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UK Kennel Club Breed Standards
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The following important statement precedes
each UK Kennel Club breed standard:
A breed standard is the guideline which describes the ideal characteristics, temperament and appearance of a breed and ensures that the breed is fit for function. Absolute soundness is essential. Breeders and judges should at all times be careful to avoid obvious conditions or exaggerations which would be detrimental in any way to the health, welfare or soundness of this breed. From time to time certain conditions or exaggerations may be considered to have the potential to affect dogs in some breeds adversely, and judges and breeders are requested to refer to the Kennel Club website for details of any such current issues. If a feature or quality is desirable it should only be present in the right measure.
A breed standard is the guideline which describes the ideal characteristics, temperament and appearance of a breed and ensures that the breed is fit for function. Absolute soundness is essential. Breeders and judges should at all times be careful to avoid obvious conditions or exaggerations which would be detrimental in any way to the health, welfare or soundness of this breed. From time to time certain conditions or exaggerations may be considered to have the potential to affect dogs in some breeds adversely, and judges and breeders are requested to refer to the Kennel Club website for details of any such current issues. If a feature or quality is desirable it should only be present in the right measure.
Basset Griffon Vendéen (Grand)
General Appearance - Well-balanced, medium height, rough coated hound. Slightly longer
than height at withers, with straight forelegs. A friendly and intelligent looking hound with
noble bearing.
Characteristics - A strong, active and courageous hound, possessing great stamina, with a good voice freely used.
Temperament - Happy and outgoing. Independent and a little stubborn, not easily agitated, yet willing to please with firm handling.
Head and Skull - A noble head, carried proudly. Skull domed, without heaviness, elongated and not too wide. Well cut away under the eyes. Occipital bone well developed. Stop clearly defined. Muzzle square at its extremity, noticeably longer than from stop to occiput. Bridge of nose slightly roman. Nose protruding, well developed with wide open nostrils. Solid colour. Black except in white/lemon, white/orange coats where brown is tolerated. Lips well developed, just covering the lower jaw and giving the front of the muzzle a square shape. Well covered with long hair, forming good beard and moustache.
Eyes - Large, dark and oval, showing no white, with a friendly, intelligent expression. Haw not visible. Long eyebrows, standing forward but not obscuring eyes.
Ears Supple, narrow and fine, covered with long hair, folding inwards ending in an oval shape; reaching to just beyond the tip of the nose; set on low, not above the line of the eye.
Mouth - Jaws strong with perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
Neck - Long and strong, set into well-laid shoulders; thicker at the base; without dewlap.
Forequarters - Shoulders clean and well laid back; elbows close to the body, never turning out. Forelegs straight, thick and well boned. Pasterns strong and slightly sloping. Knuckling over is unacceptable.
Body - Back of good length, without exaggeration, with level topline. Slight rise over solid, well-muscled loin. Prominent forechest, brisket broad and deep. Ribs moderately rounded, well let down to elbow and extending well back. Flanks rather deep, belly never tucked up.
Hindquarters - Well boned, strong and muscular with moderate bend of stifle. Heavily muscled thighs with well defined second thigh. Hocks turning neither in nor out.
Feet - Large and tight padded. Pads firm and solid. Nails strong and short.
Tail - Rather long. Set on high, thick at the base, tapering gradually, well furnished with hair, carried proudly sabre-like or slightly curved but never too far over the back or bent at the tip.
Gait/Movement - Free with great drive. Front action straight and reaching well forward; hind action easy and elastic, hocks turning neither in nor out.
Coat - Rough, of moderate length, with a flat structure, never silky or woolly, fringing not too abundant; thick undercoat. The coat may be tidied, but over-trimming or stylising should be penalised.
Colour - White, with any combination of lemon, orange, sable, grizzle or black markings. Tricolour.
Size - Height at withers: dogs 40-44 cms (15¾ -17½ ins); bitches 39-43 cms (15½ -17 ins). A tolerance of 1cm ( (3/8 in) more or less is permissible.
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 and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.
Note - Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
Last Updated - October 2009 : Re-produced by kind permission of the Kennel Club
Characteristics - A strong, active and courageous hound, possessing great stamina, with a good voice freely used.
Temperament - Happy and outgoing. Independent and a little stubborn, not easily agitated, yet willing to please with firm handling.
Head and Skull - A noble head, carried proudly. Skull domed, without heaviness, elongated and not too wide. Well cut away under the eyes. Occipital bone well developed. Stop clearly defined. Muzzle square at its extremity, noticeably longer than from stop to occiput. Bridge of nose slightly roman. Nose protruding, well developed with wide open nostrils. Solid colour. Black except in white/lemon, white/orange coats where brown is tolerated. Lips well developed, just covering the lower jaw and giving the front of the muzzle a square shape. Well covered with long hair, forming good beard and moustache.
Eyes - Large, dark and oval, showing no white, with a friendly, intelligent expression. Haw not visible. Long eyebrows, standing forward but not obscuring eyes.
Ears Supple, narrow and fine, covered with long hair, folding inwards ending in an oval shape; reaching to just beyond the tip of the nose; set on low, not above the line of the eye.
Mouth - Jaws strong with perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
Neck - Long and strong, set into well-laid shoulders; thicker at the base; without dewlap.
Forequarters - Shoulders clean and well laid back; elbows close to the body, never turning out. Forelegs straight, thick and well boned. Pasterns strong and slightly sloping. Knuckling over is unacceptable.
Body - Back of good length, without exaggeration, with level topline. Slight rise over solid, well-muscled loin. Prominent forechest, brisket broad and deep. Ribs moderately rounded, well let down to elbow and extending well back. Flanks rather deep, belly never tucked up.
Hindquarters - Well boned, strong and muscular with moderate bend of stifle. Heavily muscled thighs with well defined second thigh. Hocks turning neither in nor out.
Feet - Large and tight padded. Pads firm and solid. Nails strong and short.
Tail - Rather long. Set on high, thick at the base, tapering gradually, well furnished with hair, carried proudly sabre-like or slightly curved but never too far over the back or bent at the tip.
Gait/Movement - Free with great drive. Front action straight and reaching well forward; hind action easy and elastic, hocks turning neither in nor out.
Coat - Rough, of moderate length, with a flat structure, never silky or woolly, fringing not too abundant; thick undercoat. The coat may be tidied, but over-trimming or stylising should be penalised.
Colour - White, with any combination of lemon, orange, sable, grizzle or black markings. Tricolour.
Size - Height at withers: dogs 40-44 cms (15¾ -17½ ins); bitches 39-43 cms (15½ -17 ins). A tolerance of 1cm ( (3/8 in) more or less is permissible.
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 and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.
Note - Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
Last Updated - October 2009 : Re-produced by kind permission of the Kennel Club
Basset Griffon Vendéen (Petit)
General Appearance - Well balanced, short legged, rough coated, compact hound. Alert
outlook and lively bearing.
Characteristics - A strong, active hound capable of a day’s hunting, with a good voice purposefully used.
Temperament - Happy, extrovert, independent, yet willing to please.
Head and Skull - Head carried proudly. Skull of moderate length, slightly domed, not too wide, oval when viewed from above. Well cut away under eyes. Occiput moderately well developed. Stop clearly defined. Muzzle square, length from nose to stop slightly less than from stop to occiput. Underjaw strong and well developed. Nose black, large and prominent, with wide nostrils. Lips covered with long hair forming beard and moustache.
Eyes - Large, dark and oval, showing no white, with a friendly, intelligent expression. Haw not visible. Long eyebrow hair standing forward, but not obscuring eyes.
Ears - Supple, narrow and fine, covered with long hair, folding inwards, ending in an oval shape. Not reaching beyond the tip of the nose. Set on low, just below the line of the eye.
Mouth - Jaws strong with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
Neck - Long and strong, thicker at the base, well set into shoulders; without dewlap.
Forequarters - Shoulders clean and well laid back. Upper arm approximately equal in length to the shoulder. Elbows close to body. Forearms straight when viewed from the front and well boned in proportion to size. Pasterns strong and slightly sloping. Knuckling over is unacceptable.
