Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen - Dog Breed Profile

Author: Dooziedog.com

Key Facts:

Size: Small

Height: 34 - 38 cm (13 - 15 inches)

Weight: 14 - 18 kg (31 - 40 lb)

Life Span: 12 years

Grooming: Medium

Exercise: Medium

Feeding: Undemanding

Temperament: Lively & extroverted

Country of Origin: France

AKC Group: Hound

Other Names: Little Griffon Vendéen Basset, Small Vendeen Basset

Temperament:

The Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen is friendly, independent, intelligent, bold, lively, alert and curious. The Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen is a happy dog that generally gets along with children, strangers and other dogs. They cannot be trusted with other household pets, unless socialized early on with them. This breed is very intelligent and can be trained easily, however they can have stubborn streaks making training more difficult. Petit Basset Griffon Vendeens thrive on attention and human interaction and if they are bored or lonely they can become destructive. This sociable breed makes a charming, affectionate household pet.

Grooming:

Petit Basset Griffon Vendeens need weekly brushing with a pin brush and comb. Regular grooming is necessary to remove the loose hairs and reduce the shedding. The overall appearance of the coat should be casual and tousled and should not be trimmed, except for the hair around the feet and between the pads. Any excess hair in the ear passages should be removed and the nails need to be clipped short.

Exercise:

The Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen is energetic and needs regular exercise to burn excess energy. It is important that these dogs have both physical and mental stimulation, otherwise they become bored and will most probably make a mess of the house and/or garden with destructive behaviors.

History:

These dogs have been traced back to the 16th century and are one of the four ancient Griffon Vendeen breeds. These breeds include the Briquet Griffon Vendeen, the Grand Griffon Vendeen and the Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen. The Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen was developed to hunt small game over rough terrain on the western coast of France. The name ""Petit"" means small in French and ""Basset"" means low to the ground, ""Griffon"" means rough or wire coated and ""Vendeen"" is the part of France where this breed originated. These small dogs were registered with the American Kennel Club in 1990.

Physical Characteristics:

General Appearance: Robust, rough and short-legged with a relaxed expression

Color: White with any combination of lemon, black, orange, grizzle or tricolor markings.

Coat: The outercoat is long, rough and harsh with a thick, short undercoat. There should be long eyebrows, a beard and moustache.

Tail: Set high, medium length, tapered and carried vertically with a slight curve.

Ears: Set low, narrow, hanging, covered with long hair and folding inwards ending in an oval shape.

Body: The body is longer than tall with a level back slightly arching over the loin. The ribs are moderately rounded and extend well back forming a deep chest.

Additional Comments:

* The Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen needs to be kept in a well-secured area as it is a renowned digger, jumper and escape artist. Even though they are short dogs they do need reasonably high fences as it is surprising how high they can jump. To prevent digging under the fence, it is sometimes necessary to sink wire into the ground along the fenceline.

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