Hunting Dogs: The Briquet Griffon Vendéen: daring, tenacity, speed and passion in one dog.
This French breed was selected for wolf and wild boar hunting, against which it proved fearless and tenacious. Today it is used with great success in terms of results in wild boar hunting. A tireless walker, the Briquet Griffon Vendéen is rediscovering a wide use in France.
Among the breeds of French Hounds, the Briquet Griffon Vendéen stands out first of all for the fact that it has achieved its own morphological and character stability before any other breed.
The dog experts affirm that the Briquet Griffon Vendéen derives from the crosses between the “White Dog of the King”, the white variety of the “Sant'Uberto”, and the “Bracco italiano bianco-orange”. The gray spots that sometimes appear on the coat have left scholars perplexed in the past, who later attributed the presence of these shades to crosses made with the "Gray Dog of Saint-Louis". Finally, the hard and golden hair would have been transmitted by the "Fawn of Brittany". The Briquet Griffon Vendéen has been for many years the breed most used in large packs for hunting wolves and wild boar, the latter prey which still hunts showing courage, tenacity, speed and passion.
The Briquet Griffon Vendéen belongs to Group 6 of bloodhounds and track dogs, according to the FCI classification. It is a medium-sized dog, very determined and intelligent. It has a particularly elegant physical conformation and gait. Its structure is rather short and well proportioned, with a robust conformation without heaviness. From the aesthetic point of view, this breed is distinguished by the particular long and rough hair to the touch, which allows it an excellent protection from atmospheric agents and low temperatures.
In the hunting field he proves to be courageous and tenacious, having been selected for decades to be a good auxiliary of man, to whom he is devoted and faithful. Outside of hunting, this breed displays a fair amount of affection with people it deems friendly and sociable. Experts believe it to be a fairly intelligent breed, consequently sufficiently obedient and fairly well trainable. Among the many hunting breeds, the Briquet Griffon Vendéen can be considered an excellent companion for long walks, it loves being the center of attention and being taken to new areas. All these activities are strongly recommended for those who decide to take a Briquet Griffon Vendéen puppy, as they contribute not only to enhancing the skills in hunting, but also to obtaining a balanced and calm dog.
Let's now pass to the detailed description of the breed, from the morphological point of view. The height for both males and females is between 50 and 55 cm. at the withers, for a weight ranging from 21 to 25 kg. The chest is deep enough and not too broad, with moderately rounded ribs. The back is solid, short, very straight or slightly rising. The loins are straight, muscular and well supported.
The head is rather short and light, but without exaggeration, with the rounded skull and not too important. The frontal furrow appears even more pronounced due to the hairs, the latter well raised above the eyes. The lips are covered with a thick mustache. The nose is black, large and well opened. To complete the facial region is the broad and straight muzzle, with a complete set of teeth in development and in number.
The neck has no dewlap, it is long and light. The ears are soft, narrow and fine, covered with long hair, pointed at the tip, well turned in and not too long, but set low below the eye line. The large and dark eyes express a lot of vivacity, with well pronounced eyebrows, without covering the eye.
The forelegs are straight with a thick forearm, while the elbows are well descended and adherent to the trunk. In general, the bone structure of the Briquet Griffon Vendéen is quite good and sturdy. The hind legs have long and muscular thighs, with wide hocks close to the ground, never closed or open. The Briquet Griffon Vendéen moves with ease and flexibility. The skin is quite tight and elastic, covered with a long hair without exaggeration and rough to the touch.
The colors allowed by the standard are fawn, hare-colored, white-orange, white and gray, white and hare-colored, black and white, and tricolor in the shades mentioned above. The Briquet Griffon Vendéen is a rarity in our country, but in France it is finding the diffusion it deserves in the hunting field.