- Pure white or milk-coffee white, or white with light orange or lemon patches or mantle
About the Billy
Origin: France
- Typical life span
- 10-12 years
- Size
- Large — from its typical weight
- Weight
- Male
- 25-33 kg
- Female
- 23-30 kg
- Height
- Male
- 60-70 cm
- Female
- 58-66 cm
- FCI status
- Recognised by FCI
- FCI group
- Scent hounds and related breeds
- Origin
- France
- Known hereditary risks
- Not researched yet
About
What is a Billy?
Large, elegant French scent hound with a predominantly white coat and orange or lemon markings, known for speed, stamina and light-framed build bred for pack hunting
Billy history and origins
Developed in 19th century France by Gaston Hublot du Rivault at Château de Billy by crossing Montaimboeuf, Céris, and Larye breeds (now extinct). Nearly vanished after World War II but was revived by du Rivault's son. Recognized by FCI in Group 6.
Billy appearance and size
Males typically weigh 25-33 kg and stand 60-70 cm at the shoulder; females 23-30 kg and 58-66 cm.
Billy temperament and personality
Generally described as energetic, intelligent, courageous, gentle and independent.
That is the breed in general, not a promise about one animal. Ask the breeder what their own line is like, and meet the parents before you decide.
What the breed standard says
- Bred for
- Hound
Quoted from FCI standard n°25. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed reference from The Dog API.
Characteristics
- Size
- Large
- Exercise needsRead from what the breed was bred to do, in the registry’s own words: “Hound” That is a working purpose, not a measured exercise requirement — an individual dog’s needs depend on its age, health and household.
- 4 of 5
- Easy to train
- —
- Amount of shedding
- —
- Grooming needs
- 3 of 5
- Good with children
- —
- Cost to keep
- —
- Tolerates being alone
- —
- Intelligence
- —
- Health of breed
- Not researched yet
Pros & cons
Pros & cons for the Billy
What you get with the Billy
- Purpose stated in the standard: “Hound”
- Commonly described as: “Energetic, intelligent, courageous, gentle”
What you are taking on
Nobody has written this side yet. It is a judgement rather than data, so it waits for a person — not for a missing source.
Drawn from sources rather than written as an opinion — cited health research, the registry’s own standard, and peer-reviewed longevity. FCI breed standard; The Dog API. One breeder’s animals can differ from any of it, and an empty column means we hold nothing for that side rather than that there is nothing to say.
Characteristics
FCI standard · Billy
Coat and colour
As the FCI standard sets it out. Every line below is the standard’s own wording.
Coat
- Short
- Harsh to the touch
- Often slightly coarse
Colour
- Preferred
- Permissible
- Undesirable
- Disqualifying
Preferred, permissible, undesirable and disqualifying are FCI’s own words about the breed. They describe what the standard asks for — not an assessment of any individual dog, and not ours.
Shortened from FCI standard n°25 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.
What the standard penalises
What a judge marks the Billy down for, and what puts one out of the ring, in the registry’s own words. This describes the breed standard — it is not a checklist for the animal in front of you, and a pet with a disqualifying fault is an unshowable dog rather than an unhealthy one.
Disqualifying faults
Puts an animal out of the ring altogether.
- Nasal bridge too short, too long or too slim.
- Pronounced overshot mouth; such a dog must be stristly disqualified; however a dog with a slightly overshot mouth (1/2 cm) has not to be eliminated.
- Black or red hair
Temperament
Energeticintelligentcourageousgentleindependent
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Billy in general; any individual animal can differ.
Health guide
What to ask for in a Billy
No breed-specific health panel has been written up for the Billy on this platform yet. That is a gap in our records, not a clean bill of health — ask the breeder which hereditary conditions their lines are tested for, and ask to see the results for both parents, dated and from a named laboratory.
Gallery
No photographs yet
This is where Billy owners’ own photographs will go, from the pet profiles they keep here. Nobody has added one to a public page yet.
A photograph in a pet profile stays private to its owner. We will not put one here unless they ask us to.
Puppies
No puppies listed right now
No Billy breeder has a record on this platform yet, so there is nothing to list. That is a gap in our coverage, not a fact about the breed.