GRAND GRIFFON VENDÉEN

GRAND GRIFFON VENDÉEN

FCI-Standard N° 282 / 18. 02. 2000 / GB

TRANSLATION : John Miller and Raymond Triquet.

ORIGIN : France.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 09.01.1999.

UTILIZATION : Scenthound used by hunters with or without guns, of large game, stag, roe-deer, wild boar, fox, generally in a pack or individually as a limer (dog held on a lead and used for picking up a cold trail).

CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 6 Scenthounds, and related breeds.
Section 1.1 Large-sized Hounds.
With working trial.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : Initially only the Grand Vendéen existed. It was a short-haired variety of Vendéen descending from the « Greffier » * or from the so-called « King ’s white hound »*. Neither should we forget mentioning the « griffon fauve de Bretagne » in its origins because the former enters for an important part into the bloodlines of the « Greffier ». The « Chien Gris de St. Louis » and the « Griffon de Bresse » (descendant of Segusian ancestors) brought as well their contribution to the creation of the Grand Griffon.
(* Early 16th century - Translator’s note.)

GENERAL APPEARANCE : A very old breed, French in type, receptive and determined, distinguished in its shapes and gaits. Well proportioned construction, robust without heaviness.

BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT :
Behaviour : Fine nose, has a beautiful voice; assiduous on the track, does not refuse thorny undergrowth, needs large territories.
Temperament : Docile, but wilful and passionate, needs to be kept well in hand.

HEAD

CRANIAL REGION :
Skull : Seen from the front, rather well domed, but not too wide between the leathers.
Stop : Slightly defined.

FACIAL REGION :
Nose : Strong, black except for white and orange coats where a brown nose is tolerated; nostrils well open.
Lips : Pendulous flews covering well the lower jaw and giving the front of the muzzle a square profile; they are well covered with moustaches.
Eyes : Dark colour, large and bright, the eyebrows well pronounced but not covering the eye. The conjunctiva must not be apparent.
Leathers : Typical of a French scenthound, they are supple, narrow and fine, covered with long hair and ending in an elongated oval, well turned inwards; low set below the level of the eye, they must be able to reach beyond the end of the nose.
Muzzle : Of equal length to that of the skull, strong, straight or slightly convex.
Jaws/Teeth : Scissor bite. Incisors set square to the jaws.

NECK : Elegant, without dewlap.

BODY :
Back : Solid, straight or rising very slightly.
Loin : Well muscled.
Chest : Not too wide, quite deep, reaching elbow level.
Ribs : Moderately rounded and long.
Flank : Rather dawn up but well filled.

TAIL : Thick at the base, tapering progressively, set high, carried as sabre tail, but never as a sickle; rather long.

LIMBS

FOREQUARTERS : Powerful.
Shoulder: Long, lean and oblique.
Elbow: Close to the body.
Forearm : Strong bone construction, straight.

HINDQUARTERS : Hip bones solid. Apparent.
Thigh : Long and muscled.
Hock-joint : Broad and well let down; seen from the rear, neither cow-hocked nor bandy-legged; seen in profile angle of hock moderate.

FEET : Not too strong, pads hard, the toes well arched and tight, the nails solid. A good pigmentation of pads and nails is desirable.

GAIT / MOVEMENT : Supple, even, active.

SKIN : Not too fine, supple. Often marbled in the tricolour subjects. No dewlap.

COAT

HAIR : Long without exaggeration, sometimes bushy and harsh (coarse and hard); undercoat dense; the belly and the inside of the thighs must not be bare; eyebrows well pronounced but not covering the eye.

COLOUR : Black with white spotting (white and black). Black with tan markings (black and tan). Black with light tan markings. Fawn with white spotting (white and orange). Fawn with black mantle and white spotting (tricolour). Fawn with black overlay. Pale fawn with black overlay and white spotting. Pale fawn with black overlay. Traditional name : hare colour, wolf colour, badger colour or wild boar colour.

SIZE :
Height at withers : Male from 62 cm to 68 cm.
Female from 60 cm to 65 cm.
With a tolerance of 1 cm more or less.

FAULTS : Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.
Head :
Too short.
Flat skull.
Muzzle short.
Depigmentation of the nose, lips or eyelids.
Pincer bite.
Light eye.
Leathers set high, short, insufficiently turned in or lacking hair.
Body :
Lacking volume.
Appearance too heavy.
Topline not firm enough.
Croup falling away.
Tail : Deviated.
Limbs :
Insufficient bone.
Angulation too straight.
Hocks too close.
Slack in pasterns.
Hair :
Insufficiently dense, fine hair.
Behaviour :
Timid subject.

ELIMINATING FAULTS :
Shyness or aggressiveness.
Lack of type.
Prognathism (overshot or undershot mouth).
Wall eye. Eye of different colours (Heterochromia).
Lack of space in the sternal region; ribs too narrow towards the lower end.
Kinky tail.
Woolly coat.
Self coloured coat black or white.
Important depigmentation.
Size outside the standard.
Noticeable invalidating defect.
Anatomical malformation.

Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.

N.B. : Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.