Breed profile · Hound Group · the small French hound with the tousled coat

Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen

The Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen is France’s small, rough-coated scent hound: a low-slung, sturdy pack hunter, 13 to 15 inches at the shoulder and 25 to 40 pounds, white with lemon, orange, black, sable, tricolor, or grizzle markings, with long ears, a tousled harsh coat, a beard and moustache, and a bold, happy, extroverted nature — a rabbit hound from the Vendée that won Best in Show at Westminster in 2023.

Do you have a photo of a Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen in the American show ring? We’d love this page to lead with one. If you have a show photo you’d let us use, email it to [email protected] — tell us the dog’s name and the show, and it may be featured here. Please only send photos you took yourself or have the photographer’s permission to share, and tell us the photographer’s name. We couldn’t find a public photo of a Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen in the American show ring that we were free to share, so the photo leading this page was made with AI. We’d much rather lead with a real one — if you’re a club member with an approved photo, we’d love to feature it.

1. Breed at a glance

Size, coat, color, and temperament facts are from the AKC standard (approved April 22, 2014; effective July 1, 2014). Weight (25 to 40 pounds) and lifespan (14 to 16 years) are the breed’s commonly published figures (AKC Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen breed page; ShowSight, Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen).

2. History

The Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen is a French breed, one of four rough-coated Griffon Vendéen hounds, developed to hunt small game — rabbit and hare — through the rough, bramble-filled terrain of the Vendée region on France’s west coast. The breed traces its origins to the sixteenth century and the larger Griffon Vendéen. The Club du Basset Griffon Vendéen was formed in France in 1907, and its first president, Paul Dezamy, wrote the first standard for the Griffon Vendéen basset types — one standard covering both the Petit and the Grand. The Petit got its own standard in the 1950s, though interbreeding between the two sizes continued until the FCI prohibited it in 1975. (Sources: VetStreet, Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen; Furry Critter, Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen.)

In the United States the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen Club of America was formed in November 1984, at the AKC Centennial Show in Philadelphia, by eleven founders. The AKC recognized the breed on December 1, 1990 — its 130th breed — and the breed became eligible to compete at AKC-licensed shows in 1991. (Sources: Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen Club of America; AKC, Breeds by Year Recognized.)

The breed’s modern profile rose sharply in 2023, when CH Soletrader Buddy Holly won Best in Show at the 147th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on May 9, 2023 — the first PBGV ever to win Best in Show at Westminster. Judge Elizabeth “Beth” Sweigart chose the six-year-old male from seven group finalists at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York. Buddy Holly was bred by Gavin and Sara Robertson and owned by Janice Hayes, Lizzie Cadmore, Cathy Oneill, and Donna Moore, and handled by Janice Hayes. (Source: AKC, PBGV “Buddy Holly” Takes Home Westminster Best in Show.)

3. The standard and why it’s written that way

• A bold hunter, compact and tousled — nothing exaggerated. The standard opens with the whole dog: “The Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen is a French scent hound developed first and foremost to hunt small game over the rough and difficult terrain of the Vendéen region. To function efficiently, he must be equipped with certain characteristics. He is bold and vivacious in character; compact, tough and robust in construction. He has an alert outlook, lively bearing and a good voice freely and purposefully used.” And the warning that governs the rest of the standard: “Important to breed type is the compact, casual, rather tousled appearance, with no feature exaggerated and his parts in balance.” (Source: AKC standard.)
• Small, low, and longer than tall — with a hard height limit. “PBGVs measure between 13 and 15 inches at the withers. Height over 15 inches is a disqualification. Height under 13 inches is a disqualification at one year of age or older.” In profile, “the body is somewhat longer than tall when measured from point of shoulder to buttocks, as compared to the height from withers to ground,” with strong bone and substance in proportion to the overall dog. The leg from elbow to ground should be slightly more than half the height at the withers. (Source: AKC standard.)
• The head: long eyebrows, beard, moustache, and ears to the nose. “The head is carried proudly and, in size, must be in balance with the overall dog. It is longer than its width in a ratio of approximately two to one.” The eyes are large and dark, somewhat oval, showing no white, surmounted by long eyebrows standing forward but not obscuring the eyes. The ears are supple, narrow, and fine, covered with long hair, folding inward and ending in an oval shape — the leathers reach almost to the end of the nose — and set on low, below the line of the eyes. The lips are covered by long hair forming a beard and moustache, and the nose is black and large, with wide nostrils. The bite is preferably scissors; a level bite is acceptable. (Source: AKC standard.)
• Coat — rough, harsh, tousled, and never sculpted. “The coat is rough, long without exaggeration and harsh to the touch, with a thick shorter undercoat. It is never silky or woolly. … The overall appearance is casual and tousled.” And the rule that makes the breed: “The rough, unrefined outline and tousled appearance of this rustic hunting hound is essential. Any sculpting, clipping, scissoring or shaping of the coat is contrary to PBGV breed type. The PBGV coat should be clean, neatened as necessary, but always remain casually disarrayed.” (Source: AKC standard.)
• Color — white with markings, for visibility in the field. “White with any combination of lemon, orange, black, sable, tricolor or grizzle markings, providing easy visibility in the field.” (Source: AKC standard.)
• Gait, tail, and temperament, in the standard’s own words. Gait: “The movement should be free at all speeds. Front action is straight and reaching well forward. Going away, the hind legs are parallel and have great drive. … Gives the appearance of an active hound, capable of a full day’s hunting.” The tail is of medium length, set on high, strong at the base and tapering regularly, well furnished with hair, with but a slight curve, “carried proudly like the blade of a saber; normally pointing at about two o’clock.” Temperament: “Confident, happy, extroverted, independent yet willing to please, never timid nor aggressive.” (Source: AKC standard.)

4. Temperament & living with one

The AKC sums the breed up in a sentence: the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen is “a vivacious small French hunting hound known for a happy demeanor and durable constitution. Bred to work in a pack, PBGVs enjoy company and do well with other dogs and kids.” The standard’s temperament line says the same thing in breeder’s language: “Confident, happy, extroverted, independent yet willing to please, never timid nor aggressive” — and the general appearance adds “a good voice freely and purposefully used.” That is the pack hound in a pet’s life: a dog bred to hunt rabbits with other dogs all day, happy in company, bold and busy, and loud about it. (Sources: AKC Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen breed page; AKC standard.)

What that means in practice is a cheerful, sturdy companion that needs daily exercise and play, a fenced yard, and a job to do — even if the job is only a long walk, a game, and a scent-work class. The hunting instinct is real: a dog bred to follow a rabbit trail through brambles notices scents and small fast-moving things, and the independence that made it a good pack hound makes it a dog that trains best with patience and positive reinforcement, not with harsh corrections. It is stubborn, it is vocal, and it should not be trusted off-leash. It is also a rare breed — and it has stayed rare — so expect a wait for a puppy, and expect the people who have them to be serious about where their puppies go.

5. Grooming

• The tousled look is the point — never clip or sculpt it. The standard is explicit: “Any sculpting, clipping, scissoring or shaping of the coat is contrary to PBGV breed type. The PBGV coat should be clean, neatened as necessary, but always remain casually disarrayed.” A clipped PBGV loses the harsh, wiry texture the standard calls for, so a pet clip is a trade: easier upkeep, a softer coat, and a dog that no longer looks quite like the standard’s picture. (Source: AKC standard.)
• Brush two or three times a week. The rough, harsh double coat sheds little but mats without maintenance, so brush two or three times a week, paying attention to the leg and beard furnishings, the long ears, and the hair behind the ears, and have it hand-stripped or tidied every few months to keep the wiry texture and the characteristic tousled shape. Keep the beard clean and dry, and keep the large, dark eyes clear of hair and discharge. (Sources: Furry Critter, Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen; AKC standard.)
• Occasional hand-stripping, not clipping. The coat is harsh and rough when it is not clipped, and occasional hand-stripping — pulling the dead outer coat by hand or with a stripping tool — keeps that harsh texture and the tousled outline. Clipping softens the coat and changes its character, which is why the standard forbids shaping it. (Sources: Furry Critter, Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen; AKC standard.)

