PRESENTED BY THE DOMESDAY BOOK OF DOGS Basset Saintongeois Basset de Saintonge Small pack of Basset Saintongeois hunting. P.Mahler. c1912 Basset Saintongeois. Original in French . One claim to fame for this now-extinct breed is that three bitches, Nelusko, Fatma and Selika were used in the recreation of the Basset Bleu de Gascogne by Alain Bourbon. Though he found them delicate and prone to nose bleeds (Johnston, 1979). These three bitches were mated to Bleu de Gascone dogs, with further influxes of Bassets Saintongeois with the hounds gradually reduced in height until Bourbon finally had the finished article. Nos Basset Francais . Alain Bourbon. LAVAL Imprimerie-Librairie V e Jl. GOUPIL. 1913. Hounds of France. George Johnston. Saiga Publishing Co; Ltd., 1979 Back to HOME PAGE .