Ariegeois

The Ariegeois is a typical member of the Scenthound family and shares many characteristics with other Scenthound family members. These dogs are described as medium-sized hounds that are elegant, light, and distinguished. They have well-developed, usually black noses, which isn’t a huge surprise because these dogs have one of the most sensitive noses out there.

Their eyes should be brown, and their expression should be alert and bright. One additional trait they share with the rest of the Scenthounds is their long ears. Their ears have thin leather, and when they are stretched out, they can reach the tip of their nose. Their body is firm with well-developed muscles. Their movement should be supple and easy.

Grooming

Ariegeois have a short, fine, and dense coat. Ariegeois dogs don’t require a lot of brushing. Weekly brushing will be enough to keep this dog looking good. They will need only a few baths throughout the year. Occasional baths are only required if your dog rolls into something smelly or dirty.

Since they have droopy ears, you should regularly check them – they are prone to developing ear infections if you notice that their ears and red or have a bad odor, that might be a sign that your dog has an ear infection.

Ariegeois coat colors:

• white with jet-black markings

Ariegeois temperament

A working, hunting Ariegeois’s temperament is that of a pack hunter with a keen sense of smell. They were traditionally used for hunting various game, such as foxes, hares, wild boar, and deer. The Ariegeois can track prey for miles and miles and can easily adapt to difficult terrain.

In recent times, more and more people started noticing the sweet character of the Ariegeois and started keeping them as loving family pets. These dogs make poor guard dogs because they are really friendly towards everyone. These dogs can learn to get along great with kids, and they love having the company of other dogs.

Other animals, however, are not too safe around the Ariegeois because it has a high prey drive, and smaller animals can easily be perceived as prey by these hunting dogs.

Training and socialization

When training an Ariegeois, make sure you arm yourself with plenty of patience and consistency. That is, of course, if you are training your Ariegeois to follow commands and obey. If you are training to be a pack hunter, it is a delight and the training process is very easy. If you are training it to be an obedient pet, you can encounter some struggles because they are easily distracted, and getting them to follow commands can be problematic.

When socializing your Ariegeois, make sure that that process starts as soon as possible. They are naturally great with other dogs, and they love the feeling of being a part of the pack. Socialization is necessary if your dog will be around other animals, children, and strangers.

Even if they are properly socialized, they might never get along with other small animals because they will always think of them as prey. Expose your Ariege Hound to strangers and small children so that they can learn to behave around them, and make sure it is a positive experience for your dog.

Health

Ariegeois are generally healthy dogs, but like most of the dog breeds in the world, they can suffer from some health problems. Those problems include:

• hip dysplasia
• patellar luxation
• bloat
• ectropion
• ear infections

Ariegeois breeders

If you decide that this is the right dog for you, now it's time to find a good and responsible Ariegeois breeder. Buying a dog from such a breeder will provide you with a healthy puppy who will not have health and temperament problems. These dogs became very popular, and many unethical and bad breeders started to breed these dogs to earn money without worrying about puppy health, temperament, and well-being.

Buying a dog from a responsible breeder will cost you more money, but you can be sure that you will get a healthy puppy.

World Dog Finder team

This dog originates from the Ariège area, in the southwest of France. This is a fairly new dog breed and because of that it is relatively unknown outside their native land. They were originally bred for hunting hares and boars. This dog was developed from the Gascon Saintongeois, Grand Bleu de Gascogne, and other French hounds.

After Second World War Ariegeois faced extinction but the breed enthusiasts managed to save the breed.