Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen

The Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen is a small, rough-coated French pack hound built low to work dense cover — the name is a description rather than a title.

History

It comes from the Vendée on France's Atlantic coast, bred to hunt rabbit through gorse and bramble that would stop a taller dog. Every part of the name describes it: small, low-set, rough-coated, from the Vendée. It was separated from its larger relative, the Grand, in the middle of the twentieth century.

Temperament

The breed is known for being cheerful, extroverted and busy, sociable with other dogs from its pack history, and stubborn in the specific way of a hound following its nose.

Care and training

It needs regular exercise and a secure garden — it digs and it follows scent. The harsh coat needs brushing and occasional stripping but no clipping. Training benefits from humour and food; obedience is not its ambition.

Health

Known tendencies include eye conditions, epilepsy in some lines, and ear infections from the long drop ears. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.