Grand Griffon Vendéen
Encyclopedia
A Grand Griffon Vendéen is a breed of hunting dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
originating in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It existed as early as the 16th Century, and was the first of the Vendée griffons to be bred. It is a descendant of the Canis Segusius used by the Gauls
Gauls
The Gauls were a Celtic people living in Gaul, the region roughly corresponding to what is now France, Belgium, Switzerland and Northern Italy, from the Iron Age through the Roman period. They mostly spoke the Continental Celtic language called Gaulish....
, through the so-called King's whites and the Griffon Fauve de Bretagne, which is also an ancestor of the Basset Fauve de Bretagne
Basset Fauve de Bretagne
The Basset Fauve de Bretagne is a short legged hunting breed of dog of the scent hound type, originally from Brittany, a historical kingdom of France.-Appearance:...
.
There are also several other breeds of Griffon
Griffon
Griffon is a type of dog, a collection of breeds of originally hunting dogs. There are three recognized lines of the griffon type Fédération Cynologique Internationale FCI, the griffon vendéens, the wirehaired pointers, and the smousje...
s from Vendée, all of them smaller: the Briquet Griffon Vendéen
Briquet Griffon Vendéen
A Briquet Griffon Vendéen is a breed of hunting dog originating in France. Prior to the first World War it was bred down in size by the Comte d’Elva from the Grand Griffon Vendéen, a descendant of the Canis Segusius used by the Gauls...
, and the Grand
Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen
The Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen is a long-backed, short legged hunting breed of dog of the hound type, originating in the Vendée region of France. They are still used today to hunt boar, deer, and to track rabbit and hare, but are more commonly kept as a domestic pet.They are pack dogs, so owners...
and Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen
Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen
The Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen , or PBGV, is a breed of dog of the scent hound type, bred to trail hares in bramble filled terrain of the Vendée district of France.-Appearance:...
. Related Griffon breeds include the Basset Fauve de Bretagne
Basset Fauve de Bretagne
The Basset Fauve de Bretagne is a short legged hunting breed of dog of the scent hound type, originally from Brittany, a historical kingdom of France.-Appearance:...
, the Griffon Bleu de Gascogne
Griffon Bleu de Gascogne
The Griffon Bleu de Gascogne Is a breed of dog of the scenthound type, originating in France, and is a versatile hunting dog, used on small and large game, in packs or individually...
and the Griffon Nivernais
Griffon Nivernais
The Griffon Nivernais is a breed of dog of the scenthound type, originating in France, and is a versatile hunting dog, used on small and large game, in packs or individually...
.