Anglo-Français de Petite Vénerie
Anglo-Français de Moyen Vénerie, Anglo-Français de Petite Vénerie Tricolore, Medium-sized Anglo-French Hound
The Anglo-Français de Petite Vénerie is a scenthound that was developed to hunt rabbit, pheasant, and quail. Although primarily a pack hound, they are sometimes used individually or in pairs. The way most French hounds hunt is called “Chasse-à-Tir”, they circle the game and chase it back to the waiting hunter to be killed.
The name Anglo-Français de Moyen Vénerie is sometimes seen in North America as a separate breed, however, it appears this title was created due to confusion with the breed’s name. The “Petite” does not refer to the size of the dogs, but rather to the type of prey they are used to hunt. Since they are medium-sized, some registries replaced “Petite” with “Moyen”. Anglo-Français de Petite Vénerie translates roughly to “Franco-English Small Game Hunting Hound”.
Anglo-Français de Petite Vénerie Standards
- 19-22"
- 35-44 lbs
- medium-sized scenthound
- ears are long and fine
- tail is medium-length
- coat is short, dense, and smooth
- white with black markings
- white with orange markings
- tricolor (white, black, and tan)
History of the Anglo-Français de Petite Vénerie
As their name suggests, the Anglo-Français de Petite Vénerie was created by crossing French hounds with hounds from England. It is unknown when they were first developed, some sources state the 16th century. However, as other breeds were continually added, based on working abilities, it would not be a fixed breed the 1900s.
While we know the makeup of the Anglo-Français de Petite Vénerie includes both English and French hounds, it is not known which breeds these were. Most would have still been developing and not fixed at the time. Due to the continual outcrosses, particularly because of the English blood, the Anglo-Français de Petite Vénerie was once known as “Bâtards du haut-poitou”, meaning “bastard breeds”. Suggestions regarding their ancestry included the Harrier, English Foxhound, Poitevin, Porcelain, Petit Bleu de Gascogne, and the Petit Gascon-Saintongeois.
The modern Anglo-Français de Petite Vénerie was fixed In the mid-1900s. French hounds from various lines were combined in an effort to create more uniform breeding and given their current titles. Today most kennel clubs recognize the three color varieties (Blanc et Noir, Blanc et Orange, and Tricolore) as a single breed, unlike their cousins the Grand Anglo-Français and Chien Français where each color is a separate breed.
Today the Anglo-Français de Petite Vénerie remains primarily a hunting dog and exists in packs inside of France. It is very rare to see one outside of the country, although it does have Fédération Cynologique Internationale recognition.
Related Breeds: