Ariégeois

Also called Ariege Hound, Ariégeois Hound

Recognised breedFCI group 6Short profile

From France, the Ariège département in the Pyrenees foothills.1 2

At a glance the quick version

Weight25 to 27 kg2

Height, male52 to 58 cm1 3

Height, female50 to 56 cm1 3

Sizemedium

FCI sets no weight; Wikipedia gives about 25-27 kg.

cheerful and sociable

easy to train

good stamina for its size

1 3

Coat and looks how to spot one

short, fine coat

A short, fine and dense coat on a light, elegant hound frame, with long ears and hare-shaped feet.1 2

Colourswhite with sharply outlined black patches, sometimes mottled, with pale tan on the cheeks and above the eyes1 3

Personality what they are like

Happy, friendly and easy-going, and it works well in a pack. On a trail it is keen, quick to react and full of initiative, with a strong hound voice.1 3

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Bred to hunt hare over rough, rocky ground, it has good speed and unusual endurance and needs lots of outdoor activity.3 2

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

The short coat needs very little grooming.1

Home where they are happiest

Wikipedia notes it does not settle easily into city life and is rarely kept purely as a companion.2

Company who they like around

A pack hound at heart that is sociable with other dogs.1 3

The story where it all began

It was developed in the Ariège by crossing local briquet hounds with larger Gascon pack hounds such as the Grand Bleu de Gascogne or Gascon Saintongeois. The result kept the pack-hound look in a smaller, nimbler dog, recognised in France in 1912.1 3 2

Fun facts for the dinner table

1
Its feet are shaped like a hare's, with black pads.2
2
It is the smallest of the French blue-mottled hound family.3
3
It gives voice while tracking, so hunters can follow the chase by ear.2
4
Although hare is its speciality, it has also been used on deer and wild boar.2

Recognised by the official bits

FCI: Standard no. 20, Group 6 Scent hounds, Section 1.2 Medium-sized hounds; standard dated 24.01.1996. Wikipedia gives definitive FCI acceptance in 1954.1
France (national recognition): Recognised in 1912.2
UKC: Scenthound Group; recognised 1 January 1993.3

The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you

A typical home-care rhythm for a Ariégeois. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.

Brushingevery week
Bathevery 8 weeks
Nail trimSooner if you hear clicking on the floorevery month
Ear checkFloppy ears trap moisture, so check and dry themevery week
Teeth brushingDaily brushing is idealevery 2 days
ExerciseDaily walks and playevery day
Flea, tick and worm protectionSchedule as your vet recommendsas your vet recommends
Vet check-upSenior years usually start around age 8every year

Start a free diary

Grand Bleu de Gascogne

Gascon Saintongeois

Petit Bleu de Gascogne

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Where this comes from

Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

FCI Standard No. 20 Ariégeois fci.beused for recognition, height, coat, colours, temperament, history
Ariégeois - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for weight, recognition years, uses, fun facts
UKC Ariegeois ukcdogs.comused for UKC recognition, characteristics, activity

Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.