Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen / PBGV

Breed history:

 This breed was developed in the Vendeen region in France and is considered to have originated in the 16th century. The small variety is named PBGV and is more widespread than the large variety.

Description:

 It is a small to medium-sized dog (depending on the variety), with a long rather than tall body and with short legs. The head is strong, longish, with a rectangular muzzle that is longer than the skull and with a black or brown nose. The eyes are big, dark. The ears are placed under the eyeline, are pretty long, drooping and folded inwards and have long hair like on its body. The neck is long and the chest is deep. The tail is thick at the base and thin at the tip, curved and kept low. The fur has rough, hard, not very long hair, which is not wavy but has a shaggy look. It has a beard, eyebrows and a moustache. They coat can be unicoloured (grey or reddish), bicoloured (white with grey, reddish or orange patches) or a combination of 3 colours (white, black and red; white, grey and red; white, greyish and red).

Personality:

 It is an intelligent, lively, brave, daring, active, dynamic, sociable and sometimes stubborn dog. It is friendly, happy and eager to make its master happy, it is sociable with strangers and with children, it doesn't have problems with other dogs or other animals. It is quite noisy and it is usually raised in a pack.

Grooming:

 This dog's fur must be combed and brushed regularly, and trimmed once a year. The claws will be kept short and the excess hair between the footpads must be removed. The ears will be kept clean.

Living conditions:

It feels best outdoors, in a well-fenced yard where it can move freely and get exercise to burn its energy, but it can also adapt to a flat if taken out daily for long walks. It likes to live with an active family. This dog needs training.

Training:

 It is a little stubborn, independent dog and that is why the training must be firm, consistent, well-balanced; the dog's fear must be taken into account and the training must be done with patience.

Usefulness:

 The large variety is used for pack hunting of larger animals and the small variety is used for hunting rabbits and pheasants. They are pleasant and jolly companions.