Poitevin
Also called Chien de Haut-Poitou
From Poitou, western France.1
At a glance the quick version
The FCI standard gives no weight; range from Wikipedia for the breed overall.
Coat and looks how to spot one
short and glossy
A tall, light, elegant hound with a short, shiny coat. It moves with an easy, bounding gallop and looks somewhat like a blend of foxhound and sighthound.21
Personality what they are like
A calm pack hound, not shy, but more aloof with people than many hounds. It is at its best living and working with other hounds.1
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Very high. Bred to hunt in packs for hours at a time, it needs long daily exercise and plenty of room to run.1
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
The short coat needs little more than an occasional brush.2
Company who they like around
Strongly pack-oriented and does best in the company of other dogs.1
The story where it all began
The breed was created in Poitou in the late 1600s when the Marquis François de Larrye crossed local hounds with English staghounds gifted to the Dauphin in 1692. Revolution, disease and two world wars all reduced its numbers, and foxhound blood was added more than once to rebuild it. Today it hunts deer and boar in French pack hunting.1
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
It was originally bred to hunt wolves.1
- 2
Packs have been recorded running at up to 56 km/h and hunting for as long as seven hours.1
- 3
It is sometimes nicknamed the 'greyhound among French hounds' for its speed and lightness.1
- 4
Its standard describes it as passing easily through undergrowth with a light, bounding gallop.2
Recognised by the official bits
- FCI
- Standard No. 24, Group 6 Scent hounds, Section 1.1 Large-sized hounds, with working trial.2
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Poitevin. 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 7every year
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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.
- Poitevin (dog) - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for names, origin, weight, temperament, history, facts
- FCI Standard N°24 Poitevin fci.beused for group, heights, coat, colours, movement
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.