A small oval black spot often sits in the centre of the white crown of the Small Blue Gascony (Petit Bleu de Gascogne). The standard calls it typical of the breed, alongside the slate-blue sheen created by dense black-and-white ticking.
| FCI | Group 6 (Scent hounds and related breeds), Section 1.2 Medium-sized Hounds, Standard No. 31, with working trial |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | France |
| Size (height at the withers) | males 52 to 58 cm, females 50 to 56 cm |
| Weight | not specified in the FCI standard |
| Life expectancy | no reliable study figure found (N/A) |
| Coat | short, moderately thick and very dense |
| Colours in the standard | entirely black-and-white ticked with a slate-blue sheen, with or without black patches; black patches on the sides of the head, tan marks above the eyes (four-eyed), traces of tan on cheeks, lips, legs and beneath the tail |
The Great Blue, scaled down
According to the FCI standard, this breed certainly descends from the Great Blue Gascony through deliberate reduction in size closely linked to working needs. The current version dates from August 2023. This versatile dog is used for hunting with a gun and sometimes for hunting by pursuit. Hare is the preferred quarry, although these dogs also work successfully on large game. They appear medium-sized, well-proportioned and noble, with a long chest reaching the elbows and a proudly carried sabre tail.
Calm, affectionate and beautifully voiced
The standard is unusually clear here: a good nose, thorough hunting, a beautiful voice and easy integration into a pack. The character is calm and affectionate, readily accepting direction. Fearfulness is faulty. Such a dog is often pleasant at home. Outdoors, this remains a hound wanting to follow a fresh hare trail thoroughly to its end.
Health: one case from Sweden
Life expectancy cannot be substantiated: McMillan and colleagues list the breed in their UK study but do not analyse it. One breed-specific case has been described. A Petit Bleu in Sweden developed a progressive neurological disease resembling neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis and was euthanised at around 23 months. The dog had two copies of each of two variants in AP3B1 and TRAPPC9. Among 41 healthy dogs of the breed, none had two copies of both, although the individual variants occurred more often. The researchers consider the disease very rare but recommend monitoring because of the small breeding population.
Exercise needs
The FCI requires a working trial, so this is a working hunting dog. Without hunting, long hikes, tracking and mantrailing offer good alternatives. Thorough rather than frantic searching makes this dog well suited to calm, lengthy searches. Practise recall from the outset; off-lead freedom is only for places without wildlife.
Dense short hair, long ears
Brush the very dense, short coat once a week. The folded ears must reach at least the nose tip and need regular checking, especially after rain or water. Check for ticks and grass awns after every outing, including the oval paws with their black pads.
Good foundations
Hunting experience or a real appetite for scent work, plenty of time outdoors, a house with a garden and an appreciation of a calm, affectionate dog who likes other dogs. Experience with hounds makes much easier, though this easy-going character does not make it essential.
When to decline
If the dog would spend many hours alone, neighbours cannot tolerate hound voices or you want a dog who runs freely beside you everywhere. In those circumstances, the little blue dog from Gascony remains a lovely idea, but is not your dog.
The breed quiz helps you assess whether a calm hound with a hunting voice suits you; our book “Which Dog REALLY Suits You?” (book in German) offers more help weighing the decision. For life with a young dog, there is the free Puppy Starter Pack. The blue-ticked pattern looks lovely on a poster in a wooden frame; find more styles among our dog portraits.
Further reading
- Beagle: a nose with a dog attached, and what that means day to day
- Puppy checklist: essentials and the first 3 days
- Older dog, new rules: how to give your senior their best years
Sources, accessed on 20.10.2026: FCI Standard No. 31 Petit Bleu de Gascogne (fci.be, German and English versions dated 29.08.2023, valid original standard dated 01.08.2023); McMillan KM et al., Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death, Scientific Reports 2024 (breed listed but not analysed); Then A et al., Canine Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis-like Disorder Associated with Sequence Variants in AP3B1 and TRAPPC9, Genes 2025.
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