PetzloverBoth Billy and Francais Blanc et Noir are originated from France. Both Billy and Francais Blanc et Noir are having almost same height. Both Billy and Francais Blanc et Noir are of same weight. Both Billy and Francais Blanc et Noir has same life span. Both Billy and Francais Blanc et Noir has almost same litter size. Both Billy and Francais Blanc et Noir requires Moderate Maintenance.
The Billy (or Billie) Dog is a rare breed developed in France and mostly still only found in France. Created in the 19th century by Monsieur Gaston Hublot de Rivault and named after his home, Chateau de Billy, he is hunting dog of high quality. The Billy dog was developed by crossing the Poitevin’s original three lines – the Larrye, the Ceris and the Montemboeuf. In developing the Billy, Rivault favored the colors found in the Ceris and Montemboeuf strains as opposed to the tricolors of the Larrye strain. The Billy is a scent hound from all the lines leading back to the monks of the Saint Hubert Monastery in the middle ages, in Belgium, then refined in Gaul (France). The Billy line was considered the most elegant French breed and they were the last breed to come from that large scent hound type that the French nobility and royalty loved to breed.
In 1886 the Federation Cynoloquique Internationale established the standard for the Billy breed. The breed was a great hunter with resilience, speed, scenting and fortitude. The Billy hunted in large packs in pursuit of Wild Boar and Roe Deer. This was accomplished by the crossing of great hunters developed for their specific skills. The Ceris was amazing in its skill to hunt down wolves and hares. The Montemboeuf was a large, elegant dog that hunted wild boar and Larrye for his strong scent ability. Since these three breeds were true French breeds, the Billy was a true aristocratic scent hound in a pure scent hound line.
This gregarious, handsome dog became extremely popular in France in the 19th century. Unfortunately, the World Wars of the 20th century would take their toll on this rare breed and they were almost extinct by the late 1900’. There were only two hounds left by the end of the Second World War. Anthony Rivault, the son of Gaston, set about saving the breed by incorporating the lines of Harrier, the Poilevin and the Porcelaine with the two remaining hounds. From there the breed has been revived and is no longer on the verge of extinction. They are still rare and certainly not “popular”, but they are excellent hunters, especially hunting in packs. Today they are considered one of the breeds used to develop the Grand Anglo-Francais Blanc et Orange in France and there are several packs that hunt roe deer in France, while a couple packs are used to hunt wild boar.
Translated from the French Chien Francais Blanc et Noir, is the French White and Black Hound. His ancestry goes back before the French Revolution to the old Hound of Saintonge and the Gascon Saintongeois. The Francais Blanc et Noir was bred to be a hunting dog and he is a scent hound. They were dogs that went hunting in packs, mostly for Roe and Red deer. In the late 19th Century, the Gascon Saintongeois was crossed with the Poitevin and the result was the Francais Blanc et Noir.
The breed was recognized in 1957 and by 2009 there were about 2000 dogs registered with the Federation Cynoloqique Interenationale. There are three types of the Francais line. They are the Chien Francais Tricolor and Chien Francais Blanc et Orange. The Blanc et Noir was bred as a hunting dog and they remain that especially in France. However, they are also very popular in dog shows. Because so many dogs belonged to hunters who felt no compulsion to register them, they were not recognized internationally for many decades later than they should have been.
Following the Second World War, breeding programs were in chaos and hunters were abandoning dogs that they could not feed. The military killed many dogs also. The Chien Francais Blanc et Noir saw its ranks greatly depleted but the breed survived. After being recognized in 1957 by the CKC and FCI, they gained international attention for the first time. Even though the breed is rare its numbers are greater than either of the other Chien Francais types. The breed registers 200 to 400 new dogs every year.
They are still endangered though because there are very few dogs left outside of France.
The UKC has recognized the breed but the AKC doesn’t.
The Billy dog is powerful, beautiful and built extremely well. He is large but he should also be light weight and lean. He has an athletic look, powerful muscles, and strong bones. He has floppy ears, dark eyes with dark rims and a white coat. This breed has a medium size head with a domed forehead and square muzzle. The ears are high on the head, flat and floppy while the neck is long and strong. Shoulders are also long and the back broad, the thighs muscular and the feet round. He has a long fluffy tail. The coat is short and can be seen through to the skin. He has white skin with brown spots and the fur is white or off white. The females are smaller than the males. He is a great family companion as well as a hunter. They have high pitched voices and they can be howlers. They have a strong prey drive and are great hunters. They can be great companion dogs for any family, just watch them with small children and small animals. They are big enough to need a lot of space and a lot of exercise. Scent hounds can be stubborn, and that trait is not lost on the Billy dog.
Being a pack hunting dog, the Francais Blanc et Noir is muscular and lean. A long legged athletic breed with long drop ears, a domed head, and flews overhanging the lower lip. The coat is black and white, with black and blue ticking. There are tan dot on the cheeks and above the eyes and also below the tail. These spots of pale tan color can also appear on the dog’s legs. The Francais Blanc et Noir is known for its scenting ability and for its great voice. With its athletic build it is also known for its ability to persevere
Even though the Billy Breed is very rare and faced potential extinction it is a terrific sporting dog who loves children, other dogs, and adults. He could be a good family dog if his exercise needs are met. He is social, gregarious, and gentle with people. They are happiest in a pack and do not do well in a one dog household. They form extremely strong bonds with their people and household. They are friendly and outgoing. This makes them a poor choice for guard dog. They have an exceptionally well-developed prey drive do they might be aggressive toward any animal smaller than them. This includes the family cat, other smaller dogs, hamsters etc.
They are good with children as long as the children are not overly rambunctious.
He is a large active dog that would not be adaptable to apartment or city life.
The breed is very smart and easily trainable.
Despite their history of almost becoming extinct the Billy dog is a hearty and healthy group. They do tend to get Bronchitis and colds due to the short, thin coat. Keep them indoors during winter. Another area of concern is the ears. They are prone to ear infections so keep their ears clean. They should not be exposed to cold weather. The Billy life expectancy is 10-14 years which is very good for such a large dog.
The Francais Blanc et Noir has the propensity for several minor and a few major health problems. These include:
Can lead to death if not treated immediately. Stomach twists and distends.
Can lead to arthritis and lameness if not treated.
These can be avoided if ears are checked and cleaned after each hunt and after exercise.
The breed is susceptible to the non-fatal type. Check for mites regularly.
Both seasonal and food potentially.
The Billy dog is large, muscular and lean. Do not overfeed him, but you can safely free feed. Watch to be sure he does not gain too much weight and if he does go to two feedings per day.
As previously mentioned this is a healthy, long-lived dog. Watch for ear infections and keep him out of extreme cold.
This is a very athletic, active hunter, who needs a lot of exercise. Daily walks are good, but he needs 45 to 60 minutes of exercise every day. Remember he was bred to hunt and loves to do so. Find activities that let him use his athletic skills and strong sense of smell. He needs a big yard to romp in. He will excel at obedience, barn hunt and agility. A lure game might be good also, but he would be happier with a scent oriented “find it” game.
Until a year to 18 months feed two to three times per day two to two and one half cups of high quality dry dog food.
After 18 months of age feed the adult at least twice a day about three to four and one half cups of high quality dry dog food.
The Francais Blanc et Noir is a dog with a lot of energy and bred to be very active. He needs plenty of exercise and both mental and physical stimulation. If you jog take him with you or take him on long walks every day. He will need a large yard and he needs a job if he is not used for hunting. He is good at field trials, tracking exercises, a search and rescue dog and barn hunts.