Thorn hedges do not deter this dog. The FCI standard explicitly places that quality alongside a fine nose and a lovely voice in the Grand Griffon Vendéen’s temperament. Initially, says the standard, there was only the large Vendéen; smaller types developed later.
| FCI | Group 6 (Scent hounds and related breeds), Section 1.1 Large-sized hounds, Standard No. 282, with working trial |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | France |
| Size (height at the withers) | males 62 to 68 cm, females 60 to 65 cm, tolerance 1 cm above or below |
| Weight | not specified in the FCI standard |
| Life expectancy | no reliable study figure found (N/A) |
| Coat | long but not excessive, sometimes bushy and rough (coarse and harsh), abundant undercoat; belly and inner thighs not bare |
| Colours in the standard | white-black, black-red, black with sandy markings, white-orange, tricolour, fawn or sandy with black overlay, also with white spotting (hare, wolf, badger or wild-boar colour); solid black or white disqualifying |
Chancellor’s dogs and the King’s Whites
The Great Vendéen was originally short-haired. According to the standard, it descended from Chancellor’s Dogs, named after their founder, a royal chancellor, or from the King’s White Dogs. