Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen
A rough coated French hound built low to hunt hare through brambles on the Vendee coast. The tousled look is functional armour, not a grooming choice.
Photo by Małgorzata Miłaszewska (Lilly M), CC BY-SA 3.0
Overview
The Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen is a small rough coated French scent hound bred to hunt hare through the brambles and rock of the Vendée. Every part of the name is descriptive: petit for small, basset for low, griffon for the rough coat, Vendéen for the region.
The harsh tousled coat is armour against thorn, and the breed is built low and long to work under cover rather than over it.
Temperament
Cheerful, busy and thoroughly independent. PBGVs are affectionate with their families, good with children, and sociable with other dogs, and they are famously happy dogs.
They are hounds and they behave like it: recall on a scent is poor, they bay loudly, and they are stubborn. They are also diggers and escape artists. They are not a difficult dog to like and they are a difficult dog to obey you.
Care and grooming
The rough coat needs brushing twice a week and hand stripping occasionally. It should look tousled rather than tidy, and over grooming is a fault. Moderate shedding.
The breed is generally healthy. Hip dysplasia, epilepsy, hypothyroidism and a breed specific eye condition called PBGV pain syndrome are seen at low rates. Fourteen to sixteen years is very good.
Living and exercise
An hour and a half a day with a chance to use the nose. They have real stamina for their size.
A fence sunk into the ground and a lead in open country. The baying is a consideration in close housing.
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