Breed library

Basset Griffon

Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen: Debucher Yvette at Rushgrove (Evie) owned by Mrs Sue Farrell and Debucher Reverie (Suzy) owned by Mrs Gean Dodd. Photo taken at the City of Birmingham Championship Dog Show, 29th August 2003.
File:P Basset Griffon Vendeen 600.jpg by Sannse, CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/); source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:P_Basset_Griffon_Vendeen_600.jpg. License: CC BY-SA 3.0.

Breed overview

The Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen is a French breed of small dog of scent hound type, bred to trail hares in bramble-filled terrain of the Vendée district of France. It is one of four Griffon Vendéen breeds, together with the Grand Griffon Vendéen, the Briquet Griffon Vendéen and the Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen, and one of six breeds of basset type recognised by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale.

Breed facts

  • The Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen is a French breed of small dog of scent hound type, bred to trail hares in bramble-filled terrain of the Vendée district of France.
  • In the PBGV Club of America 2000 survey, the most common diseases reported by owners of 640 dogs were persistent pupillary membranes, recurrent ear infections, hypothyroidism, neck pain, and epilepsy, treated with daily medication, principally phenobarbitol.
  • In later years they can develop an eye condition known to mainly effect German Shepherds, called Panis.
  • Among 289 live Basset Griffon Vendéens (both varieties) in the 2004 UKC survey, the most common health issues noted by owners were reproductive, dermatologic (dermatitis and mites), and aural (otitis externa, excessive ear wax, and ear mites).
  • The Basset Petit Griffon Vendéen is one of the more commonly affected breeds for primary open angle glaucoma.

Size and appearance

This catalogue record corresponds to the Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen. Its reference coat is rough and medium-length, with a white base and colored markings. The article lists lemon, orange, black, tricolor and grizzle markings.

  • Height reference: 34 - 38 cmAdult breed reference quantity from the article infobox. Original value 34 - 38 cm. Unit conversion where applicable: 1 inch = 2.54 cm; 1 pound = 0.45359237 kg. Original field and references are retained in the revision-pinned article evidence.
  • Coat length: medium
  • Height category: medium
  • Height category: short

Personality and behavior

Care planning: record what your dog enjoys, how they greet visitors, and how they respond to new places. Add notes after walks and training so you can see their habits over time. Where this profile includes behavior research, use the same named measures when comparing your shortlist.

Exercise and activities

Care planning: build a weekly routine with walks, play and time to explore. Enter the minutes and sessions that work for your dog, then compare the weekly total with your available time. Keep notes about the activities your dog enjoys and adjust the routine together.

Training and enrichment

Care planning: choose one everyday skill to practice and keep a record of each session. Note the cue, the reward your dog enjoys and what went well. Rotate familiar games and new activities, and use your notes to choose the next small step.

Coat and grooming

Care planning: use the coat details above to discuss a grooming routine with your groomer. Record brushing sessions, baths and appointments in the app. Add the tools you use and your preferred schedule so the whole household can follow the same routine.

  • Coat length: medium

Health and lifespan

A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 13.7 years for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreeds and 12 for crossbreeds.

Living with this breed

Care planning: compare this profile's adult dimensions, coat care and available activity information with your household's routine. Make a shortlist, plan who will handle daily care and save the questions you want to ask a breed club, rescue or breeder.

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Compare supported adult height and weight ranges, matching research measures and sourced coat and care categories.

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Breed history

The Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen is a French breed of small dog of scent hound type, bred to trail hares in bramble-filled terrain of the Vendée district of France.

Clubs and further reading

Sources

  1. Wikidata structured breed dataWikimedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC0 1.0. Wikidata contributors (CC0).
  2. National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.PLOS ONE / Figshare Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY 4.0. Bohland, Kyle R.; Lilly, Meghan Leanne; Herron, Meghan E.; Arruda, Andréia G.; O’Quin, Jeanette M. (2023). National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.. PLOS ONE. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0289356.s003 CC BY 4.0. Selected rows and field names adapted; values unchanged.
  3. Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen - WikipediaWikipedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted excerpts from Wikipedia contributors, Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen, revision 1368887273. CC BY-SA 4.0. Formatting, citations and selection changed. Source history: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Petit_Basset_Griffon_Vend%C3%A9en&action=history
  4. Breed name and parentage references: en.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.org contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted from en.wikipedia.org contributors. See each observation for its page and revision. Adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
  5. File:P Basset Griffon Vendeen 600.jpgWikimedia Commons Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY-SA 3.0. File:P Basset Griffon Vendeen 600.jpg by Sannse, CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/); source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:P_Basset_Griffon_Vendeen_600.jpg.
  6. Palipaws everyday care planningPalipaws Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: Palipaws original factual summaries. Palipaws. Original care-planning text, separate from breed measurements and licensed article summaries.