An aristocratic French scent hound with a lovely gentle temperament. The Grand Bleu was originally bred in the middle ages where it was developed to use its excellent nose to track game such as deer, wolves and boar through the forests of Gascony. As France suffered the ravages of two world wars so did the noble Grand Bleu and when hostilities ceased the breed had been decimated. Through careful management the stock has been built up again but the Grand Bleu is still a relatively rare breed.