Artois Hound

Who is it for?

Overview

A well-built, muscular briquet (medium-sized hound) with a dark fawn tricolor coat and a head often shaded with black, the Artois Hound is a diligent trailer with a very keen nose, working at a moderate but steady pace. Used mostly for hunting hare, roe deer and wild boar with guns, it is vigorous, hardy, well-balanced and affectionate.

History and origins

Once called the chien picard, it was highly prized for hunting with hounds in old France, in the days of Henri IV and Louis XIII. At the end of the 19th century, Le Couteulx de Canteleu still rated it one of the best breeds for hare, although it was already crossbred and hard to find pure; restoration attempts by Mr. Levoir and then Mr. Mallard fell short, and the breed was thought lost after World War II. In the early 1970s, Mr. Audréchy, of Buigny-lès-Gamaches in the Somme, rebuilt the stock with Mrs. Pilat. Recognized by the FCI (standard no. 28), the Artois Hound remains very rare, with 57 dogs registered with the French Kennel Club (LOF) in 2025.

Health

Life expectancy is 12 to 14 years, and the breed is hardy. The most common health problems in the breed:

• Ear infections (long ears)
• Hip dysplasia
• Grass awns and hunting injuries

Choose a breeder who has the parents health-screened for this breed, and ask to see the results.

Coat and care

Short, smooth coat. Moderate shedding, minimal coat care. Coat colors: dark fawn tricolor, close to the color of a hare or badger, with a mantle or large patches, fawn head, sometimes shaded with black.