Poitevin
A tall, lean and very fast French pack hound from Poitou, built for speed and endurance over long hunts.
At a glance
- Size
- Large
- Height at the withers
- Males 62–72 cm · Females 60–70 cm
- Weight
- Males 28–32 kg · Females 26–30 kg
- Life expectancy
- 11–13 years
- Exercise
- 120–180 min a day
- Grooming
- Once a week
- Coat
- Smooth, short
- Colours
- Tricolour, Orange, White
- Bred for
- Hunting by scent
- Country of origin
- France
- FCI
- Group 6, no. 24 · Scent hounds
Breeders on Kuldo
No breeders on Kuldo have this breed yet.
Living with the breed
| Affectionate with family | 3/5 – Moderate |
|---|---|
| Good with children | 3/5 – Moderate |
| Good with other dogs | 5/5 – Very high |
| Good with cats | 2/5 – Low |
| Open to strangers | 3/5 – Moderate |
| Energy | 5/5 – Very high |
| Playfulness | 3/5 – Moderate |
| Needs mental stimulation | 3/5 – Moderate |
| Easy to train | 2/5 – Low |
| Prey drive | 5/5 – Very high |
| Watchful and protective | 1/5 – Very low |
| Barking | 4/5 – High |
| Shedding | 2/5 – Low |
| Grooming effort | 1/5 – Very low |
| Drooling | 1/5 – Very low |
| Good for first-time owners | 1/5 – Very low |
| Suits apartment living | 1/5 – Very low |
| Adaptability | 2/5 – Low |
| Copes with being alone | 2/5 – Low |
| Copes with heat | 3/5 – Moderate |
| Copes with cold | 3/5 – Moderate |
Kuldo's own guidance from the breed's typical traits. Every dog is an individual, so talk to the breeder.
Is it the right breed for you?
Great if you …
- hunt with hounds in open country
- can provide space and lots of daily running
- keep several dogs
Think twice if you …
- want a family companion for a town home
- cannot fence securely
- have small pets
Care
Temperament
Brave, keen and independent, gentle with people and very sociable within a pack.
Exercise
Needs a great deal of running every day; it is happiest hunting or working in open, safe country.
Grooming
Very low maintenance: a weekly brush and regular ear checks are enough.
Training
A pack-minded hound that responds to calm, consistent handling but has limited interest in obedience for its own sake.
Health
A lean, athletic hound with few documented breed-specific problems; injuries and ear infections are more common than inherited disease. Hip screening is sensible for breeding dogs, so ask the breeder for results.
Health tests breeders usually do
- Hips (HD)
Ask the breeder to show you the parents' results.
About the breed
The Poitevin traces back to the late 17th century, when the Marquis François de Larrye bred hounds in Poitou to hunt wolves. Later crosses with English Foxhounds helped the breed recover after the Revolution and rabies outbreaks, and today it hunts roe deer and boar in packs.
It is one of the fastest and most athletic French hounds, lightly built and full of stamina. At home it is usually quiet and gentle, but it is first and foremost a pack hunter and is rarely kept purely as a pet. It needs other dogs, wide spaces and a lot of running.
Did you know?
The breed began with hounds bred for wolf hunting by the Marquis François de Larrye in the late 1600s.