Grand Griffon Vendéen

Greatly used for hunting in the past, and still considered the best hound by some enthusiasts, the Grand Griffon Vendéen is now used almost exclusively as a show dog. Despite his fine qualities and great talent for hunting, as he is not always easy to live with and train, he is less and less widespread and his distribution is limited to purists and great enthusiasts of the breed.

Height 60 to 68 cm
Weight 30 to 35 kg
Life expectancy 12 to 14 years
Home country France

Index

Personality Appearance Tips Health History

Quick Overview of the Grand Griffon Vendéen

Temperament

  • Strong temperament and dominant
  • Gentle and friendly
  • A willing and passionate dog

Appearance

  • Robust, but no heavy build
  • Distinguished silhouette and look
  • Decided and very receptive air
  • Funny fur (disheveled air)

Health

  • Hardy and very robust
  • Generally in excellent health
  • Some eye problems
  • No particular defects

Temperament of the Grand Griffon Vendéen

Strong temperament, dominant but gentle and friendly, the Grand Griffon Vendéen is a willing and passionate dog.

His education must be firm and adequate in order to dominate and lead him properly.

In the family, he is very gentle and endearing. Since he is not easy to dominate, the master must impose himself as leader of the pack by training him at a very early age.

His education must be firm and led by a master capable of living up to his dog's very strong character.

Breed Appearance

great Vendean griffin

Of a very old breed, this French type dog has a very well proportioned build.

Endowed with a robust but never heavy constitution, the Grand Griffon Vendéen has a distinguished silhouette and gait.

He is determined but receptive, revealing his strong temperament as well as his gentle, endearing side. His funny fur gives him a totally disheveled look rather sympathetic.

Height

Between 62 and 68 cm (24.41 to 26.77 inches) for the male
Between 60 and 65 cm (23.62 to 25.59 inches) for the female

Weight

Between 30 and 35 kg (66.14 to 77.16 pounds) for the male
Between 30 and 35 kg (66.14 to 77.16 pounds) for the female

Color

The color of his coat can vary between white and orange, red, black with white patches, black and tan, fawn with white patches, charcoal sand, charcoal fawn as well as tricolor in all these shades.

Hair

His long hair is rough, heavily tousled and very bushy.

Morphology

His head with a domed skull has a slightly marked stop. His large eyes are very dark.

His ears, covered with long hair and ending in a rather elongated oval shape, are fine, narrow and soft.

His nose is all black. His long tail is carried like a sword blade.

According to the FCI breeds nomenclature, this breed belongs to group 6, section 1 and is #282

Tips About this breed

He was used for a long time for hunting wolves thanks to his great courage, daring and strong temperament.

Today, used more for wild boar, even if he is more and more used as a show dog, the Great Griffon Vendéen is diligent and fiery and can hunt on any terrain and even in water.

Endowed with a beautiful throat and fine nose, he makes an excellent hunting dog.

Despite his large size, this superb specimen can live anywhere, even in the city.

However, there must be plenty of space for him to run and exercise as he pleases.

He loves freedom, but can easily adjust to a large garden.

He is compatible with all types of homeowners, and all family situations, but despite this, he is still very rare.

Health of the Grand Griffon Vendéen

This hardy and robust dog generally enjoys excellent health.

Some ear problems may occur, but regular checking of the ears prevents this kind of problem.

Also enjoying a good life expectancy for a large dog, the breed is not affected by any other particular defect.

GROOMING

His particular and totally disheveled dress has a slight tendency to get tangled very easily and make knots.

It is therefore preferable to brush it regularly.

His drooping ears should also be checked regularly to avoid potential infections.

No further maintenance is necessary.

History of this breed

Originally from France, but with rather confused ancient origins, the Grand Griffon Vendéen is apparently descended from the Griffon de Bresse, the Greyhound of Saint-Louis, the Fawn Griffon of Brittany and the White Dog of the King (or Clerk).

Of the three existing breeds of Griffon, i.e. the Briquet and the Petit Basset, he is by far the oldest.

Formerly used for hunting boar and wolves, the breed never really took off.

It saw the birth of its club in 1907 but almost disappeared completely in the middle of the 20th century.

Later, the club rebuilt the breed and its new standard was issued in 1969. Some crossbreeding was undertaken with the Great Anglo-French and the Billy.

This large hunting dog used for gun and hound hunting is very effective for large game such as deer and roe deer and even foxes and wild boar.

He can be used alone as a bloodhound or can work in a pack without any problem.

He is an excellent hound that can run after unwounded game or chase it by smell if it is wounded.

He also excels as an alarm and guard dog, preventing the intrusion of malevolent people, deterring them in his own way or barking to warn the neighbourhood.

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Last Updated: 05/10/2020

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