6. Health testing

• Three tests for a CHIC number. For a CHIC number, the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen needs three tests: an OFA hip evaluation, an annual eye examination by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist (CAER), and a DNA test for Primary Open Angle Glaucoma (POAG). The AKC’s Hound Group page lists the parent club’s recommended tests as the ophthalmologist evaluation and the POAG DNA test, and the CHIC program adds the hip evaluation. The parent club also recommends OFA knee and thyroid evaluations. Breeders must agree to have all test results, positive or negative, published in the CHIC database. (Sources: AKC Hound Group Health Testing Requirements; BreedTracker, Breeding Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen; VetStreet, Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen.)
• POAG: the breed’s one confirmed inherited disorder. Primary Open Angle Glaucoma is an autosomal recessive condition, and a DNA test identifies clear, carrier, and affected dogs, so breeders can avoid producing affected puppies. The test is a one-time cheek swab, and it is the most specific health screening the breed has. Ask for the parents’ CHIC numbers and look the results up in the OFA database yourself, rather than taking a breeder’s word for it. (Sources: BreedTracker, Breeding Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen; Furry Critter, Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen.)
• The watch list: hips, elbows, knees, thyroid, eyes, and seizures. Health problems seen in the breed include hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, patellar luxation, hypothyroidism, and eye problems such as corneal dystrophy, retinal dysplasia, and persistent pupillary membranes. The club’s Health and Rescue Foundation funds epilepsy research, and Dr. Karen Muñana gave an epilepsy seminar at the 2026 national specialty. None of this is a reason not to own a PBGV. All of it is a reason to buy from a breeder who tests. (Sources: VetStreet, Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen; PBGVCA Brags & Wags, March/April 2026.)
• Lifespan: 14 to 16 years. The commonly published lifespan is 14 to 16 years. (Source: ShowSight, Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen.)

7. The annual Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen specialty dog show

A specialty is the breed’s All-Star show — its Super Bowl. Once a year, the best Petit Basset Griffon Vendéens from across the country, and often from around the world, come together in one place.

The Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen Club of America’s national specialty: a three-day week at one site, with a regional specialty, the two-day national conformation specialty, sweepstakes, junior showmanship, obedience, rally, agility, scent work, a Top 20, and a national hunt test around it. The 2026 week: April 2–4, at the Crowne Plaza Resort in Asheville, North Carolina, with 60 entries and 56 competitors in the Saturday national. The 2025 week: March 20–22, at the Y.O. Ranch Hotel in Kerrville, Texas, with 72 entries and 62 competitors in the Saturday national.

The standard, in brief: a small, sturdy, low-slung French scent hound, 13 to 15 inches, white with lemon, orange, black, sable, tricolor, or grizzle markings, with the rough, tousled coat, the long eyebrows, beard, and moustache, and the tail carried like a saber — and the confident, happy, extroverted carriage.

The 2026 National Specialty — a two-day conformation specialty, Friday, April 3 and Saturday, April 4, 2026, at the Crowne Plaza Resort, 1 Resort Dr., Asheville, North Carolina, closing a three-day week that opened with the parent club’s regional specialty on Thursday, April 2. Saturday’s national entry: 60 entries and 56 competitors. Entries opened Wednesday, February 11, and closed Wednesday, March 11, 2026. Event Chair: Tiffany Cannon. Show Secretary: Cheryl Cazier. The week around the conformation specialty included obedience, rally, agility, scent work, a Top 20 celebration, and a national hunt test in Cleveland, North Carolina, plus an epilepsy seminar by Dr. Karen Muñana for the club’s Health and Rescue Foundation. (Sources: AKC event search, event 2026452612; 2026 National and Regional Specialties premium list; PBGVCA Brags & Wags, March/April 2026.)

National specialty judges: Paula Nykiel — conformation and 4 to 6 month puppy, both days. Patricia Clark — Junior Showmanship and Puppy & Veteran Sweepstakes. Donna Eddins — obedience and rally. (Source: 2026 National and Regional Specialties premium list.)

