 20th, M. Levoir in Picardy had attempted the re-establishment of the old Artois type without really succeeding. During that period and until the beginning of World War I, it was another Picard breeder, Mr. Mallard, who dominated the raising of the breed. But if he produced very pretty dogs, as witnessed by his numerous awards in canine shows, they were not always in the type conformed with the description given by contemporary authors. For all their efforts however the Second World War was very damaging for the breed and after World War II, it was believed that the Artois was all but extinct.

By the middle of the 20th century the breed had nearly disappeared, however in the 1970s a few aficionados, in particular Mr. Audrechy, (of Buigny les Gamaches in the Somme), decided to reconstitute the breed from a few remaining specimens which they located after along search. Thanks to their efforts the modern day Artois hound closely resembles the original. There are now about 500 dogs registered in their stud books, making a strong comeback since 1975.