King's White Hound

History

The story of the King's White Hounds begins with a gift to King Louis XI in 1470: a pure white St. Hubert Hound named Souillard, given by a poor squire from Poitou. The hound passed to the king's daughter, Anne de Beaujeu, and was used heavily for breeding. His white offspring gradually took over the royal pack until every hound was white. Later kings added outside blood to improve the line.

In 1500, Louis XII brought in an Italian Pointer called Greffier. In 1520, François I introduced a powerful Grand Fauve de Bretagne named Miraud. In 1560, Mary, Queen of Scots gave a Talbot Hound called Barraud to her husband François II. These crosses refined the breed.

The White Hounds reached their peak under Louis XIII, from 1610 to 1643. They were famous across Europe for their speed, able to run down a stag in half an hour and kill four stags in a single day's hunt. By then, they showed many sighthound traits and hunted by sight as much as by scent. When Louis XIII died, the hunt employed over 90 servants.

Under Louis XIV, the pack grew to more than 100 hounds, and costs kept rising. As Louis XIV aged and could no longer keep up on horseback, he wanted to follow the hunt from a carriage. So from 1700, the hounds were crossed with slower Norman Hounds to reduce their pace. When Louis XV took the throne in 1715, he wanted to revive the pack.

His son, the Count of Toulouse, obtained English Staghounds, which were crossed in. But in 1725, the pack was broken up, and the king adopted a new pack made from English Foxhound crosses. The King's White Hounds are thought to be foundational to several French hound breeds, including the Grand Griffon Vendéen, the Porcelaine, and the Billy, which is sometimes called the Chien Blanc du Roi.

Characteristics

The King's White Hounds were large, powerful hounds. Initially deep-scenting, long-eared scent hounds similar to the St. Hubert Hound, they later displayed many sighthound features. Charles IX said they were as tall as greyhounds with heads as fine as braques. Despite the name, they came in colours from pure white to white with yellow, red or black spots or patches, to badger or pure black. They had great courage and were not easily distracted by the large retinue of hunt followers.