The results of the cross breeding of French scent hound with English Fox Hounds, the Anglo-Francais de Petite Venerie is, as its name suggests a dog of English and French breeding. The Petite part of the name if a reference to the small sized game in which it was developed to hunt. The word petite is French for small and Venerie translates as hunt.
Appearance
A medium sized dog, the Anglo-Francais de Petite Venerie stands at between 18 and 22 inches in height and weigh between 16 and 20 kilograms. Its appearance should resemble its French hound ancestors, rather than the English dogs. The coat is smooth and short. Colour variations include tan, black or white, or any combination of these colours. The eyes are usually a dark brown. Ears are low set and drop down.
Temperament
Described as free spirited, the Anglo-Francais de Petite Venerie is never short of energy. They love to get outside, whether to hunt or just to go for long walks with their master. They are well suited to rural areas where there is plenty of bushland to explore. Their close relation with dogs such as the Beagle mean that if they are kept in a suburban area that secure fences are a must. A scent dogs, once they pick up a trail they will follow it fiercely, ignoring their masters commands.
While not a constant barker, the Anglo-Francais de Petite Venerie has a loud and distinctive bark, this sound was bred intentionally. When the dog finds it prey it will bark to call its master in the right direction.
Working and Tasks
The Anglo-Francais de Petite Venerie was developed to hunt small game. On a hunt it will locate the prey, then circle it and chase it back towards the hunter. They do not do well hunting large game. They are agile dogs and can run at good speeds for long periods of time. The breed is a scent hound and excels at tracking recent and cold tracks.
In France, the breed is mostly used as a hunting dog and rarely as a domestic pet. It has been exported to other countries such as the United States where it is a rare dog, and is more likely to be kept as a pet as well as being used as a hunting dog outside of France.
It has been said by many hunters that the Anglo-Francais de Petite Venerie enjoys the hunt far more than its human companions. It will never give up chasing its pray, and is happy to work in any terrain and in all conditions.
Health
The smooth coat of the Anglo-Francais de Petite Venerie is easy to care for and requires little grooming. They do not have an offensive smell that some other dogs do. The breed is recorded to have a high occurrence of ear problems, including infection. Keeping a close eye on your dog’s ears as well as keeping them clean will help reduce the risk of this. There are very little occurrences of genetic problems in the breed