What is a GBGV is a question we hear all the time! We are a rare breed, so naturally people are curious, and neither GBGV nor Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen are easy things to remember! I know it took Mom a while to get it straight. I posted some facts about our breed a few years ago, but I think it is time for an update!
What is a GBGV? Some fun facts!
What’s in a name?
Our breed name is actually quite telling and is a perfect description of who we are! Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen means Grand for size, Basset because of our short legs, Griffon describes our fur type, and Vendéen is the area of France where we originally came from. Originally, the PBGB and GBGV were one in the same until humans realized they could benefit from having two distinct sizes for hunting. In the 1970’s, the two breeds were created with their main differences being size, and the GBGV being larger has a longer muzzle, tail and back.
The GBGV is new to the USA!
The first GBGV set paw on land in the USA in 1990, coming in from the Netherlands. In 1994, the first litter of Grands was born in the USA. It hasn’t been that long since you almost always had to get puppies from outside the USA as there were so few litters here. I am from England myself, but my sisters are USA born. Right now there are around 350 GBGV’s in the USA and as of January 1, 2018, we will be a fully accepted AKC breed. Start looking for us in the AKC dog shows! It is not easy to become accepted by the AKC. It takes numbers, titles, clubs and more.
What is the purpose of a GBGV?
We are French Scent Hounds. Tracking or other scent work is what we are born and bred to do. Our noses help hunters track down animals from hare up to deer. Originally, we were used by poor people who could not afford horses to go hunting. GBGV’s are definite pack hounds and we love to hear ourselves.
If you follow me on social media you may have already seen/heard our short video of our own little pack of three singing loudly and proudly! Apartment living with a GBGV might be a bit rough as we are not fans of being quiet. Even in our own house, Mom sometimes hears us howling inside the house from a block away! Once we start, it is very hard to get us to quit!
A GBGV may change color!
Often times the color we are as puppies fades away starting at about six months of age. This was me at ten weeks old, with black ears and dark brown on my face. Now as you know, my ears are tan and the tan on my face is light. Bailie faded out as well. Mom wanted a pup who stayed dark, and Madison is that puppy. It is hard to predict if a puppy will stay dark or not, but the breeder felt Madison would stay darker and her mom is also dark.
A GBGV is a goofy and lovable hound!
Most of all, the GBGV is a happy hound. We are pretty snuggly, and we love to have fun! Sometimes as we get older we mature a bit but the goofy side still slips out now and then. As youngsters we are super wild and rowdy!
A GBGV is not the dog for everyone!
While we are adorable and lots of fun, we are not the dog for everyone. What is a GBGV deep down inside? We are independent thinkers. Obedience is not our strong suit. Often we have boundless energy, but we also make excellent couch potatoes. Because of our love of tracking critters, we are normally only on leash or off leash in fenced areas as once we catch a scent we are gone. If you have patience, we make excellent companions and we are super at keeping people laughing and smiling.
Always great to leRn. Ore about the breed.
Thank you. We like to help others learn more about us since there is not a lot of information out there.
the gbgv became a little rare here, the people are more with your smaller cousins… I think that is sad, because the gbgv is a feast for the eyes, we specially love the longer legs ;o) it’s great that you will be accepted by akc and next year I want to see a gbgv on the podium at westminster…
I doubt a GBGV will make the podium at Westminster as they seem to always choose the more common breeds but we are satisfied just being recognized as a full breed.
That was great to learn all that. I had no idea your breed wasn’t AKC recognized. I guess I just though all dogs were. LOL
The AKC doesn’t just add breeds, it is a long complicated process that takes years and years and years. Canada doesn’t recognize the GBGV at all, but they do the PBGV.
Love all you girls! Have a question–why is Madison still so much smaller than you two?
Me, Emma, I’m the perfect specimen for the breed. Bailie is 3 inches or so too tall but lots of litters have pups that turn out too tall. Madison is just under the minimum height standard. She may just be a short girl, even though her parents are taller. Mom doesn’t show us, so that is not important. Being a girl, staying dark and being good at sports matters to us for Madison and she fits that perfectly. We have a S, M, and L exemplar of our breed, LOL!
we love the S, M, & L comment!! MOL!
