Ariégeois

Features

The Ariégeois belongs to the medium-sized dog breeds. Its slightly built physique has a noble appearance, which gives it an elegant look. Due to its long barrels, the Airégeois also moves very light-footed.

Important to know

When acquiring the Ariégeois, you should be aware that this dog breed is not a lap dog, but a hunting dog that needs a lot of exercise.

submissive & active

Personality

Body & Appearance

Attributes

Coat care
3
Hair
5
Energy
8
Trainability
8
Suitable for children
5
This is the Ariégeois

Features

The height at the withers in males is between 52 and 58cm, the height at the withers in females is usually smaller and is between 50 and 56cm .

The coat of the dogs is short and thin. The color of the coat is usually white with black spots. However, black spots on the body and tan markings on the head may also occur.

The ears of the Ariégeois are leathery smooth and hang down from the head. His broad oval chest is muscular and thus well adapted to hare hunting. The leftzen of the Ariégeois are its typical feature, as they do not hang over the lower jaw. The saber-shaped, upright carried tail is also a typical feature for the dog breed.

The Ariégeois weighs between 25 and 30kg and its life expectancy is 10 to 12 years.

Personality

The Ariégeois is a docile, submissive and active dog. A distinction must be made between working mode and dealing with people.

The Ariégeois is cheerful, amiable and very affectionate towards people. The Ariégeois is also open to children. Nevertheless, this dog breed belongs to the hunting dogs and also brings the necessary qualities for this. Thus, the Ariégeois not only has a quick perception, but is also very skillful. Hunting shows his ambition, self-confidence and commitment.

In addition, the Ariégeois is also very social, as it is usually kept in a pack and interacts with other dogs.

Posture

When keeping the Ariégeois, you must keep in mind that this dog breed was bred as a hunting dog, even though it is very docile and obedient, which makes training the dogs easier and enjoyable. As a hunting dog, the Ariégeois has a strong hunting instinct.

If you want to keep the Ariégeois as a hunting dog, you can do so by keeping it either as part of a large pack or as a single dog.

As a hunting dog, the Ariégeois can perform all the necessary tasks of the hunt.

You should also keep in mind that due to its hunting instinct, this dog breed needs enough exercise to keep it busy. If the Ariégeois is not exercised, it may show behavioral problems, which will also affect the relationship between you and your pet. For this reason, he should not be kept as a pure family dog, as even a house with a fenced garden is helpful, but cannot replace intensive walks and head work.

Nutrition and care

Since the Ariégeois is a running and hunting dog, you should make sure that you feed your four-legged friend with performance food that provides him with the necessary minerals and nutrients. It is also important that you stick to the prescribed guideline amount of food so that the Ariégeois can maintain its weight. Nevertheless, the feed should be high caloric, because the Ariégeois consumes a lot of energy during the hunt.

Whether dry or wet food is not important when giving food. The main thing is that your four-legged friend likes it.

The Ariégeois is a very low-maintenance breed. Due to its short coat, it is not susceptible to soiling and you need to brush it comparatively rarely. Only at shedding times should you make sure to remove excess, already dead hair from the coat. Also, you can wash the Ariégeois with mild dog shampoo or with warm water in case of major soiling due to hunting. In addition, you should check the fur for ticks after the hunt.

In addition to grooming, you should also make sure to check claws, ears, eyes and paws regularly so that you can detect potential disease early. For cleaning the ears as well as eyes, a damp cloth is good for wiping out to prevent infections.

Due to the fact that the breeding of the Ariégeois is very controlled and the breed is considered very robust, hereditary diseases are not known in this breed.

History

The Ariégeois breed originates from the south of France, more precisely from the department of Ariège on the French border with Spain. Since the beginning of the 19th century, the Ariégeois has been widespread here as a popular hunting dog, especially known for hunting hares.

Probably the breed of the Ariégeois originated from the mating of various medium-sized hunting dogs (Briquets) and the Grand Bleu de Gascogne. This was to emphasize the merits of both breeds and balance their weaknesses.

The Ariégeois was considered threatened from the beginning to the middle of the 20th century. It was not until the 1970s that the Ariégeois was increasingly bred again by dedicated enthusiasts of the breed. Nevertheless, the dog breed is hardly known outside Germany.

Conclusion

When acquiring the Ariégeois, you should be aware that this dog breed is not a lap dog, but a hunting dog that needs a lot of exercise.

However, if hunting is one of your hobbies and you want an animal companion by your side to help you with your hobby, then you will have a lot of fun with this social, inquisitive and active dog breed!