Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen

Genetic Predispositions and Health

The Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen can suffer from degenerative myelopathy and progressive rod-cone degeneration. A specific hereditary condition for which they should be tested is Glanzmann's Thrombasthenia Type I. As for all breeds, genetic screening for hereditary conditions is recommended to assist veterinarians with diagnosis and proactive care, as well as help breeders identify affected and carrier dogs.

Personality and Behavior

Known for their friendly and outgoing nature, PBGVs make excellent family pets. They are sociable, intelligent, and have a great sense of humor, often described as "happy and enthusiastic." Although generally good with children and other animals, they are a hunting breed at heart. Thus, they have a strong prey drive and love to chase, dig, and investigate everything. It is recommended to provide them with plenty of physical and mental stimulation to keep them happy and health.

Scent Hound Lineage

A canine genetic lineage is a group of individuals or entire breeds that descended from common ancestors predating modern breed formation. Often these lineages are associated with a ‘type’ of dog with a unique historical working role and associated behaviors (e.g., herding, scent hunting, etc.).

Scent Hounds were historically used as hunting dogs. They were bred for their exceptional sense of smell, which is also a defining factor of this lineage of dogs. Scent hounds also have a distinctive bark which sounds more like a howl, this was developed to communicate with their hunters. Many breeds within this lineage were bred to work in groups, and have a strong pack mentality. Scent Hounds tend to have a stronger drive to follow their nose instinctually than their human counterpart. Scent hounds are also known for their endurance and stamina, these traits allow them to follow scents over long distances and for long periods of time.

Example breeds with ancestry from this lineage include Basset Hound, English Foxhound, and Dachshund.

Fun Facts

The Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen has a remarkable sense of smell, only surpassed by the Bloodhound.

Despite their small size, they are quite hardy and were originally bred to withstand a full day of hunting in tough terrain.

They are known for their loud, distinctive howl, which they used historically to alert their human hunting companions to their location in the thick underbrush.

The breed has a twin, the Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen, which is larger but shares many of the same traits.

References

https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/petit-basset-griffon-vendeen/
https://vgl.ucdavis.edu/breed/petit-basset-griffon-vendeen https://www.fci.be/en/nomenclature/PETIT-BASSET-GRIFFON-VENDEEN-67.html https://www.ukcdogs.com/petit-basset-griffon-vendeen