The Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen is a breed of dog of the scent hound type, bred to trail hares in bramble filled terrain of the Vendée district of France.

History

The Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen can be traced to the 16th century and directly to the Griffon Vendéen. They come from La Vendée, a district in the western coast of France. The Vendéens were directly bred from the white Southern Hound and rough-coated dogs from Italy. Their name means Petit - small, Basset - low to the ground, Griffon - rough or wire coated and Vendéen - the area of origination. They are one of four related breeds. These four include the Briquet, Grand Griffon Vendéen, Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen, and the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen. Believed to have descended from the Vendéen hounds of the Gris de St. Louis, the Grand Bassets are thought to be bred from the white Southern Hound and other Italian coarse-haired dogs. One of the first breeders being the king's clerk, or greffier, the hound probably got the "griffon" part of its name from this. Several of these dogs were given to King Louis XII, eventually developing the name Chiens Blancs du Rui, or the King's White Hounds. During the French Revolution the dogs were almost extinct, but around the 20th century in 1907, a club formed and began bringing back the dogs. Paul Desamy is credited with developing this line of the Griffon Vendéens. The Petit Bassets were used for hunting hare and other small game, but due to less and less hunting the breed has lost its need. This breed was severely reduced during World War II, but is prominent in France, although rare in the rest of the world. They are still occasionally used for hunting hare, rabbits and even wild boars. Only as recently as 1990 were they accepted into the AKC.

Appearance and Size

Both sexes should be of similar size, range between 12.5 and 15.5 inches (32 to 40 cm) at the withers and between 25 and 40 pounds (15 to 20 kilograms). Like the other 3 Griffon Vendéen breeds: the Grand Griffon Vendéen, Briquet Griffon Vendéen, and the Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen; they are solid dogs that appear rough and unrefined yet casual. They have short legs, a sturdy bone structure, and a body that is only slightly longer than it is tall at the withers. The body length is not as extreme as that of a Basset Hound or Dachshund. The dogs have a tousled appearance, with a harsh double coat is both long and rough.The hair on the face and legs may be softer than body hair. The fur on the face resembles a beard and moustache. They usually have very long eyelashes. The skull is domed, with drop, oval ears like many hounds share, though dogs tend to have higher domes than bitches. The ears are set low and hanging, and if stretched out should reach the tip of the nose. The tail is usually held upright, and is long and tapered to the end, similar in shape to a saber. The coloring is primarily white with spots of orange, lemon, black, grizzle (gray-and-white hairs), or sable, sometimes with tan accents. They may be bicolor, tricolor, or have grizzling.

Personality

PBGVs are extroverted, friendly, and independent hounds. Sometimes called the "happy breed," PBGVs have tirelessly wagging tails and expressive, intelligent eyes. PBGVs are typically active and lively. While good with children, other dogs and pets, they may be unsuitable for very young children because of their energy and tendency to play bite. The PBGV standard states that the dog should "give voice freely" -- as is typical of hounds, petits are outspoken dogs. If their 'pack' begins howling or singing, the dog will join in, with amusing results. PBGVs may howl alone or with a companion; they may howl to music, for fun, or in protest at being left alone.

Wikipedia and GNU

The content of this entry is from the Wikipedia article "The Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen" licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.