This article was originally published in Showsight Magazine, August 2021 issue.
Grand Basset Griffon Vendeens: These wire-coated hounds with a long name are not only charming and rustic all over, they are also part of a long history of hounds and hunting in their native France. The breed has been around for an unknown amount of time, as records have not been clearly kept, but these hounds certainly date back to at least the late Middle Ages. It is important to understand that there are four distinct breeds of Griffon Vendeen hounds—of varying size and balance—all to represent the most important aspect of distinction between them; function in the field. All four are now bred as individual breeds and are recognized as such by FCI. However, you will only find the two Basset Griffon Vendeens in the show ring in the United States.
A BRIEF HISTORY
As with so many of the French hound breeds, they really wanted you to know all the basics of the breed just by the name. Many French breeds list exactly where breeds were developed, and the Griffon Vendeen hounds are no different. Little is known about the exact development of the breeds, but we do know a few key things. First, that the Grand Griffon Vendeen (which is the largest of the four hounds, standing at 25″ to 27″ at the withers) was the original breed that all the others were then developed from. Second, that all four were developed to be specialists on a certain kind of game, with the Grand Basset mainly meant to hunt hare and roe deer, though they eventually started to be also used with boar. And finally, that they all were meant to handle their native place—the rough, swampy, coastal area of the department of the Vendee, France.
THE IMPORTANCE OF PLACE
Throughout history, a locality has been one of the most significant factors in the creation of a place’s culture. Dogs are a large part of that history and culture for many areas of the world—especially in France where hunting has played a large part in the average provincial resident’s life and livelihood for centuries. The Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen was developed with its home area in mind, above all else.
The department of Vendee is located on the western coast of France, just south of Nantes and Breton, and was originally included in a much larger area than it does in modern France. It has long been an agrarian territory, with livestock and agriculture being a long-held tradition in the area, making it a beautiful pastoral place ripe for the creation of a glorious hunting hound. Filled with rough coastlines, marshland, and pastures, it is in many ways an idyllic French countryside where peasants and nobles were more at peace than in other areas of France. Hunting for food and sport allowed for the advancement of the various sizes of the generalized look of a Griffon Vendeen hound, but the Grand Basset was created especially for hunters on foot looking for larger game.
These hounds needed to be able to run and keep up with hare and roe deer; and therefore, needed to be able to get through thick underbrush safely and have a coat that was easily able to handle marshy conditions. It is the Vendee area of France itself that has largely dictated the GBGV that we see today.
FUNCTION DICTATES FORM
While we have all heard the saying, “Form Follows Function,” it is important when evaluating a Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen to remember what exactly was asked of these dogs in the field—and why we should continue to look for them in today’s dogs as well. First and foremost, it is of the utmost importance to remember balance when judging and considering a GBGV in the ring. A Grand Basset should not look like a wire-coated Basset Hound. Rather, they should be a strong, much more moderate hound. These are hounds that were meant to be able to power through underbrush and fencing safely, without the assistance of the hunter who would likely be quite a bit behind the pack. This means that the dog’s sternum should extend on their underline to protect all the dog’s vital organs, with a proper wire coat that pulls out easily in case they were to get stuck in burs. They should also have strong shoulders and a good prosternum, along with a powerful balance between both front and rear; to be able to quickly and powerfully get through the tight, rough areas where game was likely to traverse while on the move. They need a good amount of substance to them, but should never be coarse or clunky.
These hounds were meant to be able to hunt all day. They need effortless, easy movement to ensure that they are able to do the job that they are asked to perform, day in and day out. A large nose and long ears mean that they are better able to focus and find the scent of the game they are pursuing. GBGVs should be able to problem-solve on the fly, without assistance from the hunter, in case they meet a complex situation on a drag. Those long, iconic and silhouette-defining white saber tails sit high in the air to be able to find a hound with ease within the brush. Straight legs were the first defining characteristic used to separate a Grand Basset from a Petit Basset. They play a huge, important role in how well a hound is able to keep up with the slightly larger game than that which a PBGV was traditionally used to hunt. When all are combined, these traits create a stellar pack hound that is eager and able to handle the place where they originated. These were originally hounds that were created to be able to easily hunt without the use of horses, allowing peasants to still have a pack hound to work with by foot.
MODERN INTERRUPTION
Grand Bassets are still used as packs in France today to hunt primarily wild boar, which are as much a menace as they are a game meat. In fact, there are several lines of these working hounds represented in the stock already within the United States. While the original breed itself was more or less a jumble of styles between features that we would generally consider appropriate for a Petit Basset and those we consider Grand today, it wasn’t until the early 20th century that GBGVs actually started to have the distinct type and style that we associate with them now. It is largely thanks to the Dezamy family that we have the solid breed type and style that we do presently. They helped to set not only the actual ideal height (43 cm), they idealized a set style within the breed and created the written standard for the breed when dog shows started to take off in popularity in France around that time.
The late Mr. Dezamy famously said of judging the breed that measuring sticks were for poor judges, and that balance was to be of first consideration in a quality Grand Basset. As with many breeds, balance and silhouette are of utmost importance when considering a GBGV—something that holds true even today. Today’s Grand Bassets still look very much like their predecessors and still have the natural drive to hunt. These are hounds that still embody their historical use through the details of their structure, their overall unique balance and silhouette, and their rustic French appearance. As breeders, we have the obligation to preserve this breed as best we can when taking all these factors into consideration. And we hope that we can continue to educate the dog fancy in general about this charming breed.