It’s true 🙂
OK….now to convince Luke there is not a pack of dogs outside our window. LOL! I love the howling. Luke and Cricket will howl if they get left behind when I go for a run or for a walk with just one of them (so I don’t do that much). Beagles are the only hound dog I’ve had, but I love them and we’re used to the things we have to deal with, so I would certainly consider getting a GBGV one day. However, we’d probably have to travel to find one, I doubt there are any breeders near us.
Actually there is one breeder and maybe two on the east coast. Howling is something to adjust to!
You totally summed me up – except I am the smaller PETIT version! I do have to admit I am not much of a hunter or scent hound. Maybe my nose is broken? XOXO Sparkle
I’m not much for tracking but my sisters are huge into tracking. I think it is a personality thing.
Y’all really are special, not to mention a good looking bunch. We sure enjoyed learning more about you and the sing a long was fun!
Our cats run and hide when we start singing!
I love to learn about my sweetie! Maybe you can coax me into a howl.
I can’t believe you don’t howl! Even my sister Katie would howl now and then!
I would never know that obedience wasn’t your strong suit because you all seem extremely obedient to me!
Bailie and Madison have done a lot more with obedience than I have, but we are still not real obedient. We like to do it when we feel like it.
Those are great facts, Emma! The people our folks got Rosy think her black furs may fade too!
xoxo,
Rosy, Arty & Jakey
We will have to keep a close eye on her to see if she changes before our eyes!
Loving singing ! (I have a beagle)
Then you do know the value of good song!
Always pawsome to learn more about different breeds.
Brinley’s momma wuz involved wif the Basset Hound Club of America and one of the breeders she knew also had PBGVs – momma remembers them from when she wuz a lil girl so she recognized y’all right away as a “bigger version” of those when she found your blog.
We do look quite similar. Mom has only seen two PBGV’s in the furs, but there are many more of them out there than GBGV’s.
Your description is clearer than the one on the AKC website. After BJ died I was searching for a GBGV all of the web. There were none available. I was going to wait a while for another dog, but I missed having a dog so much I went to adoption events and adopted Duncan. After reading your profile I was better off not having a GBGV. I live in an apartment and my neighbors would not appreciate their singing.
Emma, I love reading about your antics and you winning ribbons.
Thank you for being a good friend! One GBGV is a lot easier to keep quite than multiples because we always spread out and when you quiet one, the next starts, and it is impossible for one human to quiet us all. If someone really worked at it, maybe we would be quiet, but it would require a lot of training and Mom says it is okay if we want to sing now and then.
That is a fabulous description! And your photos are amazing!!!!! I wish that everyone would research their breed so well before they decide to get a dog. I actually don’t think that Labs are for everyone… but that’s another story 🙂 Thanks for a fun and informative post!
We feel so many Labs are in the wrong homes. Everyone gets them for the kids, but they are such smart, high energy dogs many become destructive out of frustration. We have a Lab cousin who gets to do basically nothing and we always feel bad for her as she has nothing because she destroys everything out of boredom. A Lab is not a dog to decorate the couch with.
The three part harmony was priceless.
🙂
This was great, congrats on your breed becoming AKC recognized
We don’t want to become real well known or popular, but recognized will be really nice.
LOVE the video! I love the way you girls have singalongs!! Shadow will occasionally howl in the house; but I prefer that she save her singing for outside. We have a very small house and the pitch of her howling hurts my ears when it reverberates.
My mom doesn’t appreciate our beautiful voices indoors either, but we spread out so she can’t stop us!
This was fascinating – it was great to learn more about your breed!
It’s hard to find a lot of info on us since we are so rare, so now and then I like to let out some of our secrets.
I absolutely love this post! What a great resource for the GBGV community! I didn’t realize how new GBGV’s are to the US and even cooler that they are AKC!!! Are you going to get your papers?
We are all AKC registered because you have to start in different AKC levels for years before achieving full status.
I love learning about different traits with different breeds, and I’m glad you put this out there. People should definitely do breed research when looking for a pet, because not every breed is right for everyone.
We are most upset with families thinking they need a lab because they are good with kids. It is true, but if you can’t give a Lab enough exercise and things to do, it will chew up stuff. This happens so often. Mom loves Newfs and other huge dogs but won’t have them because she knows they won’t be able to do the things she wants her dogs to do. One needs to know what a dog can and can’t do and what they need.