Skip to main content

Billy Dog

Image
By

The Billy dog is a beautiful and large breed of scenthound. It was originated from central western France. With a dwindling population at present, this dog was extensively used as a pack dog for hunting purposes.

The Billy was created by Monsieur Gaston Hublot de Rivault Taco in the 19th Century. And the breed was named after his home the Château de Billy, in Poitou.

The Billy dogs were created by combining the 3 original strains of the Poitevin, the Montemboeuf, Ceris and Larrye. Whereas the modern Poitevin more closely resembles and the original Tri-coloured Larrye line, Rivault was more drawn to the paler colors associated with the Montemboeuf and Ceris lines, and coloration was a major determinant when selecting foundation stock.

The pack was dispersed in 1927 and the breed almost faced extinction, only two hounds survived World War II, however de Rivault's son, Anthony, set about reviving the breed by judicious use of the Poitevin, the Porcelaine and the Harrier.[1]

The Billy dog breed was one of the foundation breeds used in the development of the Grand Anglo-Français Blanc et Orange in the late 19th century. The breed remains rare, although there are several packs in it's native area used to hunt roe deer, and two packs to hound wild boar.

Billy Dog Characteristics

The Billy dogs are large and beautiful animals. The breed is known to be an elegant scenthound with long ears, muscular legs, and smooth, short fur. They have a medium length snout with a nose that can either be brown, reddish brown or black.

They have a broad and tall structure with a large head, almond-shaped eyes, wide and floppy ears, broad chest, sturdy legs and a long and thick tail.

Unlike many other scent hounds, their top lip does not hang far below the bottom tip. Main color of the Billy dog's fur is a shade of white. They can appear to be pure white, off white, or a more tan white. They can also have spots of a variety of colors including brown, orange, or a light yellow or tan.

The Billy dogs are large in size. Their average body height is between 23 and 24 inches at the withers for females, and between 24 and 28 inches for the males. And their average live body weight is between 23 and 32 kg.

Temperament

The Billy dog has an elegant, loyal and obedient disposition. It would adhere to the service of it's master and it's family. Though they have a gentle and kind nature, owners have reported them to act contentious with its pack mates, and even with other non-canines if they get a chance. At times, it might get distracted on spotting a scent, and controlling it becomes extremely difficult if unleashed then.

The Billy dogs are generally good with children as well as other pets in the family, especially when raised together. They have friendly demeanor in general, and would quickly mingle with guests and strangers. This trait makes them poor as a guard dog. The breed is not suitable for apartment life, because they remain active all day naturally.

Lifespan

Average lifespan of the Billy dogs is between 12 and 15 years.

Feeding

How much a mature dog eats depends on it’s size, age, build, metabolism and activity level. Dogs are individuals, just like people, and they don’t all need the same amount of food.

The Billy dogs are large in size. So, their diet should be formulated for a large breed with average to high exercise needs. You can also consult with a vet in your area for better recommendations.

Caring

As with other dog breeds, taking good care of the animals is very important for raising Billy dogs. Since Billy dogs are high energy and need space to run, so they do best in a house with backyard.

But they can also live in cities easily as long as they have an outdoor space to explore. They would not do well in an apartment as they would have less to run and exercise.

The Billy dog is a high energy dog and requires plenty of exercise, both mental and physical. So, be sure to take them on daily walks. And also let them to run free in a large area of land and teach them commands and tricks in order to stimulate their brain.

Health

The Billy dogs are generally healthy. But like all other dog breeds, they are also prone to certain health conditions. Their common health problems include hip dysplasia and ear infections. Always try to keep good contact with a vet in your area.

Breed NameBilly
Other NamesNone
Breed SizeLarge
HeightBetween 23 and 24 inches at the withers for females, and between 24 and 28 inches for the males
WeightBetween 23 and 32 kg
Good as petsYes
Climate ToleranceAll climates
ColorWhite or off-white, may have orange or lemon patches or mantle
LifespanBetween 12 and 15 years
Good for childrenYes
RarityCommon
Country of OriginFrance
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Murray Grey Cattle

By
The Murray Grey cattle are a breed of beef cattle from Australia. It was developed in the upper Murray River valley on the New South Wales. The breed was developed in 1905 from an initial chance mating of a black Aberdeen Angus bull and a roan Shorthorn cow during the Federation drought. From these matings the resulting thirteen dun-grey calves were kept as curiosities. And then Peter and Ena Sutherland bred them on the Thologolong property along the Murray River in New South Wales. Murray Grey cattle grew faster and were good converters of feed and produced quality carcases. These are the reasons this animals become very popular after their development. And local farmers became interested soon in these animals and began breeding them. The first large scale commercial farms were established in the 1940s. Today the breed is available in many countries. Both live Murray Grey cattle and embryos have been exported to many countries such as Canada, South America, New Ze...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sorting Cattle

