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Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen

The breeds · scenthound · scenthound

AKC Hound · UKC Scenthound · FCI standard 33

Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen.

FCI 33: the perfect assistant for the hunter with a gun in territories of moderate size; fastest of all the scenthound bassets, tenacious, courageous, a little stubborn; must be taught from an early age to obey. FCI classification: Group 6, Section 1.3 Small-sized Hounds, with working trial. UKC: the fastest of the scenthound bassets..

Breed sets the odds. The parents set the dog. Every number here shows its source, its spread and how sure we are. Nothing on this page is a prediction about one dog.

0INHeightdogs null, bitches null. An ideal from the standard, not a range.
40–45LBWeight, all linesbreed 40 to 45 lb.
2.5+ HRSExercise, every dayRKC: more than 2 hours per day (RKC also lists the breed as 'Country' and 'Large garden'). AKC energy band: 5 of 5.. The constraint most homes get wrong.

The body

What the breed is built like. Registry standards give an ideal, not a range.

Height at the shoulder

dogs 15.5 to 18 in · bitches 15 to 18 in

Breed clubFCI-Standard N° 33

Three bands; all stand. The AKC page range is one band for both sexes.

Weight

40 to 45 lb

Breed clubAKC

AKC page header only.

Coat

FCI: hard, not too long and flat, never silky or woolly; belly and inside of thighs not bare; eyebrows well pronounced. UKC: hard, not too long, flat; woolly coat is a disqualification. RKC: rough coated, should retain a rustic appearance. Colors: black with white spotting, black and tan, fawn with white (white and orange), tricolor, fawn with black overlay; hare, wolf, badger or wild-boar colors (solid white or solid black disqualify).

Breed clubFCI-Standard N° 33

Shedding

Shedding 3 of 5 (AKC breed page trait score)

Breed clubAKC

AKC breed page trait score, 1 to 5: a breed-club tendency, never a measurement.

Heat tolerance

3 of 5 · FCI: hair hard, not too long and flat, never silky or woolly; fringes not too abundant. UKC: hard, not too long, flat.

DerivedFCI-Standard N° 33

Derived from the standard's coat description; no measured data. Medium hard coat; the standards do not print an undercoat, so 3 rests on RKC 'long' coat and the harsh texture.

The dog at home

What the breed asks of a day. The first thing most homes get wrong.

Exercise need

RKC: more than 2 hours per day (RKC also lists the breed as 'Country' and 'Large garden'). AKC energy band: 5 of 5.

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

RKC is a UK registry band, not a study; mapped by the library rule.

Energy

5 of 5

Breed clubAKC

AKC breed page trait score, 1 to 5: a breed-club tendency, never a measurement.

Grooming load

4 of 5 · RKC: grooming every day; coat length long; sheds. AKC coat grooming frequency band: 2 of 5; shedding 3 of 5.

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

RKC band mapped by the library rule; the AKC and RKC bands differ and both are shown.

The work

What it was built to do in the field, and what a test or trial asks of it.

Role

FCI 33: the perfect assistant for the hunter with a gun in territories of moderate size; fastest of all the scenthound bassets, tenacious, courageous, a little stubborn; must be taught from an early age to obey. FCI classification: Group 6, Section 1.3 Small-sized Hounds, with working trial. UKC: the fastest of the scenthound bassets.

Breed clubFCI-Standard N° 33

Primary game

FCI 33: capable of hunting all furry game, from rabbit to wild boar; the first selections (Comte d'Elva, late 19th century) were bred from the Grand Griffon, and Paul Dezamy fixed the size at about 43 cm so the dog could catch a hare. UKC: excellent on hare, used on all furry game. RKC: originally used for hunting hare and rabbit. Wikipedia: still used to hunt boar and deer and to track rabbit and hare, though more commonly kept as a pet.

Breed clubFCI-Standard N° 33

Search pattern

FCI 33: fast, well voiced, a passionate hunter; courageous, loves bramble and scrub. UKC: courageous, passionate, tenacious and can be stubborn. Wikipedia: pack dogs.

Breed clubFCI-Standard N° 33

No source prints a search pattern in handler terms; voice and pace are as the standards state them.

Field trial standard

FCI classification lists the breed 'with working trial'. FCI history: a team of Grand Bassets won the 5th edition of the European Cup for hare. The standard does not print the trial rules.

Breed clubFCI-Standard N° 33

Trial rules not read.

How common the problems are

Evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock; the numbers are still the best there are.

Hip dysplasia

18.9% · 106 OFA hip evaluations, current all-data, accessed Oct 8 2026; 18.9% dysplastic (mild 14.2, moderate 3.8, severe 0.9), 81.1% normal (excellent 9.4, good 60.4, fair 11.3)

MeasuredOrthopedic Foundation for Animals

OFA's own breed statistics (rank 57). OFA-evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock, with normal results over-represented. No OFA elbow row exists for the breed.

Most common disorders

Wikipedia, citing the 2004 UK Kennel Club purebred health survey (Basset Griffon Vendéen, both varieties combined): 76 deceased dogs lived 12.1 years on average (maximum 17.3 years); leading causes of death cancer (33%), old age (24%), cardiac (7%). Among 289 living dogs the most common owner-noted issues were reproductive, dermatologic and aural (otitis externa).

EditorialWikipedia

Secondary citation; the 2004 survey page was not read, and it combines the Grand and Petit varieties.

More

akc bands

AKC breed page trait scores (1-5): Energy Level 5; Mental Stimulation Needs 4; Trainability Level 3; Barking Level 4; Watchdog/Protective Nature 3; Good With Young Children 3; Openness To Strangers 5; Good With Other Dogs 4; Shedding Level 3; Coat Grooming Frequency 2; Drooling Level 2; Affectionate With Family 5; Playfulness Level 4; Adaptability Level 4.

Breed clubAKC

Fourteen AKC bands in one row; the selector reads each by name. Breed-club ratings: a tendency, never a measurement.

What to ask a breeder for

The health clearances the breed’s own club and registry name. Reference only: what to ask for, never a statement about any dog’s health.

No KENAI kennel lists the Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen yet. If you breed them, list your kennel free: it shows on this page and in the hunting dog breed finder, under every handler whose answers land on the breed.

How to read this page

Every value carries a label. Measured means peer-reviewed data on many dogs. Studied means peer-reviewed, smaller or indirect. Breed club means a club or registry states it. Editorial means expert opinion with no measurement behind it. Where two good sources disagree, both are shown and neither is averaged.

Published when the entry rests on the best information available from no fewer than three independent sources, checked by a second pass that did not write it. 5 sources on this page. Found something wrong? Tell us and the correction is logged with its date.

Also called
Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen, GBGV, Grand Basset

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