Briquet Griffon Vendéen

Overview

The Briquet Griffon Vendéen is the medium-sized member of the four-variety Vendéen Griffon family from western France. Larger than the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen and smaller than the Grand Griffon Vendéen, the Briquet was developed for hunting hare, roe deer, and wild boar in packs across the varied terrain of the Vendée region. Its shaggy weatherproof coat, long muzzle, and cheerful energy make it a working hound of considerable character.

A Briquet is a hunter first and a household dog second, though it fills both roles well when its needs are met. The breed is affectionate, sociable, and vocal, with the classic Vendéen mix of independent thinking and pack cooperation. Outside its French homeland the breed is very rare, and finding one takes patient searching through European hunting registries.

History & origin

The Vendéen Griffons descend from the Grand Griffon of France, an ancient hunting hound that traced back to the White Hound of King Louis and earlier medieval French scent hounds. In the nineteenth century, breeders in the Vendée region on France's Atlantic coast developed four sizes for different quarry and hunting styles: the Grand Griffon Vendéen for large game, the Briquet for medium game, the Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen for hunting on foot after rabbit and hare, and the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen for the smallest terrain.

The Briquet was nearly lost during and after World War Two as hunting activity collapsed and rural French dog breeding was disrupted. Paul Dezamy, a dedicated breeder of the Vendéen family, revived the Briquet in the late 1940s and 1950s by careful crossbreeding with the Grand Griffon Vendéen and rigorous selection back to type. The FCI standard was refined in the 1970s.

The breed is FCI recognized and remains a working hunting hound in France, primarily used by hunters pursuing roe deer and wild boar in packs of four to eight dogs. Numbers outside France are very small, with occasional imports to Britain, North America, and Scandinavia. The AKC has not yet granted full recognition, though the breed is a candidate for Foundation Stock Service listing.

Appearance

A Briquet Griffon Vendéen stands 20 to 22 inches at the shoulder and weighs 48 to 53 pounds. Build is medium and well-balanced, with a slightly longer than tall body, deep chest, well-sprung ribs, and strong legs. The tail is medium length, carried like a saber, and traditionally not docked.

The head is medium length, with a moderate stop, long ears reaching about to the nose tip, and prominent eyebrows that shade the eyes. Eyes are large, dark, and set well apart, giving a friendly intelligent expression. Coat is the breed's crown feature: long, harsh, rough, and shaggy, with a soft dense undercoat, a beard on the muzzle, and long eyebrows. Color options include fawn, hare-colored, badger, black and white, tricolor, and various combinations.

Temperament

The Briquet is friendly, sociable, and cheerful with its household and its pack. Bred for pack hunting, it lives well with other dogs and generally welcomes strangers without suspicion. Expression is bright and communication is expressive through tail wag, body posture, and vocalization.

Prey drive is high. Small animals including cats not raised with the dog and small livestock are frequent targets. Same-sex dog issues are uncommon in the pack-oriented breed. Vocalization is high by breed standards, with the classic French baying voice used continuously on the hunt and enthusiastically at home when the dog spots something interesting. This is not a quiet breed.

Living with one

Briquets suit rural properties and country homes far better than city apartments. The vocal baying, high exercise needs, and pack orientation make apartment life difficult. Fencing must be secure since the breed follows scent through anything less than solid barriers. Off-lead exercise in unfenced areas is a poor idea because of prey drive and independent scent-driven recall.

Exercise needs are heavy. Plan on ninety minutes to two hours of activity daily, ideally including scent work, tracking, or hunting simulation. Long walks alone are inadequate. Hunting sports, drag trails, and free running in secure fields all satisfy the breed. A bored Briquet bays, digs, and finds ways to explore beyond the property line.

Climate tolerance is good. The dense weatherproof coat handles cold rain, snow, and moderate summer heat with ease. In hot humid climates, exercise should shift to early morning and dusk. The breed is not an outdoor-only dog and needs to sleep near its people to feel settled. Vocalization is loud and carries far.

Alone-time tolerance is moderate. Adult Briquets, exercised properly and provided with a canine companion, handle a full workday reasonably well. Single Briquets left long hours often develop vocal or destructive habits since the breed craves company. Two hounds together tolerate alone time far better than a single dog.

Training & exercise

Briquets are smart, food motivated, and independent. They learn commands quickly and comply based on their own assessment of the situation. The classic scent hound training pattern applies: excellent when the dog wants to work, questionable when a scent trail is more interesting.

Positive reinforcement produces the best results. Harsh corrections produce anxious or shutdown behavior since the breed is sensitive to handler mood. Puppy classes with a trainer familiar with hunting hounds help. Recall training on lead is essential but off-lead reliability is often limited for scent-driven working dogs.

Socialization through the first year matters, especially with strangers, unfamiliar dogs, and novel environments. Well-socialized Briquets are friendly outgoing adults comfortable in most settings. The breed's natural work is pack hunting, and enrollment in tracking, drag hunting, or scent sports channels the drive productively.

Grooming & care

The rough shaggy coat requires regular attention. Brush thoroughly two or three times a week with a slicker brush and metal comb, paying attention to the beard, eyebrows, and any longer feathering where mats form. Hand-stripping every three or four months preserves the correct harsh texture and weatherproofing.

Owners who don't hunt can clip the coat instead, though clipping softens the texture and reduces weather resistance. Baths every six to eight weeks are typical. Long ears need weekly checks and cleaning to prevent yeast and bacterial infections. Monthly nail trims and routine dental care round out the schedule.

Health & lifespan

Typical lifespan is 12 to 14 years. Briquets are among the healthier medium-sized hounds and often remain active into their twelfth year.

The most common concerns are ear infections due to the pendulous ear shape, hip dysplasia at low rates, and occasional epilepsy. The breed has not been subject to the intensive show breeding that concentrated hereditary disease in some other breeds, and working selection has kept most inherited conditions at reasonable rates.

Responsible breeders screen hips through OFA or PennHIP, eyes through a certified veterinary ophthalmologist, and thyroid function. Ask for written proof of testing on both parents. The breed's small population and primarily working-dog status means formal health testing is less universal than in show breeds, but reputable French breeders maintain careful pedigrees.

With kids & pets

Briquets raised with children usually enjoy their company and tolerate boisterous handling with patience. The cheerful sociable temperament suits family life well provided the exercise and mental engagement needs are met. Best matched with active rural households rather than sedentary urban families.

First-time owner note

The Briquet Griffon Vendéen is a challenging first breed for the average pet home. The vocal baying, high exercise needs, and pack orientation make it a poor city dog. Best matched with hunting households or active rural families with acreage, a compatible canine companion, and understanding neighbors.

Fun facts

• The four Vendéen Griffon breeds share a common ancestry and can appear together in a single kennel's breeding program.
• The Briquet was nearly extinct after World War Two and was revived by breeder Paul Dezamy in the late 1940s.
• The word Briquet in French hound terminology means a medium-sized pack hound.
• The bearded shaggy coat provides real weather protection during long hunts in the wet Atlantic climate of the Vendée region.

Famous & in culture

• Paul Dezamy's kennel produced the foundation stock that revived the breed after World War Two.
• French hunting packs of the Vendée region continue to work Briquets in traditional roe deer and boar hunts.