Porcelaine Hounds
Porcelaine Hounds
The name of the breed was derived because of the breed's shiny white coats, through which their skin, marbled with numerous black spots, is faintly visible - the effect is the same as an object being placed in between the fine translucent porcelaine and the source of light - the interplay of light and the opacity of the material, giving a unique and captivating visual effect. Also, when a Porcelaine's hair is exposed to the sunlight, it shines and shimmers like real porcelain, but do not be misled - Porcelaine Hounds, despite their appearance, have nothing in common with the fragility of fine porcelain!
Commonly known today as the Porcelaine Hound - Chien de France Comté - is on of the oldest French hunting dogs. Because of the lack of written historical sources, and the fact that the breed was the subject of many conflicting stories about its orgin and the meaning of its name - the breed has also previously been known as 'Chien de Lunévilles - it is perhaps more appropriate to talk about stories and legends surrounding the origins of the breed, than strictly about an accurate history. In 1789, the French Revolution had a hugely negative impact on on the population of Porcelaines, decimating the breed which, at that time, was closely associated with hunting by the French aristocracy. As a consequence, many Porcelaines were exiled to Switzerland in an effort to try to preserve the breed. Marquise de Foundras, who was a successful writer of hunting novels, organised the re-introduction of a Swiss group to France with a pack of sixty dogs called 'Briquet Franc Cantois', famous for their hare-hunting skills. In one of his novels, Marquise de Foundras, described the impression the pack made on French huntsmen, saying that the variant of the breed surprised everybody with their lively and elegant appearance, but most of all with their hunting skills, which were initially questioned, as it was hard to imagine their velvet-soft ears facing the brambles the tickets, their translucent legs doing well in the mud and their paws not being hurt on the sharp stones!
According to one legend, Porcelaines are descended from the white dog of Saint-Hubert, which was gifted to Dr Coillot from Montbazon by Abbot of Luxeuil, Mr de Clermont-Tonnerre. At the same time as Dr Coillot was developing his pack, a few other groups of Porcelaine Hounds in France also had an important impact on the population, including a pack in Besancon that belonged to Mr Nicot, and another in Rang that belonged to Mr Martial.
Because of this historical mixing, for some time, there were disputes as to whether the breed was of French or Swiss origin; obviously, the various different names given to the breed over time were not helpful in indentifying the origin of Porcelaines, though the Comte de Mallores, a great historian of the 'veneries', stated finally that Porcelaine Hounds are of French origin, and since then, France has been regarded as the mother country of the breed, and is officially recognised as the country of origin in the standard by Federation Cynologique International (FCI). What is certain, is that Marquis de Foundras was the person who named the breed 'Porcelaine' .
Porcelaine Hounds
In 1884, at the Tuileries in France, the first group of dogs defined as Porcelaines, was shown causing a sensation as it was the first time the breed was introduced to a wider circle of huntsmen. The creators of the breed were working hard to give Porcelaines improved conformation and to give them more pace...both of these aims were achieved by adding the mixture of blood from Billy, Gascogne-Saintongeois and the Sommerset Harrier, though, unfortunately, a side effect of these additions was to increase the size of the dogs, which is one of the problems the breed is still facing today. Further physiological modifications took place at the beginning of the twentieth century by adding the blood of Artois and Norman dogs; the main aim of these modifications was to correct the heavy morphologies by reducing dewlap and achieving a lighter frame.
Porcelaine Hounds are medium sized dogs, according to the FCI breed standard - adult bitches should not exceed 56 cm, adult males – 58 cm . Their weight varies between 25-28 kg. Their gait is lively and gay, their gallop - light and tireless. Seeing them running in the fields is a real pleasure and brings feelings similar to studying a master piece of art.
Porcelaine Hounds are not only beautiful, but also of very good character - they are well-balanced, brave, and are very good companions in a family environment; they love the attention of people. We are very happy and proud to share our lives with them.
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Porcelaine hounds kennel
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FCI Porcelaine Hound Standard
