Norman Hound

		Norman Hound
		He is not recognized by the F.C.I.


Origin			France
Translation			Francis Vandersteen
En français, cette race se dit			Chien normand
Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar			Normannischer Laufhund
En español, esta raza se dice			Sabueso Normando
In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd			Normandische Brak

Little is known about the origins of the Norman Hound; it is said to have resulted from crossing St. Hubert Hounds with local scent hounds from Normandy. The breed was introduced to England by the Normans in the 11th century following the conquest, and both the Bloodhound and the Talbot are believed to be descended from it.

The Norman Hound was renowned for its exceptional sense of smell, great stamina, and magnificent voice, but it was extremely slow; a pack would typically take six to eight hours to hunt down a stag. It was a large dog, standing between 66 and 76 centimeters at the withers. Its coat came in a wide variety of colors, ranging from pure white to pure black, as well as tricolor (black, tan, and white). It was reputed to lack intelligence and initiative.

The Norman Hound became increasingly rare during the 18th century, supplanted by faster breeds; by the 1830s, only a single pack remained, and the breed was declared extinct in 1875.