Overview
The Anglo-Français de Petite Vénerie is a tricolour or bicolour scenthound developed in France by crossing native hounds with English Harriers and Beagles. Petite vénerie means small game hunting, and the dog is sized for it: lighter than a stag hound, heavier than a Beagle, with a smooth coat and long drop ears.
Bred to live and work in packs, these hounds tend to be calm, tolerant and not inclined to argue. They are rare in Britain. Any you meet are likely to have come from a French hunting background or a rescue, which shapes how settled they are with houses, cars and pavements.
Exercise and walking needs
Two hours a day of steady movement is a fair target for a fit adult. They are endurance dogs rather than sprinters, and a long trail walk with lots of nose time is their idea of a good day.
Smooth coats dry fast but offer little warmth when the dog stops. Keep it moving in cold weather.
On the walk
- Scent: Hare and rabbit scent switches off everything else. Work the dog on a long line in open country and do not expect it back once it has gone.
- Other dogs: Pack-bred, so usually easy with dogs of all types. One of the better hounds for a lead group walk.
- Pulling: Moderate but constant when trailing. A harness worn low keeps the strain off your shoulder and the dog's neck.
- Voice: Hounds bay when they scent game. It is loud and carries. Avoid routes beside livestock fields and quiet gardens.
Tips for professional walkers
- Let the dog have real sniffing time rather than hurrying; it is where the breed spends its mental energy.
- Carry a long line and gloves, and keep the lead low to stop the dog bracing against it.
- Check the ears and pads after fields; drop ears and thin pads both collect trouble.
- Ask whether the dog has met traffic and towns; a kennel-raised hound may find a busy street alarming.
What to ask the owner
- Where did the dog come from, and how comfortable is it with roads, cars and strangers?
- Does it live with other dogs, and how does it cope when left alone?
- Has it any recall when trailing, and has it ever gone missing?