Charnaigre

For some, they were 'from the greyhound and the running dog (griffon), from which they had hanging ears; these mixed dogs, which are found in Spain and Portugal, are very good for hunting in uncultivated or brushy plains: they bound rather than run.' For others and more likely they belonged to the species of the Cirneco dell'Etna found in Sicily or the Ibiza Hound also called Podenco d'Ibiza, a type of dog originating in North Africa, whose existence is already noted in ancient Egypt in the times of the Pharaohs (Tesem Greyhound), very close to the Kritikos Lagonikos (Cretan Greyhound) by its physical appearance. The Romans used it for hunting as proved by many mosaics. The presence of the charnaigre in Provence could result from the contribution of dogs from the Maghreb by the Saracens during their occupation. It was used until the end of the 19th century for rabbit hunting. On the hunt, the rifle was not essential, and either the charnaigre would raise the rabbit, pursue it and catch it, or it would bring it to the burrow or the ferret would take care of it. It was a dog highly prized by poachers. It was classified by decision of the Aix-en-Provence court, confirmed by the Court of Cassation as a greyhound, hunting with this dog being prohibited in 1844. The breed gradually disappeared as breeding was abandoned. The size of the male did not exceed 70 cm and that of the female 65.