TRANSLATION: Brought up to date by Dr. Paschoud.

ORIGIN: France.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD: 19.10.1964.

UTILIZATION: Scenthound.

CLASSIFICATION FCI:  Group 6 Scenthounds and related breeds.

Section 1.2  Medium sized hounds. With working trial.

GENERAL APPEARANCE: Hunting dog for small game (driving game to waiting guns ), very distinguished, very French looking and showing top quality in all details of its structure.

HEAD: Must be very typical, lean and finely sculptured ; rather long altogether. 

CRANIAL REGION:

Skull: Wide at the top between the leathers, occipital protuberance rounded.  The forehead is flat, with a median furrow not too much marked.

Stop: Marked, without exaggeration.

FACIAL REGION:

Nose: Well developed and very black.  Nostrils well open.

Muzzle: Of good length, neither square nor pointed; the nasal bridge, at first straight, ends very slightly arched.

Lips: The upper lip covers the lower without being drooping or thick.  Mucous membranes black.

Eyes: Normally developed, dark in appearance, well sheltered under the superciliary arches.  Expression intelligent and sweet.

Leahters: Leather thin, well curled inwards, ending rather in a point, reaching the end of the muzzle.  Set on narrow, never above the line of the eye.

NECK: Fairly long, light, showing a little dewlap of tense and lean appearance.

BODY

Back: Withers well prominent, back broad and straight. Loins: Wide, very muscular, well coupled, not excessive in length. Croup: Slightly slanting; haunches placed well apart and slightly prominent. Chest: Average width, but deep. Ribs: Corresponding to the chest described above, rather long without being flat. Flanks: Slightly tucked up, but full.

TAIL: Well attached, fairly strong at the root, thinning at the tip, of average length.  Without any longer and coarser, slightly offstanding hairs ( like ears of grain ).  Carried slightly curved.

LIMBS

FOREQUARTERS: Forelegs fairly long, lean but not too fine; straight and parallel; tendons well attached.

Shoulders: Constructed for gallop, long, well sloping, well muscled without being heavy. Feet: Typical for a French hound, with rather elongated and fine but tight toes; pads hard and tough.

HINDQUARTERS

Thighs: Well descending; muscles very apparent and clean; of moderately strong development. Hocks: Strong and well let down, normally angulated. 

GAIT/MOVEMENT: Lively and gay; gallop light and tireless.

SKIN: Fine and supple, marbled with numerous black spots.

COAT

HAIR: Smooth, thin, close lying and shining; without bare patches. 

COLOUR: Very white, with roundish orange spots, never extended to a mantle. These spots usually superimpose other black pigmented spots of the skin. Orange ticking on the ears is highly characteristic of the breed.

Height: For dogs between 55 and 58 cm (22 to 23,5 inches)

           For bitches between 53 and 56 cm (21,5 to 22,5 inches)

FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

ELIMINATING FAULTS:

- Aggressive or overly shy.

- Lack of type.

- Eyes or nose light; excessive lack of pigment.

- Tail furnished with some longer and coarser, slightly offstanding hairs (like ears of grain).

- Coat harsh and thick.

- Orange mantle.

- Orange spots too bright, tending to mahogany, greyish or mingled with black hairs. Distinct orange spots but too pale, and even the absence of spots are not sought after, but are not considered as a eliminatory fault.

- Excess or lack of height at withers. An exeption may be made for males which, excelling in their quality and therefore capable of being used at stud, reach the maximum height of 60 cm (24 inches).

- Any fault affecting the utilization of the dog, as rickets, lack of a correct stance, insufficient reach of the movement.

Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.

N.B.: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.