Billy

The Billy is a tall French scenthound created at the Chateau de Billy in Poitou during the nineteenth century. It was built from old white French pack-hound strains, including types now known mainly through breed histories, and its numbers had to be rebuilt after the Second World War. The Billy is made for covering country in a pack: long-legged, deep-chested, short-coated, and usually white or off-white with pale lemon or orange markings. It remains uncommon outside French hunting circles.

This is not a typical city pet or casual scent-hound novelty. Billy hounds are kept most successfully by people who understand pack management, rural exercise, and the strong voice and nose of a hunting dog. They need secure fencing and regular work that lets them move and trail, and they usually do best with other compatible dogs. The short coat is simple to maintain, but ears, feet, and condition need checking after hunts or long runs. Sourcing a puppy may require contact with specialist breed clubs or hunt kennels in France.