3 Rare French Dog Breeds with Ticked and Spotted Coats

There are some extraordinary looking dogs around and none more so than those with spotted and ticked coats. The 3 breeds below all originate in France where they were used as hunting dogs and are quite rare after nearly disappearing from the planet altogether.

The Basset Blue de Gascogne

These attractive dogs are quite similar to our native Basset Hound boasting long backs and short legs. However, their coats are quite different being wonderfully ticked and spotted with tinge of blue, hence their name.

These lovely dogs are not often seen outside of their native France and are considered as being quite rare. They belong to the hound group of dogs and just like the Basset Hound, they have a gorgeous melancholy look thanks to their long droopy ears and eyes. Their coats are wonderfully ticked, spotted and mottled which all adds to their appeal.

When it comes to temperament, the Basset Blue has a tendency to be rather lazy if they are given the chance which is one of the reasons you need to keep an eye on their weight. However, on the move, these dogs can be pretty agile which is why they were such a popular choice of hunting dog, this together with their tremendous sense of smell meant they were thought of as valuable working dogs in France.

They are known to be very friendly by nature which is why they make such great family pets, always laid back and easy going no matter what's going on around them. They are especially good around young children. However, these lovely dogs do need to be handled with a firm and gentle hand during their training, but because they are so intelligent, they are quick to learn new things.

The Braque D'Auvergne

Another lovely French breed that boasts a ticked and spotted coat is the Braque d'Auvergne. They originate in Auvergne region of France and were used as gun dogs and pointers. They are very good looking canines and although their coats are mottled, spotted and ticked, their ears and heads are black.

After the second world war, this lovely French breed nearly vanished off the face of the earth, but luckily people dedicated to making sure the breed survived and today their numbers are rising all thanks to careful and selective breeding.

Temperament-wise the Braque D'Auvergne, although bred to point and as gun dogs, they boast a nice level temperament and are known to be extremely affectionate by nature. They are also incredibly loyal and just adore being with their owners. However, their need to be with people can also prove a little challenging if you can't spend a lot of time with them which can often result in the Braque d'Auvergne developing some unwanted behavioural problems one of which is separation anxiety.

With this said, when these dogs are well socialised from a young age, they make great family pets especially as they get on so well with children. They do get along with other pets and dogs too, but being hunting dogs, they will chase after other animals if the opportunity arises due their strong prey drive.

Because they are so intelligent, the Braque D'Auvergne is easy to train with the bonus being they are always very eager to please. They do much better when they are allowed to spend as much time in the great outdoors as possible and are therefore not a very good choice as a canine companion for people who live in towns. If left to their own devices for long periods of time, these active dogs can develop some very unpleasant and hard to live with behavioural problems like the following:

• Hyperactivity
• Destructiveness
• Over-excitability
• Nervousness
• Excessive barking

The Braque Français

Another hunting dog that's native to France, the Braque Français boasts a lovely ticked and spotted coat. They were originally bred as gun dogs and pointers, being one of the more popular hunting dogs in France over many years. However, this lovely breed is seldom seen outside of their native country.

This is another breed that very nearly vanished from the face of the earth after the Second World War with hunters preferring lighter gun dogs that the old-style pointers like the Braque Français. However, dedicated and loyal fans of the breed searched out stock to breed from to rescue the breed from extinction, some of which were found here in the UK. Slowly, but surely the breed is being bought back from the brink of extinction by careful and selective breeding.

Temperament-wise, the Braque Français boasts a very loyal and affectionate nature. They are known to be happy characters always willing to please and be sociable. They are particularly good with young children and other dogs, although you need to be a little careful if you share your home with smaller animals because the Braque Français is one dog that boasts a high prey drive.