Griffon Fauve de Bretagne

The Griffon Fauve de Bretagne is a harsh-coated fawn hound from Brittany, and one of the oldest French hound breeds.

History

It is recorded in Brittany from the fourteenth century, used on wolf until wolves were gone from France, then on boar and fox. It came within a few dogs of extinction after the Second World War and was rebuilt by a small group of Breton breeders in the 1940s.

Temperament

The breed is known for being hardy, determined and independent, friendly with its household and stubborn with a handler, in the way hounds bred to work out of sight generally are.

Care and training

It needs a great deal of exercise and secure ground. The harsh fawn coat needs brushing and occasional stripping.

Health

Generally robust, with ear infections the usual complaint and a narrow founding population as the standing caution. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.