¶Table of Contents
¶Quick Facts
The Basset Bleu de Gascogne is first and foremost a scent hound, not a companion dog with a little hunting history. It is best suited to someone who wants to provide regular scent work and, ideally, hunting, and who can manage a strong drive to follow trails and a voice designed to carry.
- Origin and status: France; FCI breed number 35 in Group 6, subject to a working trial.
- Work: slow, methodical pursuit, chiefly of hare and rabbit. The breed may work alone or in a pack in its country of origin, but it hunts alone in Sweden because pack hunting is prohibited there.
- Size: 34–38 cm at the withers for both dogs and bitches. The FCI standard gives no weight.
- Temperament in the standard: active, agile, lively, affectionate and happy, with a very fine nose and a melodious hunting voice.
- Coat: short, dense and moderately coarse; black-and-white ticking creates the blue effect, with black patches and tan markings.
- The key question for an owner: do you want to live with and occupy an independent hunting dog even on days when no hunt is planned?
¶Appearance & Coat
The Basset Bleu de Gascogne should be short-legged and substantial without becoming heavy or clumsy. The breed standard gives a ratio of height to body length of about 5:8, while the depth of chest is about two-thirds of the height at the withers. The back should be long but well supported, the chest roomy, and movement balanced and relatively easy.
The height range of 34–38 cm applies to both sexes. There is, however, no official weight range in the FCI standard. Do not judge an adult against a figure on the scales alone; consider body condition, proportions, muscle and whether the dog moves freely. The Swedish breeding strategy identifies excessive height as an ongoing issue following the historical introduction of larger Bleu breeds.
The forelegs should be strong. A slight turn is tolerated, but excessive torsion is a disqualifying fault. Watch the dog from the front while standing and moving: the feet should support the body steadily, the elbows should sit close, and the gait should not look painful or laboured. A long, soft topline, knuckling over or clearly unstable forelegs do not match the functional standard.
The fine leathers are set low, curl inwards and should reach beyond the tip of the nose. The tail is carried like a sabre and should just touch the ground at rest. The coat is fully ticked in black and white, creating a slate-blue overall effect, with larger or smaller black patches. Two black patches on the head, a white blaze and a small oval black spot in the centre are common. Tan appears above the eyes, on the cheeks and legs, and beneath the tail, among other places.
The short coat is easy to care for and bathing is only needed when required. The ears, feet and skin should still be checked after hunting or work in vegetation. Healthy ears do not normally need routine cleaning; cleaning too often can cause irritation. An unpleasant smell, redness, discharge, itching or head shaking are reasons to contact a vet and follow advice tailored to that dog.
¶Temperament & Personality
The breed ideal is a happy, affectionate dog that is lively outdoors and able to work with other dogs. Its pack background and the Swedish breed description support an expectation of sociability with dogs, but this is not a guarantee for every individual or every meeting. Look at how the parents and close relatives recover after surprises, approach people and behave around other dogs.
Swedish BPH results cannot yet provide a reliable description of the breed’s temperament. When the 2024 breeding strategy was written, only one Basset Bleu de Gascogne had completed a BPH behaviour assessment including the gunshot element, whereas the Swedish Kennel Club produces a detailed breed analysis only after 200 dogs have been assessed. Such a small sample cannot show that the breed is invariably calm, easy-going, safe with children or suitable for a first-time owner.
The consistent trait is its hunting function: an excellent nose, a strong urge to follow a trail and a voice that carries over distance. A scent can compete strongly with the handler’s cues. This calls for safety routines and thoughtful training, rather than dismissing the dog as stubborn. A prospective owner must also be comfortable with the hunting voice and plan how vocal behaviour will be managed at home.
With children, the same basic rule applies as with any dog: an adult should be present and the dog must have a quiet resting place where it is left undisturbed. The breed may live successfully with other dogs in the household, but matching and introductions matter. Life with a cat cannot be promised for a dog with strong hunting drive. Prevent chasing from the outset, give the cat dog-free places of retreat and let contact develop in small, controlled steps.
¶Training & Exercise
The Basset Bleu de Gascogne needs to use both body and nose, but there is no fixed time rule for the breed. Base activity on hunting or tracking, varied walks, recovery, body condition and how the dog moves the following day. An adult given only short walks around the block will not have an outlet for the work for which the breed was developed.