By
Sorting cattle is important if you have a large number of animals. For better management you will need to separate the animals into different groups depending on their age, size, gender or condition score. If some cattle of your herd need to be examined by a veterinarian or confined due to injury or illness, then separation may also need to be done. Sorting is also needed for separating the calves that need to be weaned from their mothers. And separating the bulls is also necessary after they have done their duty with breeding cows. Sorting Cattle Sorting cattle is not actually a difficult task. It can be done easily if you understand stockmanship principles that take advantage of bovine psychology and behavior. However, here we are describing more about the ways of sorting cattle. Sorting From a Squeeze Chute In this system you can move your cattle through a working corral into a chute system into the squeeze. In this system you can check and process animals f...
Post a Comment
Read more

Andalusian Black Cattle Farming

By
Andalusian Black cattle farming is not too popular, even in it's native area. It is a relatively rare breed which is valued for meat production. But today, the breed is listed as 'endangered', and total number of the breed is very less. The Andalusian Black cattle is a taurine cattle breed, and it was originated in west Andalusia, Spain. It is also known by some other names such as Negra de las Campiñas, Negra Campiñesa and Spanish: Negra Andaluza. The Andalusian Black cattle is actually a beef cattle breed which is raised primarily for meat production purpose. The breed is found in two main areas of west Andalusia (from Cordova to the foothills of the Sierra Morena), and in the provinces of Seville, Cádiz and Huelva. Today, total population of the Andalusian Black cattle breed is very less. And there were about 800 purebred cattle in the year of 2007. Total number of this breed decreased mainly for crossbreeding with other local cattle breeds. Other reason...
Post a Comment
Read more

Belted Galloway Cattle Farming

By
Belted Galloway cattle farming is popular, especially in it's native area. It is a beef cattle breed and raised mainly for meat production purpose. The breed is also known by some other names such as Beltie, Oreo Cow and Panda Cow. The Belted Galloway cattle breed was originated from Galloway in the west side of Southern Scotland. It is a heritage breed, and is well adapted to living on the poor upland pastures and wildswept moorlands of the region. Exact origins of the breed are unclear. But it is often surmised that the white belt of the breed may be a result of cross breeding with the Dutch Lakenvelder belted cattle. And the breed is named so mainly because of the belt. An association for the breed named the Belted Galloway Association was formed in 1921 in Scotland. And the name of the association was changed to Belted Galloway Society in the year of 1951. The association keeps and records pedigrees for Belted Galloways and oversees the registration of White and Re...
Post a Comment
Read more

Cleaning A Cow

By
Cleaning a cow in the proper way can keep the animal look and feel fresh. Cleaning also help to prevent external parasites. You may also need to clean your cow to show it off at your local county fair or other occasions. And you need to clean your cows more often especially if you have dairy cows. You can integrate a spraying system for cleaning a cow once a day or so. Along with cleaning the body, you should also provide a footbath for better health of the cow's hooves. However, here we are describing more about the process of cleaning a cow. Sprinkler System Add Sprinkler in a Pre-milking Wash Pen You can construct a pre-milking wash pen with sprinklers for cleaning multiple cows. In this system, install sprinklers all along the pen you hold the cows in before milking. Using concrete for the floor will be good. It will help to keep the floor dry quickly and you will not have a constantly muddy area. You should spray sprinklers both up and down to wash the cows th...
Post a Comment
Read more

Agerolese Cattle Farming

By
Agerolese cattle farming is not common, even in it's native area. It is a dairy cattle breed which is raised mainly for milk production purpose in it's native area. It is a pretty rare breed and not available outside it's native area. The Agerolese cattle is actually from the area of Agerola, in Campania in southern Italy. It was developed from cross-breeding of indigenous Podolica cattle with Bruna Italiana, Italian Holstein-Friesian and Jersey cattle. The breed is particularly associated with the Sorrento Peninsula and Monti Lattari. The Agerolese cattle is one of the 16 minor Italian cattle breeds of limited diffusion recognized and protected by the Ministero delle Politiche Agricole Alimentari e Forestali, the Italian ministry of agriculture. There were a total of 200 animals available according to a census completed on 1 January 2002. And the conservation status of the Agerolese cattle breed was reported by the FAO as 'endangered-maintained' in 200...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ankole-Watusi Cattle Farming

By
Ankole-Watusi cattle farming is pretty popular, especially in it's native area. It is a multi-purpose breed of domestic cattle which is raised and valued for show, draught, meat and milk production purpose. The Ankole-Watusi cattle is a landrace breed, a type of Sanga cattle and originally native to East Africa. It is also known as Ankole Longhorn, and also sometimes known simply as Ankole or Watusi. Ankole-Watusi cattle is actually an ancient breed, and ancient rock paintings and depictions of these animals have been observed in the Sahara region and in the Egyptian arts and pyramid walls. The Sanga breed has spread to the Sudan, Uganda, Kenya and some other parts of Eastern Africa, becoming the base stock of the indigenous African cattle populations. It has most of the usual Zebu characteristics such as the pendulous dewlap and sheath, hump of variable size and the upturned horns. The Ankole-Watusi cattle have played a very important role in the lives of various ...
Post a Comment
Read more