Fawn Brittany Basset

The Basset Fauve de Bretagne is a small, harsh-coated French hound in a solid fawn coat — a rough-and-ready working basset from Brittany.

History

It is a scaled-down version of the Grand Fauve de Bretagne, a larger hound now extinct, and was bred to hunt rabbit and hare through the dense gorse of Brittany. The wiry coat is protection against exactly that cover.

Temperament

The breed is known for being cheerful, bold and busy — more terrier-ish in manner than most bassets, sociable with people and other dogs, and stubborn on a scent.

Care and training

It needs regular exercise and a secure garden, since it digs and follows its nose. The harsh coat needs brushing and occasional hand-stripping rather than clipping.

Health

Generally robust; ear infections are the common complaint, as in most drop-eared hounds. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.