Overview
The Porcelaine is one of the oldest French hounds, named for the glossy, almost translucent white coat with orange ticking on the ears. It is a medium-large pack hound bred for hare and roe deer, lightly built, fast and with a famously musical voice.
Porcelaines are gentle, mild and good with people and other dogs, the result of generations of pack life. They are still almost all kept in hunt kennels, so a pet or rescue Porcelaine may be new to houses, collars and busy streets. As a walker you will find a kind dog with no interest in your recall.
Exercise and walking needs
Ninety minutes to two hours a day. This is a hound built for distance at speed. A lead walk at a fast pace plus time on a long line to follow scent is the practical compromise for most walkers.
Scent games fill the gap. A trail of treats dragged through grass gives a Porcelaine something to track and calms it noticeably.
On the walk
- Recall: Poor to non-existent once the nose is down. Even a dog that comes back in the garden will follow a deer out of sight. Keep it on a line.
- Pulling: Not heavy, but persistent on a trail. A harness and a long line let the dog pull against something safe.
- Other dogs: Excellent. Pack hounds are among the most tolerant dogs you will meet. A good companion for nervous dogs in a group.
- Voice: It will sing when it finds scent. Pick routes where that is not a problem.
- Coat: Fine and short. Cold, wet weather calls for a coat and a brisker walk.
Tips for professional walkers
- Walk with a tracker fitted if the owner has one and test it before you need it.
- Choose rural routes without sheep. Hounds and livestock do not mix.
- Keep the pace up. A hound built for speed gets frustrated at a dawdle.
- Check the thin ears for nicks after pushing through brambles.
What to ask the owner
- Has the dog lived in a kennel pack, and is it used to houses, stairs and traffic?
- What triggers the voice, and have neighbours mentioned noise?
- What is it like with livestock, and has it ever escaped on a walk?