Breeds / Medium
Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen puppies
The Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen is a long bodied, short legged French scenthound with a harsh tousled coat. It is cheerful and sociable, vocal on a scent and stubbornly independent once its nose is engaged.
The facts
- Size class Medium
- Country of origin France
- Adult weight 18.1 to 20.4 kg
- Adult weight in pounds 40 to 45 lb
- Adult height 39 to 46 cm
- Energy level Not published
- Grooming Not published
- Coat type Medium wiry and double
- Typical lifespan 13 to 15 years
- Good with children Fine with supervision
- Good with other dogs Fine with supervision
Where these come from:
- akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
- fci.be for country of origin
No published figure for energy level and grooming, so nothing is shown rather than a guess.
About the Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen
The Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen is a rough coated scenthound from the Vendée on the west coast of France, bred to push hare and other game through gorse and bramble that would stop a smoother dog. It stands 39 to 46 cm on short straight legs with a long body, long drop ears and a tousled harsh coat over a soft undercoat, finished with a beard and prominent eyebrows. It is a pack bred hound: cheerful, sociable, noisy when it finds something, and thoroughly independent once the nose takes over.
Expect a hound that walks for hours and then wants more. A securely fenced garden is not optional, and lead walking is the honest default, because recall competes with a fresh scent and usually loses. The coat is combed through weekly and tidied by hand rather than clipped, and the ears want checking regularly. It suits an outdoor household with a sense of humour and no close neighbours. The most common mistake is trusting the recall in open country and then spending an afternoon looking for the dog.
What to expect at eight weeks
At eight weeks a Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A medium breed puppy at eight weeks is a manageable armful that will not stay that way. Most of the growth happens between now and six months, so buy for the adult dog where you can. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.
Health worth knowing about
Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.
- Hip dysplasia, screened by hip evaluation of breeding stock
- Inherited eye disease, including primary open angle glaucoma, screened by an ophthalmologist evaluation and DNA testing where available
- Epilepsy, diagnosed by ruling out other causes of seizures
- Ear infections in the long drop ears, found by checking and cleaning the ears weekly
From Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/grand-basset-griffon-vendeen/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.
Your Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen puppy's first six months
- Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
- Worming and parasite schedule.
- Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Medium for a Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen.
- Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 18.1 to 20.4 kg adult range.
- Puppy names and the first week checklist.
Other medium breeds
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Not veterinary advice. Breed information is general. Your own dog, and your own vet, always win.