correctbalanceofthe

breedtendstoshiftslightlyasyoureyeadjuststothedog
youarehavingallthefunwith.Youjusthavetobesostrict
withyourself.

“Believeme,Ihavehadplentyofdogsovertheyearsthat

wouldhavewonintheshowringanywhereintheworld
thatareinpethomes,andithasbrokenmyhearttohaveto
dothis,butthisiswhyIammanagingtopresentsomany
puppiesnowofthecorrectshapeandtype.ThenallIneed
isadogthathastheamazingcharacterthatlovestoshow
offandyouhavethewholepackage.”

NickFrostonJudging.ThePetitBassetGriffon

Vendéenisnotadifficultbreedtojudge.Ithasasimple
structureandaparticularlook.Itisabreed,however,where
alittleresearchpaysdividends.Itshistoryanditsfunction
hasagreatdealofbearingonthefinishedproduct.

TheGriffonVendéenfamilyisagroupoffourhounds

withtwoBassetbreeds,theGrandandthePetit.TheGrand
Bassetistheshort-leggedversionoftheGrandGriffon
Vendéen(thelargest,onaparwithanOtterhound)andthe
PetitBassetistheshort-leggedversionoftheBriquetGriffon
Vendeen(thesecondlargest).Eachofthefourisadistinct
breedinitsownright.Thesearenotfourvarietieslike
DachshundsorPoodles.TheEnglishKennelClubdidthe
breedsagreatdisservicewhenitclassifiedthetwoBasset
breedsasBassetGriffonVendéen(Petit)andBassetGriffon

Vendéen(Grand).Itishighlyimportantthatthetwobreeds
keeptheirowndistinctfeatures.

Itisworthnotingthatheightisonlyoneofthefactors

,andthepresenceofGrandandPetittypemaydisregard
height.APetitattheupperendoftheheightlimitmay
demonstrategoodPetittypewhileoneatthelowerend
mightdisplayGrandfeatures.Thismightbeagoodmoment
tocommentonthosedifferencesoftypebetweenthetwo.
TheGrandBassetstandardsaysthateverythingisslightly
stretched.Therefore,theproportionsoftheGrandvs.the
Petitarelongerbacked,longerhead(inparticularforeface),

longereared,longertail.TheGrandhasanoblerbearing
thanthePetit.

Theyalsohaveadifferentoutlookonlife.TheGrandis

morephlegmaticandlaidback.ThePetitislivelierand
moreextroverted.Allthisfollowsoverintothefunctionof
thebreeds.TheGrandhuntsmuchlargergamethanthe
Petit,whichisusedprimarilyforrabbithunting.Herewe
comeintotherealmofhowfunctioncandictatethedetails
ofabreed.ThePBGVmustbestrongandsturdy,yetlithe
enoughtobeabletoturnquickly.Hemusthavegood
runninggear—legsthatareprettystraight(onlyasmall
amountofcrook),goodfeetandwell-laidshoulders.Tobe
abletoturnquickly,hemustbeonlyofmediumlength
withashort,strongloin.Forgoodstamina,hemustbe
well-ribbedwithagoodchestandsternum.Tohuntinthe

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March2014

ISaberTails

Educationcontinuedfrompage29

“Tobeabletoturnquicklyhemustbeonlyof

mediumlengthwithashortstrongloin.

Forgoodstaminahemustbewellribbedwithagoodchestandsternum.”