Distinctive Traits of the Billy Dog Breed
The billy dog breed has not very ancient origins. In fact, it dates back to the end of the 19th century, when a passionate dog lover, Hublot du Rivault, in an estate near Poitiers, France, with the intention of recreating a now extinct breed of the great white dogs loved by François I, Henri IV and Louis XIV, crossed three now extinct breeds: the céris, the montaimboeuf and finally the larye. The aim was to create a hound with exceptional qualities.
In fact, the billy is an excellent tracking dog. Perfect in hare hunting, it does not spare itself during a hunting trip in search of wild boar. On every occasion he manages to give the best of himself. Unfortunately, this breed is little known outside its area of origin, so those looking for a specimen of this breed can only find it in the north of France. It owes its name to the locality of Billy in Poitou, place of residence of Hublot du Rivault, creator of the breed.
Character of the billy dog breed
As already mentioned, it is an excellent hunting dog, but it is also an affectionate family dog. It becomes very attached to its owner, but also to the other members of the family. With children he is patient as long as they respect him. It is not a dog to be left alone for long, it suffers from loneliness in particular. In fact, it can become destructive due to frustration and anxiety caused by being away from its owner.
It is not suited to living in a flat, both because of its size, which is large, and because of its need for movement. He loves the outdoors and can run, effortlessly, for kilometres. It is a hard worker and is a highly developed dog with a highly developed sense of smell. It can approach wild animals well and can follow a trail perfectly. A secure garden is ideal for this dog, as long as he can also be at home with his family, of which he is an active member.
He is very sociable with everyone, even with people who are strangers to him, which is why he is not suitable for guarding. Thanks to his intelligence, his training does not take long. It is therefore also suitable for those who are new to dogs. However, it is necessary to work on socialisation and recall.
It is friendly with everyone, but not with other dogs, with whom it does not like to work; it works much better on its own, and despite its socialisation it does not get on very well with dogs or even cats, in whom it sees prey.
He needs a lot of exercise, a hunter owner would be ideal for him, but if this is not possible you have to take him out several times in a day to let him release his energy and vitality.
Appearance of the billy dog breed
The billy is a large dog, the male can reach 70 centimetres at the withers with a weight of 35 kilograms, the female usually a little less. It is a very elegant and refined dog, a very well built, strong and light breed. Like the other hounds it has a well-shaped and well-proportioned body.
The legs are long and slender, the musculature particularly developed in the hindquarters. Perfectly aligned and with strong, closed feet, the dog has excellent stability on the ground. It has a light and supple gait. Its preferred gait is the gallop. Its tail is long, strong, sometimes slightly fringed.
It has a fine, dry head of medium length. The muzzle is rather square. The truffle is well developed, black or red-brown. The ears are placed a little higher and not at eye level as in other hounds, and are quite large and slightly flat at the bottom. The eyes are alert, wide open and dark, bordered with black or brown, quite large and very expressive.
The coat is short and hard, very close to the body. The colour goes through the various layers of white: from standard white to coffee and milk white or even a shade approaching lemon.
Health and care of the billy dog breed
The Billy dog breed lives on average between 12 and 15 years. It is a disease-resistant dog, but genetically, being a crossbreed with different breeds, very rare and difficult to find outside its home territory, it can have problems that may affect its health.
It is very tolerant of low temperatures and resistant even in rough terrain. It can live outdoors, but in winter it must be provided with a heated shelter, especially if you live in the mountains.
As far as coat care is concerned, it does not need any special attention other than an occasional brushing, a bath when necessary and normal care with regard to ticks and fleas.
The diet is normal, the daily rations must take into account daily activity, age and weight.
High quality kibble specifically for working dogs is recommended. Veterinary monitoring is necessary to ensure good growth of the billy puppy.
