Anglo-Français and Français hounds are a general type of hunting dogs that include ancient French hounds and breeds created by mixing the French dogs with English (Anglo) foxhounds. There are seven dog breeds that are described as Anglo-Français and Français hounds.
Breeds
These names replaced older names in 1957, when it was decided to append "Anglo-Français" to the names of all the hound breeds that had been crossed with foxhounds. "Grand" (French for "large") does not mean that the dogs are especially large, but rather that they hunted in large packs. Hunting with the hounds was originally done in two styles, Chasse-à-Courre, in which the pack chases and kills the game animal, and Chasse-à-Tir, where the pack (or sometimes an individual dog) circles the game animal and chases it back towards the waiting hunter.
Individual hunting hounds are not well suited to be pets, as they need a great deal of space, exercise, and experienced handling. Most breeds are usually kept in packs or 20 to 100 dogs. The French and Anglo-French hounds are bred as hunting dogs, not as pets or for show, and are registered through the Société Centrale Canine (French Kennel Club) and the Fédération Cynologique Internationale. Some dogs of these breeds have been exported to North America and are recognised by the United Kennel Club, which has specialized in hunting hounds for many years. Other dogs of these breeds, especially the Anglo-Français de Petite Vénerie, are being bred in North America for the rare breed pet market, and are registered through various minor registries and internet dog registry businesses. An additional breed name, apparently invented in North America, the Anglo-Francais de Moyen Vénerie, is sometimes seen advertised.