Reward-based training makes it easier to compete with scents. Teach engagement, walking with the handler, stopping and recall in simple settings first, then increase distractions gradually. A well-taught cue reduces risk but does not remove hunting drive. Use a lead or long line where an engrossing trail could take the dog towards traffic, wildlife or land where hunting is not permitted. Hunting trials and tracking trials can offer practical ways to assess and develop the breed’s working ability.
For a puppy, five minutes per month of age is not a scientific limit. Varied movement is needed for coordination and muscle development, while pace, surface and how the puppy feels that day must guide the load. Increase activity gradually, pause when the puppy slows and do not push it through fatigue or allow repeated hard landings and sudden turns. Young puppies can learn to use stairs under calm supervision; stairs should not become a place for uncontrolled rushing.
¶Health
The Swedish population is too small for firm conclusions about the frequency of disease. The 2024 breeding strategy states both that few breed-related problems are known and that a handful of insurance claims can have a large effect on the figures. A list of isolated diagnoses must therefore not be read as the breed’s disease prevalence.
The insurance material for 2019–2023 included cherry eye, unspecified lameness, disc degeneration, joint pain and acute otitis externa. Some insurers gave no case count, and several diagnoses occurred only once or twice. These records justify asking about eyes, movement, back and ears within the family, but they do not prove that every Basset Bleu de Gascogne is at high risk.
The breed has no central health programme with the Swedish Kennel Club and is not marked as requiring known hip status or an eye examination in the registration rules effective from 1 January 2026. That does not mean anything is permitted. The Club’s general rules say that a dog graded HD E must not be bred from, HD D may be paired only with A or B, and a dog showing signs of hip dysplasia must not be bred from regardless of grade.
Ask to see original results whenever a breeder refers to voluntary tests, and ask which health problems have occurred in parents, siblings and previous offspring. Assess function too: unlaboured breathing, healthy eyes and ears, stable forelegs, a well-supported back and an easy gait carry more weight than an assurance that the breed is “usually healthy”. Keep the dog at a suitable body condition and seek veterinary advice for pain, lameness, a changed gait or recurring ear and eye problems.
The small population makes genetic diversity especially important. Current Swedish Basset Club recommendations include not repeating the same mating, aiming for a calculated coefficient of inbreeding no higher than 3 per cent for each litter, and limiting any one dog’s total offspring to no more than 25 per cent of the number registered in a typical year. These are breeding goals, not health guarantees or breed-specific registration requirements.
¶History & Origins
The Basset Bleu de Gascogne is a French scent hound from Gascony, south of Bordeaux. The FCI describes the breed as having been revived at the end of the nineteenth century through the efforts of hunters in western France. The Swedish breeding strategy gives 1893 as its first known mention in French literature.
By the 1960s, the breed was close to disappearing. A reconstruction programme began in 1968 and used the Petit Bleu de Gascogne and Grand Bleu de Gascogne. This helped save the breed but also produced excessive height in some dogs, an issue still monitored in breeding. The FCI accepted the breed definitively in 1963, and the current official standard was published in 2023.
The breed was developed for slow pursuit and is used chiefly on hare and rabbit. In France it may work alone or in a pack; in Sweden it works alone. The first two dogs arrived in Sweden from the Netherlands in 1997. This documented history explains the breed’s form and work without resorting to claims of an unbroken ancient lineage.
¶Living with the Breed
The Basset Bleu de Gascogne is best suited to a home that treats hunting and tracking drive as the core of the breed. If the plan is mainly for a quiet sofa dog, a dog that can be off lead everywhere or a dog that is seldom heard, other breeds are likely to fit better. If you want to work with scent, can provide safe ground and appreciate an active hound, you are more likely to be a good match.
Living in a flat is not automatically wrong, but how sound travels and how easily you can reach good walking and tracking ground decide whether it works. Barking and howling need training and management out of consideration for neighbours. A garden does not replace work, and any enclosure must be secure because a trail may matter more to the dog than the boundary.
The breed should not be described as innately prone to separation problems. The ability to stay alone varies between individuals and must be trained gradually. Begin with very brief separations when the dog feels safe and settled, increase them only when it can relax, and step back if it shows persistent distress. Plan daily life around the dog in front of you rather than a claimed number of hours.
