Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen

AKC Group: Hound

General Apperance:

The Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen is a French scent hound developed first and foremost to hunt small game over the rough and difficult terrain of the Vendéen region. To function efficiently, he must be equipped with certain characteristics. He is bold and vivacious in character; compact, tough and robust in construction. He has an alert outlook, lively bearing and a good voice freely and purposefully used.

The most distinguishing characteristics of this bold hunter are: his rough, unrefined outlines; his proudly carried head displaying definitive long eyebrows, beard, and moustache; his strong, tapered tail carried like a saber, alert and in readiness. Important to breed type is the compact, casual, rather tousled appearance, with no feature exaggerated and his parts in balance.

Any deviation from the ideal described in the standard should be penalized to the extent of the deviation. Structural faults common to all breeds are as undesirable in the PBGV as in any other breed, regardless of whether they are specifically mentioned.

Size:

Both sexes should measure between 13 and 15 inches at the withers. Height of adult dogs over 15 inches or under 13 inches at the withers is a disqualification. Proportion -- When viewed in profile, the body is somewhat longer than tall when measured from point of shoulder to buttocks, as compared to the height from withers to ground. Substance - Strong bone with substance in proportion to overall dog.

Coat:

The coat is rough, long without exaggeration and harsh to the touch, with a thick shorter undercoat. It is never silky or woolly. The eyes are surmounted by long eyebrows, standing forward but not obscuring the eyes. The ears are covered by long hair. The lips are covered by long hair forming a beard and moustache. The tail is well furnished with hair. The overall appearance is casual and tousled.

Temperament:

Confident, happy, extroverted, independent yet willing to please, never timid nor aggressive.

History:

The Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen, one of many small varieties of the French hounds, is of ancient origin. The breed can be traced to the 16th century and to the Griffon Vendéen, his larger, more powerful ancestor. His name in French reveals much about him: Petit-small; Basset-low to the ground; Griffon-rough or wire coated; and Vendéen-the area of France in which he originated.

The Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen is a hound developed to hunt game by scent. Furthermore, his physical evolution is directly related to the environment and terrain on the western coast of France-the Vendéen, characterized by thick underbrush, rocks, thorns, and brambles. This difficult terrain demanded a hardy, alert, bold, determined, intelligent hunter with both mental and physical stamina.

Most French hound breeds came in large and small versions and were used for different prey. The Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen was used for such large game as roedeer and wolf, while the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen was used to trail and drive smaller quarry such as rabbit, hare and sometimes even feathered game. The Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen are used especially to hunt hare and rabbit, in France, other European countries, as well as the United States and Canada.

Paul Dezamy-the first president of the newly founded Club du Basset Vendéen (1907), is known for having devised the first standard. The same standard described the Petit and Grand, both of which came from the same litters at the same time. It was not until the 1950's that the Societé de Venerie published a new book of standards in which the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen was given an official standard of its own and considered a separate breed. In 1975 the interbreeding of the Grand and Petit was disallowed.

The Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen Club of America was founded at the AKC Centennial Dog Show in 1984 to protect and promote the breed in this country. The breed was admitted to AKC registration effective December 1, 1990, and became eligible to compete at AKC-licensed shows effective February 1, 1991.