You’ll feel as if you’ve learned how to read French just by studying a dog breed name after we introduce you to the Anglo-Francais de Petite Venerie, Blanc et Orange.

Anglo-Francais, of course, means English-French;

Petite,”refers to a small size;

“Venerie” has to do with hunting;

“Blanc” (or white) and “orange” (wait for it, means “orange”) are colors. Put it together and you have an orange/tan and white colored hound that was created by crossing Beagles imported from England with older French hounds that included the Artois Hound, the Harrier Beagle, the Poitevin, the Petit Gascon-Saintongeois, and the Petit bleu de Gascogne.

“Petite Vénerie” in the breed’s name doesn’t refer to the dog’s size, but rather that the breed is used to hunt small game. Developed with carefully planned breedings to be a rabbit/pheasant/quail specialist, the dogs is used almost entirely in packs, and is the breed of choice in the Chasse-à-Tir where a pack (sometimes a single dog) circles a game animal, then chases it back towards the waiting hunter.

Before 1978, the breed was called the Petit Anglo-Français because he is the smallest of the Anglo-French hound. The breed was recognized in its country of origin by the Société Centrale Canine (French Kennel Club) as well as by the FCI which accepted the breed in 1983. The vast majority of packs hunting hare are comprised of the Anglo-Francais de Petite Venerie.

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