Before buying a puppy, ask the breeder to show you:
- how the parents and close relatives work, use their voices and recover after hunting;
- known veterinary diagnoses and original results from any voluntary examinations;
- the pedigree, calculated coefficient of inbreeding and how the mating supports genetic diversity;
- the parents’ height, foreleg alignment, back stability and movement;
- how the puppies are introduced to handling, different environments, people and dogs.
This provides a better basis for a decision than general promises about children, cats, health or easy training. For the Basset Bleu de Gascogne, an honest account of hunting function, the small population and the individual household’s routine matters more than a long list of breed labels.
¶Characteristics
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Breed Type | Purebred |
| Aggressiveness | 3/5 |
| Child Friendly | 4/5 |
| Energy | 3/5 |
| Hair Shedding | 3/5 |
| Health | 3/5 |
| Intelligence | 3/5 |
| Grooming Needs | 3/5 |
| Learning Ability | 3/5 |
| Barking Level | 4/5 |
| Height | 34 – 38 cm |
| Weight | 16 – 18 kg |
| Life Expectancy | 10 – 12 years |
¶Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of temperament does the Basset Bleu de Gascogne typically have at home and on walks?
This breed is usually calm, gentle and affectionate at home, but becomes focused and determined when following scents outdoors. They tend to be friendly with people and other dogs, yet can be independent, which may make recall and off‑lead control challenging without consistent training.
How much exercise does a Basset Bleu de Gascogne really need, given its short legs?
Despite the short, heavy build, this is an active scenthound that needs at least one to two hours of varied exercise and sniffing opportunities daily. Long, steady walks and scent games are more suitable than intense running or jumping, which can stress the back and joints.
Are Basset Bleu de Gascogne dogs good for first‑time owners?
They can suit a committed first‑time owner who is prepared for a strong hunting instinct and independent mindset. Their gentle nature is an advantage, but consistent training, secure fencing and patience with scent‑driven distractions are essential.
What health problems are Basset Bleu de Gascogne dogs prone to?
Common concerns include ear infections due to long, low‑set ears, back strain linked to their elongated body and short legs, and possible joint issues like hip or elbow dysplasia. Keeping them lean, avoiding excessive jumping and maintaining regular vet and ear checks can reduce many risks.
How hard is it to train a Basset Bleu de Gascogne and will it ever have reliable recall?
They are intelligent and can learn well, but their scenthound nature often makes following a trail more rewarding than listening to commands. Early training with high‑value rewards, long‑line practice and safe enclosed spaces improves recall, but many will never be fully reliable off lead in open areas with wildlife.
Does the Basset Bleu de Gascogne bark or howl a lot compared with other breeds?
This breed has a deep, melodious voice and may bay or howl when excited, left alone too long or when following a scent. With training and enough exercise and mental stimulation, most can be managed in a household setting, but they are not typically a silent dog.
What grooming does the Basset Bleu de Gascogne’s short blue‑mottled coat require?
The short coat is low maintenance and usually only needs a weekly brush to remove loose hair and keep the skin healthy. Ear care is more demanding than coat care, with regular cleaning and inspection needed to help prevent infections in the long, folded ears.
Is a Basset Bleu de Gascogne suitable for apartment living?
They can live in an apartment if given sufficient daily exercise and mental activity, plus access to safe outdoor areas for sniffing and exploring. However, their voice, need to follow scents and tendency to dislike long periods of solitude may be challenging in close quarters without careful management.
How well do Basset Bleu de Gascogne dogs get along with children and other pets?
They are generally sociable, tolerant and gentle with respectful children, especially when raised with them. They usually get on well with other dogs, but smaller pets may trigger their hunting instinct, so supervision and careful introductions are recommended.
What makes the Basset Bleu de Gascogne different from other Basset‑type hounds?
This breed is lighter and more athletic than the Basset Hound and carries a distinctive blue‑ticked coat pattern from its Gascogne heritage. It was developed primarily as a pack hunting dog for small game, which contributes to its strong scent drive, stamina and typically sociable nature with other dogs.¶Comparisons with other breeds
Compare Basset Bleu de Gascogne with other breeds and see the differences in temperament, activity level, and care to make a confident choice. Show all comparisons