Body - Back of medium length. Length of body measured from point of shoulder to point of buttock exceeds height at withers at a ratio of approximately 7:5. Chest deep with prominent sternum. Ribs moderately rounded, well let down to elbow and extending well back. Level topline. Strong, short, well muscled loins. Croup well muscled and of good width.
Hindquarters - Strong and muscular with good bend of stifle. Well defined second thigh. Hocks well let down and turning neither in nor out.
Feet - Hard, tight padded, not too long. Nails strong and short.
Tail - Of medium length, reaching no further than the hock when lowered. Set on high, thick at the base, tapering gradually, well furnished with hair. Carried proudly, sabre-like when moving.
Gait/Movement - Free at all paces, with good drive. Front action straight and reaching well forward; hocks turning neither in nor out.
Coat - Rough, not too long and without exaggeration; harsh to the touch, with thick undercoat, never silky or woolly. For show purposes the coat may be tidied, but a natural appearance must be retained. Trimming or stylising should be penalised.
Colour - White with any combination of lemon, orange, sable, grizzle or black markings. Tricolour.
Size - Height at withers 34-38 cms (13 ½ - 15 ins). A tolerance of 1cm (3/8 in) more or less is permissible.
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 and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and on its ability to fulfil its original purpose.
Note - Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
Last Updated - January 2011 : Re-produced by kind permission of the Kennel Club
Characteristics - A strong, active hound capable of a day’s hunting, with a good voice purposefully used.
Temperament - Happy, extrovert, independent, yet willing to please.
Head and Skull - Head carried proudly. Skull of moderate length, slightly domed, not too wide, oval when viewed from above. Well cut away under eyes. Occiput moderately well developed. Stop clearly defined. Muzzle square, length from nose to stop slightly less than from stop to occiput. Underjaw strong and well developed. Nose black, large and prominent, with wide nostrils. Lips covered with long hair forming beard and moustache.
Eyes - Large, dark and oval, showing no white, with a friendly, intelligent expression. Haw not visible. Long eyebrow hair standing forward, but not obscuring eyes.
Ears - Supple, narrow and fine, covered with long hair, folding inwards, ending in an oval shape. Not reaching beyond the tip of the nose. Set on low, just below the line of the eye.
Mouth - Jaws strong with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
Neck - Long and strong, thicker at the base, well set into shoulders; without dewlap.
Forequarters - Shoulders clean and well laid back. Upper arm approximately equal in length to the shoulder. Elbows close to body. Forearms straight when viewed from the front and well boned in proportion to size. Pasterns strong and slightly sloping. Knuckling over is unacceptable.
Body - Back of medium length. Length of body measured from point of shoulder to point of buttock exceeds height at withers at a ratio of approximately 7:5. Chest deep with prominent sternum. Ribs moderately rounded, well let down to elbow and extending well back. Level topline. Strong, short, well muscled loins. Croup well muscled and of good width.
Hindquarters - Strong and muscular with good bend of stifle. Well defined second thigh. Hocks well let down and turning neither in nor out.
Feet - Hard, tight padded, not too long. Nails strong and short.
Tail - Of medium length, reaching no further than the hock when lowered. Set on high, thick at the base, tapering gradually, well furnished with hair. Carried proudly, sabre-like when moving.
Gait/Movement - Free at all paces, with good drive. Front action straight and reaching well forward; hocks turning neither in nor out.
Coat - Rough, not too long and without exaggeration; harsh to the touch, with thick undercoat, never silky or woolly. For show purposes the coat may be tidied, but a natural appearance must be retained. Trimming or stylising should be penalised.
Colour - White with any combination of lemon, orange, sable, grizzle or black markings. Tricolour.
Size - Height at withers 34-38 cms (13 ½ - 15 ins). A tolerance of 1cm (3/8 in) more or less is permissible.
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 and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and on its ability to fulfil its original purpose.
Note - Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
Last Updated - January 2011 : Re-produced by kind permission of the Kennel Club
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Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen
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