A Brief History of the PBGV
The PBGV has its ancient origins in the Vendée, a district in the southwestern region of France. The 4 hounds of the Vendée, the Grand Griffon Vendéen, the Briquet Griffon Vendéen, the Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen, and the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen are some of the oldest varieties of French hounds and have been traced back to the 15th century. Early hunting dogs, like the PBGV, evolved for hundreds of years through man’s selection of the pursuit of game; the animals being hunted varied in size and cunning, and the diversity of the terrain and climate dictated specific traits in the hounds. To be of any use to the local hunter, the animal needed to have a rough, hardy exterior, voice, stamina, and a superior nose, as well as some degree of independence, and thick skin with a wiry, rough coat. All of these breeds are bred to be hunted in packs, not individually. They follow the scent of the game together with the hunters following the lead of the dogs. The different size of each breed was determined by the different size game the hunter sought. The PBGV was used for hare, rabbit and, occasionally, roe deer. Those hunting for larger game bred larger dogs, with the two largest (the Grand and the Briquet) hunted on horseback and the smaller breeds were hunted on foot. Each breed standard calls for different sizes of dog. Since many people could not afford to own a horse used for hunting, they selected smaller sized dogs that could be hunted on foot.
In 1907, the Club du Griffon Vendéen was formed in France, and the first breed standards were devised by Paul Dezamy, the first president of the club. The Petit and the Grand, however, were interbred until the 1950’s, when a separate standard was adopted for the Petit, and finally enforced beginning in 1975. US interest in the PBGV began in the early 80’s when early fanciers began importing dogs from Canada, England, Denmark, and other European countries. In 1984, the PBGVCA was formed, and on December 1st, 1990, the PBGV was admitted to the American Kennel Club.