General characteristics of the dog, ancestors and their occupation, locality of breeding, period and versions of its origin, use, prevalence and recognition of Ariegeois. Usually Ariege hounds (Ariegeois), weigh about twenty-eight, thirty kilograms. Males can reach up to fifty-eight centimeters in height at the withers, and females, up to fifty-six. These dogs are very similar to other French cops, but, as a rule, have much smaller parameters and a more graceful build. The coat of animals is smooth and short. It is painted in a basic white color with clearly defined black markings. Sometimes Ariejua's "coat" is motley, and there may be orange-colored tan marks on his head.
The head of the dog is tight and elongated. There are no wrinkles. The eyes are dark and delicate. The ears are very soft and medium. The muzzle is medium in length and the nose is black. The neck is thin and slightly arched towards a narrow and deep chest. Ribs well flattened with a strong, sloping back. The dog should have straight forelegs and strong, powerful and heavy hind legs. The tail is slightly curved.
Today, among all French short-haired hounds, the Ariege hounds are not so big and strong, but they are very agile and can spot game relatively quickly. Overall, the Ariegeois is a talented working dog currently used in Italy to hunt wild boar, doing the job well locally. It is a hunting dog, applicable to all forms of hunting, excellent working and hardy, but also docile, affectionate, intelligent and obedient, and placid in the house.
Such pets socialize quickly. In the process of education and training, they hate abuse. Training requires at least a little kindness and understanding. The compulsory form of practice in training lessons is absolutely excluded. Dogs get along well with children, their fellows and other small pets (cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, rats). But, they must get used to them from an early age.
Ariejoy needs a lot of movement to meet their needs for daily activities. If you do not have the opportunity to spend a long time with your pet every day, this is bad. Take him for walks in the woods from time to time. A dog with a strong hunting instinct and on the street must be kept constantly on a leash.
The history of the origin and development of the ancestors of the Ariege hounds
Ariegeois or Ariegeois is a fairly young variety. Since it was developed not so long ago, most of the history of these canines is well known. Ariezhskie dogs belong to the family of French hounds - a very large group of canines. Hunting with dogs has long been one of the most popular activities on French soil. This is evidenced by the earliest records in the field, which describe such events and the animals that took part in them.
Before the Roman conquest, most of France and Belgium were occupied by several Celtic or Basque-speaking tribes. Roman writings mention how the Gauls (the Roman name for the Celts of France) preserved a unique breed of hunting dog known as the "Canis Segusius". Although no records appear to have survived, it is generally believed that the Vascones and Aquitans (Basque tribes) also possessed hounds with excellent flair.
During the Dark Ages of the Middle Ages, hunting with dogs became an extremely popular pastime among the French nobility. Aristocrats from all over the country took part in this sport with great pleasure, and for this purpose vast tracts of land were allocated and rented.
For many centuries, France was not really united, it was divided into multiple regions. Regional rulers had most of the control over their territory. In many of these semi-independent French regions, they bred their own unique dog breeds that specialized in exactly the climatic and landscape hunting conditions in which they were found.
In reality, hunting has become anything but a sporting event. It became, perhaps, the most important sphere of life of a noble society, which they could no longer do without. Multiple personal, dynastic and political alliances were formed preferably during the hunt. Events in the life of all residents of the country changed and sometimes depended on what happened during the hunt.
There, the most important political aspects of French life were discussed and the final decisions were made. Eventually, such events turned into very ritual entertainment with multiple features of chivalry and feudalism. A good collection of packs of hunting dogs was an integral part of this "ritual" and the pride of many noble nobles, and some of the varieties of dogs have become almost legendary.
Breeds for breeding dogs Ariegeois
Of all the unique species of French hunting dogs, perhaps the oldest were the Grand Bleu de Gascogne. They were bred in the far southwestern region of France. Grand Bleu de Gascogne, specialized in hunting the largest species of animals that lived in the country. Despite the fact that the origin of this breed is somewhat mysterious, it is generally believed that it is a descendant of the ancient Phoenician and Basque hunting dogs that first appeared in this region many thousands of years ago.
Another ancient species was the Saintongeois or Saintonge Hound. This dog was developed in Saintonge, a region located just north of Gascony. The lineage of the Saintongeois Hound is also fraught with many mysteries and secrets. Many experts believe that its roots may have originated from the Dog of St. Hubert or Hubert Hound, also known in English as the Bloodhound.
These dogs were selected by monks at the monastery of St. Hubert, located near Mouzon. The Saint Hubert's dog was perhaps the first breed to be bred through a carefully regulated breeding program. It has become a tradition for monks to send some of the finest Hubert Hounds to the French monarch every year in tribute and respect. The king then distributed these dogs as gifts to his nobles throughout France. As a result, the variety has spread throughout the country.
The reasons for the sharp decline in the number of ancestors of the Arieg hounds
Before the French Revolution, hunting with packs of dogs was almost exclusively owned by the French nobility. After this difficult conflict, the French noble population was in a deplorable situation. The nobles lost a lot of their lands and various pre-revolutionary privileges (almost a large part). The nobility no longer had the opportunity to leave and how to maintain large packs of dogs. Many of these pets were found to be homeless. And, most of the others were deliberately killed by the peasants.
Commoners felt blind hatred because, "noble" dogs were often much better fed and cared for. These hunting pets of the nobility had much better living conditions than the lower population of France. Commoners were poor and very often starved. They were forbidden to keep hunting dogs, and even more so to hunt - for this they faced severe punishment. It could be not only a fine, it also came to the execution of a death sentence. Ordinary peasants worked most of their time, receiving pennies for their work, on which it was impossible to live and support their families. Poverty led to irreparable consequences not only for the majority of the population, but also for the canines.