Results (club newsletter report of the national, April 4). Best in Show at the national specialty: GCHB CH M&M’s Stellar Mayhem and Madness, “Hemi”. Best of Opposite Sex: MBISS GCHB Stellar With Love From California BCAT, “Ellie”. Winners Dog: Westwind Talus Dances With Wabbits, “Kevin”. Winners Bitch and Best of Winners: Stellar Dublin Down on Badness, “Baddie”, from the Bred By Puppy class. Reserve Winners Bitch and Best Puppy: Talus Cj Autumn Serenade on Five Mile, “Autumn”. Best Veteran and Award of Merit: GCHG CH CJ’s Oh Happy Day On Five Mile, “Jolly”. Best Veteran in Sweepstakes, at both the national and the regional: GCHS Tetu’s Mister Homer, “Homer”, at 14 years old. Select Dog: Can GCH/AM CH Mirepoix Totaly Hitched, “Quest”. Awards of Merit: GCH CH Storm’N Hounds Poise’N Ivy, “Ivy”, and GCHB CH Storm’N Hounds Centerstage Fancy Debut, “Fancy”. Best Junior Handler: Rylie Johnson. (Sources: PBGVCA Brags & Wags, March/April 2026; AKC event search, event 2026452612.)

The 2027 National Specialty: a one-day show, Saturday, February 20, 2027, at Purina Farms, 500 William Danforth Way, Gray Summit, Missouri, inside a national specialty week running February 15–23, 2027. Show Chair: Patti Bateman. Show Secretary: Cheryl Cazier. The week also holds the National Hunt Test, February 21–23, at the Eastern Missouri Beagle Club in Troy, Missouri. The catalog advertising deadline is January 27, 2027. Judges, entries, and the closing date had not been published as of November 7, 2026. (Sources: AKC Upcoming National Specialties; PBGVCA Brags & Wags, August/September 2026; PBGVCA, 2027 National Specialty updates.)

Past national specialties: 2025

2027 PBGVCA National Specialty — Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen Club of America

8. Regional specialties through the year: smaller regional shows

The national is the anchor, but the breed’s year also runs through regional specialties — smaller regional shows, not the national — held by the parent club itself and by the Mid New Jersey Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen Association. These are the 2027 regionals verified from club sources so far:

No regional specialties announced yet for 2027.

Past regional specialties: 2026 · 2025

More regional specialties will be added here as their programs are verified — this section is built from show data, not guesswork. Browse upcoming show weekends →

9. Clubs

• Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen Club of America (parent club) — the AKC parent club for the breed in the United States. It was formed at the AKC Centennial Show in Philadelphia in November 1984 by eleven founders, and its purposes include encouraging quality breeding, protecting the breed’s interests, and conducting AKC-sanctioned events. It runs the national specialty, held in Kerrville, Texas in 2025, in Asheville, North Carolina in 2026, and scheduled for Purina Farms in Gray Summit, Missouri in 2027. President Tiffany Cannon (2026). (Sources: Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen Club of America; 2026 National and Regional Specialties premium list.)
• Regional specialty clubs: the Mid New Jersey association. The Mid New Jersey Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen Association holds its own specialty show — in 2026, on Thursday, September 3, at North Branch Park in Bridgewater, New Jersey, with the Central New Jersey Hound Association’s Hound Group Show (see section 8). The parent club also holds its own regional specialty each year as the opener of the national week. (Source: Central New Jersey Hound Association premium list.)

If you are new to the breed, the national specialty itself is the better first stop than a breeder’s website: the people there have owned, shown, and worked PBGVs, and they will tell you the truth about the energy, the independence, the voice, and the grooming before you fall for a puppy.

10. Rescue

• Start with PBGV Rescue. PBGV Rescue is the rescue committee of the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen Club of America, and it exists to facilitate the rescue, rehabilitation, and placement in a forever home of purebred PBGVs whose circumstances make such action necessary. It is run by a chairperson (also the Eastern Representative), Sandy Bustin, and a Western Representative, Susannah Cooper, and it operates on the principle of confidentiality. (Sources: Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen Club of America, PBGV Rescue; AKC Rescue Network, P breeds.)
• What adoption means here. The club’s adoption agreement makes the terms plain: the dog is adopted as a house pet, not for breeding or medical or experimental purposes; the adopter microchips the dog immediately and sends the club written proof; and if the adopter can no longer keep the dog, they notify the club’s Rescue Committee to arrange readoption. The club makes no guarantee about the dog’s pedigree or AKC registrability. (Source: Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen Club of America, PBGV Rescue.)
• The Health and Rescue Foundation. The club’s Health and Rescue Foundation of PBGVCA funds health research — including epilepsy research, the subject of a seminar by Dr. Karen Muñana at the 2026 national specialty — alongside the rescue work. (Sources: Health and Rescue Foundation of PBGVCA; PBGVCA Brags & Wags, March/April 2026.)
• Adults and seniors. An adult or senior PBGV can be a wonderful companion, often already housetrained and past the puppy stage, and ready to bond with a new family. Rescue groups publish available dogs on their sites and run an application-based adoption process, matching the dog’s temperament and needs to the household. If you bought your PBGV from a responsible breeder, contact the breeder first — most responsible breeders include a take-back clause in their contracts and want to know if the dog needs help.

