Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen

The Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen is still widely used in France by hunters, appreciating his many natural aptitudes for this sport. Elsewhere in Europe, he is rather appreciated for his qualities as a companion dog. Whether a hunter or life companion, the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen possesses wonderful qualities and aptitudes that can make everyone happy. This little four-legged devil is to be discovered absolutely.

Height 34 to 38 cm
Weight 14 to 18 kg
Life expectancy 12 to 14 years
Home country France

Quick Overview of the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen

Temperament

  • Docile and willing
  • Passionate and lively
  • Sociable and affectionate
  • Calm but stubborn

Appearance

  • Silhouette adapted for hunting
  • Intelligent expression
  • Great vivacity
  • Short sword blade shaped tail

Health

  • Robust and very solid
  • Generally healthy
  • Rarely ill
  • Some spinal issues

Temperament of the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen

The Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen has an unquestionable joie de vivre and a lively and inexhaustible temperament.

Rather obedient and docile for a dog of this category, he is very loyal to his family and has great affection for all those around him.

Easy to train for hunting, he is regularly used by both pheasant and rabbit hunters. His small size allows him to flush out the rabbit very easily. French hunters love his hunting skills and use him regularly.

A small, hardy, lively and insatiable four-legged devil, he becomes a real little angel once it returns from work. Affectionate and very sociable with his family, he loves the company of everyone in the house, regardless of age. Very sociable by nature, he gets along with everyone.

However, the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen is endowed with a rather obstinate character that the owner must master very early on, by means of an early education established without concession.

Will and firmness must be present from the start, and the master must instill total obedience and prohibitions as soon as possible, in order to counter his strong rather stubborn temperament. On the other hand, his socialization is innate and easily done.

He is an excellent companion dog, and an outstanding hunting dog, but a poor guardian. He appreciates everyone without exception, and will greet most people with enthusiasm.

He can live anywhere, but prefers the wide open spaces of the countryside, where he can run and hunt as he pleases, and spend all his energy.

He is suitable for all types of owners, regardless of family situation. If he has to live in the city, he needs a green space big enough to practice freely.

petit basset griffon vendéen personnalité

Breed Appearance

little basset hound from Vendée

This small and long hunting dog is vigorous and agile, with a silhouette that is perfectly suited to his work as a hunter.

His intelligent expression and great liveliness give a glimpse of his great courage and passion for his work. His need to move and his great vigor are visible at first glance.

Height

Between 34 and 38 cm (13.39 to 14.96 inches) for the male
Between 34 and 38 cm (13.39 to 14.96 inches) for the female

Weight

Between 14 and 18 kg (30.86 to 39.68 pounds) for the male
Between 14 and 18 kg (30.86 to 39.68 pounds) for the female

Color

The color of his coat can vary between black with white patches (black and white), black with fawn markings (black and fawn), black with sand markings (black and sand), fawn with white patches (white and orange), fawn with black coat and white patches (tricolour), sand and sand fawn.

Hair

The rough hair on his dress isn't too long. It is harsh, but never woolly or silky.

Morphology

His head, with a slightly domed skull, has a marked stop. His large eyes are dark color.
His ears are fine and narrow, flexible and turned inwards, not quite reaching the end of the muzzle. His small nose is all black. His short tail is carried as a sword blade and set high.

According to the FCI breeds nomenclature, this breed belongs to group 6, section 1 and is #67

Health of the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen

Robust and very solid, he generally enjoys excellent health and is rarely sick. A few vertebral problems are sometimes present in some numbers, but this is by no means a pathology or disease directly related to the breed.

There is no congenital defect that affects this race. Life expectancy of the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen is also very appreciable.

GROOMING

His drooping ears require regular checking, and his pretty coat needs to be brushed regularly to maintain his appearance and cleanliness. No other particular maintenance is however required.

History of this breed

For a long time, this small French dog had the same standard as the Grand Basset, of the same category. The difference between the two being only the size, the result obtained for the Petit Basset was very disappointing, and didn't help facilitating the development of the breed.

This is why Abel Dezamy, son-in-law of Paul Dezamy, founder of the Club du Basset Griffon Vendéen, decided to create a specific standard to define the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen, and thus allow the breed to blossom a little more.

He was no longer a simple Basset Griffon Vendéen reduced, but a Petit Basset reduced in harmonious proportions, with all the qualities and aptitudes of the Basset Griffon Vendéen.

With the Basset and the Beagle, the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen constitutes the majority of the population in packs of small game gun hunting.

This small dog is a little angel in the family, but a real devil on the hunt. This passionate hunter is the perfect assistant to the gun hunter, alone or in pairs, specifically for pheasant and rabbit, despite the fact that no other game resists him.

This hound is excellent for tracking game that is wounded by smell, just as he excels at tracking unwounded game.

Created primarily for hunting, the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen also makes an excellent companion, sociable, pleasant and very easy to live with.

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