Many, and possibly most, of the ancient species of pointing dogs disappeared during the period of the revolution and its consequences, which lasted for a long time. This was the case with the Saintongeois, which were reduced to a population of three. These surviving dogs were crossed with the Grand Bleu de Gascogne (which survived in far greater numbers than almost any other French dog). This selection was carried out to develop the Gascon-Saintongeois.
Locality of origin of the Ariegeois
Meanwhile, the former middle class spent much of their time hunting. This sport was perceived not only as a pleasant pastime, but also as a means to imitate a noble category of the population. However, the middle class could not afford to keep large dogs such as the Great Blue Gascon or Gascony-Sentongue Hounds. It was very expensive and in any case, the initially large packs that they bred, in the end, continued to become increasingly scarce.
French hunters began to approve of briquets, a term used to describe medium-sized dogs that specialized in hunting small game such as rabbits and foxes. Briquettes have become especially popular in areas along the Franco-Spanish border. This region is dominated by the Pyrenees Mountains. This mountainous area has always been difficult to access and has served as a major obstacle to the settlement of various relations. The area has long been the least densely populated of the wildest parts of Western Europe. It is known that in the French Pyrenees developed one of the best types of hunting in France.
After the French Revolution, the traditional French provinces were divided into newly created departments. One of these departments was the Ariege, named after the Arie River. It consisted of parts of the former provinces of Foix and Languedoc. Ariege is located along the borders of Spain and Andorra and is typical of the Pyrenees highlands. Of course, it is not entirely clear when the hunters of this region ultimately decided to develop a unique purebred type of briquettes.
The period and versions of the origin of the Ariege hounds
Some sources claim that the process began in 1912, but most connoisseurs believe that the dog was already bred by 1908. The only thing that can be said with sufficient certainty is that the breed that became known as the Ariege Hound in its homeland was developed between the 1880s and 1912s. Other researchers say that Earl Vesins Ely was the man who played a major role in the development of Ariegeois, but the extent of his influence (even if he was at all) appears to be the subject of much debate.
It is generally accepted that the Ariegeois was the result of the crossing of three dogs: Grand Bleu de Gascogne, Gascon-Saintongeois and local briquettes. The Ariege hounds also became known as "Briquet du Midi" and "Midi", which is the common name for the south of France and part of the official name for the Midi-Pyrenees region, which includes the area of Ariege. The Ariege hounds are commonly grouped with both types of Gascony-Sentongue hounds and all three sizes of the Great Blue Gascony Hounds, known as "Blue-Mottled Hounds" and "Midi".
Application of the Ariegeois breed
Ariegeois turned out to be very similar to their ancestors Grand Bleu de Gascogne and Gascon-Saintongeois, but in size and resembled hunting Briquettes. The dog has also become one of the most sophisticated of all French hunting dogs. The preferred game for the Ariega hounds has always been rabbits and hares, but the breed was also commonly used to track deer and wild boars on a blood trail. These canines can fulfill two main roles in hunting. The dog uses its keen sense of smell to track, and upon finding a trail, then begins to chase the animal.
The influence of world events on the Ariege hounds
In 1908, the Gascon Phoebus club was founded. Various sources disagree about the role of this club in the development of Ariejois. Some hobbyists claim that the organization simply popularized the breed. Other experts are convinced that the Gascon Phoebus club revived it and saved it from almost complete disappearance. There are people who even say that the species did not exist up to this point and that the club was the driving force behind its creation. In any case, the popularity of the Ariegeois increased in the region, and it was also bred in France before the outbreak of World War II.
The Second World War proved to be devastating for the Ariege Hounds. Dog breeding almost completely ceased, and many individuals were abandoned or euthanized when their owners could no longer take care of them. By the end of the war, the Ariegeois population was on the verge of extinction. Fortunately for the species, her home in southern France was saved from the most devastating effects of hostilities.
While the breed population has declined sharply, it has not reached a critical level, like many other breeds. Ariege hounds did not need to be revived by crossing with other canine species. Perhaps it was also a big win that the species was native to the countryside and ideal for hunting. In the post-war years, interest in hunting in the south of France remained quite strong, and the ideally suited Ariegeois became a desirable hunting companion. The number of representatives of the breed quickly recovered, and by the end of the 1970s, it was increased to approximately the pre-war level.
The prevalence of the Ariegeois and the recognition of the breed
Although the Ariege hounds have recovered in their homeland and are now known throughout France as excellent hunting dogs, they remain rare in other parts of the world. In the past few decades, the breed has been found in those parts of Italy and Spain that border France and have climatic and ecological conditions most similar to those found in the Ariege region. The variety is still rare elsewhere and virtually unknown in most countries.
In large parts of the world, the breed is recognized by the Federation of Cynology International (FCI). While it is unclear if any of the Ariejois breed specimens were imported into the United States of America, they received full recognition at the United Kennel Club (UKC) in 1993. In America, the breed is also recognized by the Continental Kennel (CKC) and the American Rare Breeds Association (ARBA), but the latter organization uses the name "Ariege Hound" for these dogs.
In Europe, most breed representatives remain working hunting dogs, and these dogs are still mostly kept as hounds. Unless additional hunting bans have been introduced in France, Italy and Spain, as has been done in the UK, the Ariege Hounds are likely to have their permanent place for the foreseeable future. However, some owners start keeping the Ariegeois solely as a companion dog. Those who have experienced such an experience of keeping these pets, in practice, have found that the breed shows itself from the side of a very affectionate pet. Therefore, there is a high degree of probability that in the future the majority of Ariejois will start up primarily as accompanying companion animals.
