GRAND BASSET GRIFFON VENDEEN BREED STANDARD
AKC FSS BREED
PREPARED BY GBGVCA STANDARD REVISION COMMITTEE ON AUGUST 18, 2011
GBGVCA STANDARD REVISION COMMITTEE: Betty Barth, Corey Benedict & Kitty Steidel
UNANIMOUSLYAPPROVED ON OCTOBER 28, 2011

General Appearance

The Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen is a well balanced, strongly built, rough-coated scent hound of friendly and

 noble character. He is of medium size with straight legs, deep chest. He is longer than he is tall with a

moderately long muzzle, long ears and a long tail. His neck is moderately long and strong, noble head

with a mustache and beard, surmounted with protective long eyebrows. His structure was designed to

hunt rabbit and hare at a fast pace through the bramble, and over the rough terrain of the Vendee area

of France. He is a courageous, passionate and broadly skilled hunter who today is used to hunt not only

rabbit and hare but also boar and roe deer. He is active, possessing great stamina for a full days’ hunt

and uses his voice freely while on the trail. Any feature that detracts from function is a serious fault.

Size, Proportion, Substance

Height typically 15.5” to 18”.
Proportion longer than tall as measured from point of shoulder to point of buttocks. Never square nor long and low.
Substance in balance with the whole; strongly built and well boned without exaggeration. Firmly
muscled, built for endurance and parts in harmony. Never clumsy.
Head
Expression noble with a proud head carriage. Eyes convey an intelligent, warm and friendly
character.
Eyes large, dark and oval in shape, of the same color, showing no white; haw not visible. Rims
fully pigmented.
Ears supple, narrow and fine, ending in an oval shape, draping and folding inwards. Leathers are
covered with long hair and reaching at least to the end of the nose. Set on low, below the line of
the eye. Viewed from the side, ears should form a corkscrew shape when the dog is relaxed.
Skull domed, not heavy and not too wide; it is longer than it is wide. Occipital bone well
developed.
Muzzle preferably slightly longer from tip of nose to stop than from stop to occiput. The bridge
of the nose is slightly roman and in profile finishes square at its extremity. Lips well pigmented,
covered with long hair forming beard and mustache.
Bite is a scissors bite, with a level bite tolerated.
Stop clearly defined; well chiseled under the eyes.
Nose large, protruding with open nostrils. Solid black except in white/orange and white/lemon
coats where brown is accepted.
Underjaw strong and well developed.

Neck, Topline and Body
Neck strong and far reaching, thicker at the base, without excessive throatiness.
Topline from behind withers to rump is level with slight rise over well muscled loin.
Body well developed, sturdy and broad, with deep forechest and prominent sternum.
Depth of chest reaches to elbows, ribs well sprung extending well back. Loin well muscled and
of moderate length. Belly never tucked up.
Tail rather long, reaching to the hock. Set on high, thick at the base, tapering gradually, well
furnished with hair, carried proudly like a saber or slightly curved but never kinked, curled too
far over the back, gay or bent at the tip. Tail is never docked.
Feet large, oval and tight. Pads firm and solid. Nails strong and short.

Forequarters
Shoulders clean and sloping. Well laid back. Length of shoulder blades approximately equal to
length of upper arm. Withers very slightly prominent.
Elbows close to the body, turning neither in nor out.
Forelegs from front, straight and well boned. In profile, set well under body. Dewclaws on
forelegs and hind legs may be removed.
Pasterns strong and slightly sloping.

Hindquarters
Well boned, strong and muscular, with moderate bend of stifle and a well defined second thigh.
Hips wide. Hocks turning neither in nor out.

Coat
Harsh and straight with undercoat. Not too long, fringing not too abundant. Never silky or
wooly. Hair from bridge of nose fans up between the eyes without obscuring the eyes; this
protective hair along with shielding eyebrows is an indispensable characteristic of the breed. No
blunt scissoring, maintaining a casual appearance. Hounds should be shown clean.

Color
Tri-color: white with any other colors, Bi-color: white with any other color, or Black and Tan.
Solid not allowed.

Gait
Clean, balanced and efficient. Free and easy at all speeds. Front action straight and reaching
well foreward. Going away, the hind legs are parallel and have great drive. Convergence of the
front and rear legs towards his center of gravity is proportional to the speed of his movement.

Temperament
Pack hound, friendly, not easily agitated by others. Temperament is happy, outgoing,
independent. A little stubborn, yet willing to please.

Revised: October 2011
Copyright © 2009 Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen Club of America

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