Canis lupus familiaris
Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen
Featured photopetit-basset-griffon-vendeen.jpgThe Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen is a rough-coated short-legged French Vendéen scent hound for hare and rabbit. The Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen is one of four French scent-hound breeds native to the Vendée region of western France (alongside the Grand Basset, Briquet, and Grand Griffon Vendéen).
Quick facts
- AKC group
- Hound
- Origin country
- France (Vendée)
- Origin period
- Pre-modern (formalized 1947)
- Coat type
- Wirehaired
- Coat colors
- White with Tricolor, Lemon, Orange, Sable, Grizzle, or Black markings
- Average lifespan
- 14-16 years
- Recognition
- AKC 1990 · FCI 1955 · UKC 1992 · Group 6 — Scent Hounds and Related Breeds (Section 1.3: Small-sized Hounds)
Origin
The Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen is one of four French scent-hound breeds native to the Vendée region of western France: the Grand Griffon Vendéen, the Briquet Griffon Vendéen, the Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen, and the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen. The four are distinguished by size and proportion. The Vendée scent hounds descend from medieval French royal hunt-pack stock, and the smaller bassets were used for hunting hare and rabbit through the dense Vendée undergrowth. The petit and grand were registered together as a single breed until 1947, when Comte Christian d'Elva separated them. The United States PBGV Club was founded in 1984 and the AKC admitted the breed in 1990.
Recognition
The American Kennel Club admitted the breed in 1990, the United Kennel Club followed in 1992, and the Federation Cynologique Internationale published the international standard (FCI No. 67) in 1955. The FCI assigns the breed to Group 6 — Scent Hounds and Related Breeds (Section 1.3: Small-sized Hounds).
Standard
The AKC and FCI standards describe a compact, lively, alert short-legged scent hound with a casual, tousled appearance. The defining feature is the harsh, rough double coat — never woolly, never silky — with abundant beard, moustache, and bushy eyebrows that give the breed its tousled, country-rustic appearance. Recognized colours are white with tricolour (black, white, tan), lemon, orange, sable, grizzle, or black markings. The breed stands 34-38 cm at the withers.
Sources & further reading (3)
- kennel-club-registry — accessed 2026-04-30
- encyclopedia — accessed 2026-04-30
- fci-standard — accessed 2026-04-30
Frequently asked questions
What is the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen's AKC group?
The American Kennel Club places the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen in the Hound Group. The Hound Group gathers breeds developed for the hunt, broadly split into scent hounds (Bloodhound, Beagle, Coonhounds) and sight hounds (Greyhound, Whippet, Borzoi). The breed's foundation working role was as a rough-coated short-legged French Vendéen scent hound for hare and rabbit.
When was the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen officially recognized?
The American Kennel Club admitted the breed in 1990; the United Kennel Club followed in 1992; the Federation Cynologique Internationale published the international standard (FCI No. 67) in 1955.
What is the average lifespan of a Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen?
Kennel-club longevity surveys place the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen's average lifespan in the 14-16 years range. The figure here represents the spread reported by the major parent-club studies and the Kennel Club (UK) purebred-dog health surveys.
