English White Terrier is originated from United Kingdom but Grand Gascon Saintongeois is originated from France. English White Terrier may grow 27 cm / 10 inches shorter than Grand Gascon Saintongeois. English White Terrier may weigh 26 kg / 57 pounds lesser than Grand Gascon Saintongeois. English White Terrier may live 6 years less than Grand Gascon Saintongeois. Both English White Terrier and Grand Gascon Saintongeois has almost same litter size. English White Terrier requires Moderate Maintenance. But Grand Gascon Saintongeois requires Low Maintenance
The English White Terrier was developed in the 1860’s by a group of breeders from the Sealyham terriers, the Jack Russell terrier, and the Fox Terrier. These breeders were looking for a white terrier that could be more successful in the show ring than the current prick-eared English terrier. They named their new breed, the English White Terrier or the Old English terrier. In later years in the United States, the English White Terrier was mixed again with the Rat Terrier and the Old English Bulldog to create both the Boston terrier and the Bull terrier.
Although the breed did not last long it did have a prestigious ancestry that could be traced back centuries in England among ancient terriers. The word terrier was in use in England in 1440, showing that the dogs were well known at that time. Most historians agree that the dogs were even older than the 1400’s. It is believed that terriers who “went to ground” after prey, existed as far back as the time of Christ in England.
Most of these ancestors of the English White Terrier were not white. White terriers came onto the scene around the 1700’s.The first picture of white terriers appeared in 1790 when Sawre Gilpin, a British artist, painted “A Huntsman with Hounds Foxhunting” and the terriers in the painting were white with brown marks. Others began to show the same kind of terriers in their artwork – white coated. Before this it is believed that breeders killed the white terriers at birth because they were often deaf and inferior to the other terriers. In the early part of the 19th century, the white terrier began to be completely white with no markings. The Kennel Club recognized them in 1874 as the White English Terrier.
The breed faced many genetic issues, deafness and the Kennel Clubs felt there was no difference between the current White English terrier and the English White terrier despite the difference in their ears. The new English White Terrier had dropped ears instead of Prick-ears. They considered them to be the same breed and not even different types. They were the smallest of all terriers and considered to be a good pet but not a show dog or a working dog. Because of this it was not very popular, and it actually had been bred to be a show dog and not a working dog. The English White Terrier was not recognized by any Kennel Club and within 30 years it was extinct.
Known also as the Virelade, the Grand Gascon Saintongeois hails from the Saintongeois region of France, being a newish addition to the hunting dog breed.
The Saintongeois hound and the Grand Blue de Gascogne are the ancestors of this scentdog as these two breeds themselves, are exceptional hunters. The Grand Gascon Saintongeois is a large dog and favored by the French nobility for its ability to hunt.
After the French Revolution the popularity of the breed waned. It was Baron Joseph de Carayon-LaTour who tried to revive the Saintongeois Hound. The dogs were mated with the Grand Bleu de Gascogne and were so outstanding that breeding was continued. The breed that was created is the Grand Gascon Saintongeois which we know today.
It was in January 1993 that the Grand Gascon Saintongeois was officially recognized by the United Kennel Club.
The English White Terrier had a pure white coat with no markings of any kind. His coat was short, hard, and glossy and his body was firm, muscular and hard. The breed was small – almost a toy. They had a body like the Manchester Terrier. They had long legs and large feet. The tail was medium size and straight out from the body.
The English White Terrier had a very refined head with a fairly long muzzle. Their bite was even, and their eyes were brown, amber or black. Their ears dropped – unlike the pricked ears of the White English Terrier.
The Grand Gascon Saintongeois is a large, well built breed of dog that looks strong and robust. His head is strong and covered with loose skin that forms wrinkles around the cheeks. He stands at 61-73cm and weighs 30 to 35kg.
He has straight, long legs. He has a short, smooth coat which is white with black patches. Sometimes you'll also find a speckled or ticked pattern. There'll be tan dots over the eyes.
The eyes are brown, the nose black and the long, thin textured ears are low on the dogs head and also well back on the skull. The tail is long.
He is known for his deep voice to voice an opinion. He is a loving, friendly, courageous and affectionate breed with a well balanced temperament, making him a splendid pet. He is also intelligent and so he won't battle at all to learn some rules. Training and socialization will be good for him even though he is such an amicable dog already, but then he just becomes extra obedient.
The English White Terrier was affectionate and devoted to his family. It was the softest tempered of all terriers and made an excellent pet. Some of the English White Terriers were animal aggressive while others were not. Training was difficult because of the wide-spread deafness in the breed. IT loved to be cuddled and held. They were also tenacious and game for any type of fight or hunt despite their size and deficiencies.
Your Grand Gascon Saintongeois is a true hunting dog breed and valued for his hunting prowess. He has another side to him though and is gentle, loving and calm with his human family.
He makes a wonderful family companion, getting on well with children as well as pets in the home. He may show a bit of aggression to strangers and this is why training and socialization works so well with him as it helps him behave well around family and strangers.
Training is never a problem as he is an intelligent dog. He is an energetic dog and won't fit well into city life in tiny properties, also because of his tendency to bark when bored. He fits well into country life or large properties.
When you provide your large pet with good food, a warm place to sleep, exercise and plenty of love and attention, the Grand Gascon Saintongeois is going to turn out to be one of the most loyal, affectionate pets you can imagine.
The breed was considered to be unhealthy for the most part and became extinct because of this. Many complained that the breed was inbred and had a weak constitution because of it. Deafness was prevalent throughout the breed. This deafness occurs in many white animals, but the English White Terrier had the highest rates among all white dogs.
Your Grand Gascon Saintongeois is a robust dog, who with good care can reach up to 14 years of age. You're not going to be running to the vet often with this strong looking dog, but even so, there are one to two problems that you'll want to look out for.
Long-eared dogs are more susceptible to canine ear infections. The symptoms of the infection will be dependent on how severe it is. Certainly your dog may experience pain and you'll see him shaking his head and pawing at his ear. If both ears are affected by inflammation, he may even walk in a wobbly fashion and the infection could lead to deafness. It is imperative that he get to the vet as soon as possible.
This is where the ball and socket joint of the hip is malformed. It results in a joint rubbing and grinding. It can lead to loss of function of the hip joints. It is a common skeletal disease in young or old dogs, small or large dogs and in both males and females.
Large dogs are more commonly affected though with hip dysplasia which can see arthritis developing too. Your dog will display decreased activity and difficulty with standing up after lying down. Veterinary intervention will be required.
It was best to feed the English White Terrier 1-2 cups of dry meal per day served in 2 meals.
As mention previously, the English White Terrier was congenitally deaf and had a weak constitution.
This little dog with all its problems was still a very energetic dog and needed considerable exercise. Owners had to develop exercises and games to keep the English White Terrier occupied as with any terrier. If they didn’t have a job or something to occupy their minds and bodies, they were destructive.
These large dogs with their short smooth coats have very little grooming needs. Regular brushing twice a week will remove dead hair and also ensure the good condition of the coat.
He has long ears and these will need to be checked regularly to avoid ear infections. It will be a good idea to learn how to clean the ears and to do it in such a way as to avoid damaging them. Signs of ear infection include redness, discharge, irritation and bad odor.
Following the feeding instructions on the packaging of top quality kibble, provide your Grand Gascon Saintongeois with at least 2 meals a day. To steer away from the monotony of kibble every day, mix in some raw meat from time to time, and also include some cooked brown rice, chicken and vegetables as a tasty treat. Fresh, cool water should always be easily accessible to him.