The Grand Griffon Vendeen is a large-sized hunting dog breed, originating in the Vendee region in west central France, and it was the first griffon in the region to be bred, being thus the oldest scent hound of the Vendeen family. The Vendeen hounds are descendants of the Canis Segusius which were used by the Gauls and of the Griffon Fauve de Bretagne.
Nowadays, the Grand Griffon Vendeen is quite rare even in France and practically unknown outside of France. Nevertheless, this breed is still majestic-looking and, in addition to its spectacular hunting abilities, it is a good-natured and even-tempered dog, which makes it an excellent family companion. In terms of general appearance, this breed has a well-proportioned and muscular body, a domed skull, well-marked eyebrows, pendulous lips which cover the lower jaw and give its convex muzzle a square-like appearance, sturdy back, deep chest, muscled loin, strong legs and a supple gait.
Like other French scent hounds, this breed also has long and flexible ears, which extend beyond its nose and are covered with long hair. Tri-colored dogs usually have fawn coats with white markings and black mantle; white and orange varieties have fawn coats with white spots; the black ones also have tan or white patches. The coat is long, dense and hard to touch. The average size of this breed is 23.5-26 inches and its average weight is 66 -77 pounds.
This breed is courageous, very active, energetic, persevering, displaying a keen scent and melodious yet loud voice when hunting and very affectionate, devoted and docile with his family members during its spare time. It is always eager to please its beloved family and it has an affinity for small children, with whom it enjoys to play gently and protect them at the same time. Its lively, social and dedicated temperament makes it an excellent pet and it gets along with other dogs and smaller animals as well. It is friendly with strangers, until it senses that they are up to no good and then it starts to act very protective of its family members. Although it is a highly intelligent breed, obedience training takes some time because it is quite stubborn, strong-willed and independent by nature. Early socialization is not necessary because it is very friendly.
This breed is not suitable for apartment living conditions because it requires a lot of daily activity to keep it happy and healthy, and it also has a predisposition to bark. The perfect living environment is a securely fenced yard, where it can run and play unrestricted; at the same time, the fence prevents the dog from escaping when a scent is picked up and needs exploring.
In terms of grooming, it requires regular brushing, the hair on its feet needs to be trimmed and its ears need to be cleaned regularly. This is a sturdy breed and it is not predisposed to any inherited diseases.
By adopting an adorable Grand Griffon Vendeen, you will have a friendly, good-natured, gentle, loving and loyal family companion.