11. Breeder vs. rescue: honest guidance

• If you buy: start with the parent club, the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen Club of America, and its breeder resources. Ask for the parents’ CHIC numbers — hips, eyes, and the POAG DNA test — and look the results up in the OFA database yourself. Expect to wait for a puppy from a careful breeder: this is a rare breed, and a good breeder will have the answers, will ask you as many questions as you ask them, and will take the puppy back for its whole life if you cannot keep it.
• If you rescue: a rescued PBGV is usually an adult, often one whose owner underestimated the energy, the independence, the voice, and the grooming a small hound with a big opinion brings into a house, and it will arrive with its temperament and coat visible before you commit. What you get in return is a dog whose character you can see before you commit and a lower price. Either way, be honest with yourself first: a PBGV needs daily exercise and play, a fenced yard, consistent training, and an owner who finds a small hound with a stubborn streak and a loud voice charming rather than exasperating. It is not a dog for a household that wants a quiet, decorative lapdog.
• No miniature variety — and the Grand is a different breed. The standard names one size only, 13 to 15 inches, with height outside that range a disqualification. The Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen is a separate breed with its own standard (15¾ to 17½ inches), not a large variety of the Petit, and there is no miniature PBGV. A breeder selling a “mini” PBGV at a premium is selling you a label.

12. Claim this page

Sources

• AKC Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen breed page — akc.org/dog-breeds/petit-basset-griffon-vendeen
• AKC Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen breed standard (approved April 22, 2014; effective July 1, 2014), via the parent club — pbgv.org/standard
• Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen Club of America — pbgv.org
• AKC, Breeds by Year Recognized (PBGV recognized 1990) — akc.org/press-center/articles-resources/facts-and-stats/breeds-year-recognized
• AKC Hound Group Health Testing Requirements — akc.org/breeder-programs/breed-health-testing-requirements/hound-group-health-testing-requirements
• AKC Upcoming National Specialties — apps.akc.org/apps/events/conformation/national_specialties.cfm
• 2026 National Specialty, AKC event search, event 2026452612 (Saturday national) — apps.akc.org/apps/events/search/index_results.cfm
• 2026 National and Regional Specialties premium list — 2026 PBGVCA premium list
• PBGVCA Brags & Wags, March/April 2026 (2026 national results) — Brags & Wags, March/April 2026
• 2025 National Specialty, AKC event search, event 2025452614 (Saturday national) — apps.akc.org/apps/events/search/index_results.cfm
• 2025 National and Regional Specialties premium list — 2025 PBGVCA premium list
• PBGVCA Brags & Wags, August/September 2026 (2027 national week) — Brags & Wags, August/September 2026
• PBGVCA, 2027 National Specialty updates — mailchi.mp/pbgv 2027 national updates
• AKC, PBGV “Buddy Holly” Takes Home Westminster Best in Show (2023) — akc.org/expert-advice/sports/2023-westminster-bis-pbgv
• VetStreet, Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen (history, health) — vetstreet.com/dogs/petit-basset-griffon-vendeen
• ShowSight, Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen (height, weight, lifespan) — showsightmagazine.com/dog-breeds/petit-basset-griffon-vendeen
• BreedTracker, Breeding Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen (CHIC tests, POAG) — breedtracker.com/breeds/hound/petit-basset-griffon-vendeen
• Furry Critter, Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen (history, grooming, POAG) — furrycritter.com/pages/descriptions/dogs/p/petit_basset_griffon_vendeen
• PBGV Rescue, Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen Club of America — pbgv.org/pbgv-rescue
• Health and Rescue Foundation of PBGVCA — pbgvfoundation.org
• AKC Rescue Network, P breeds — akc.org/akc-rescue-network/rescue-network-p-breeds
• Central New Jersey Hound Association premium list (Mid New Jersey PBGV specialty, September 3, 2026) — IWADV.org 2026 premium list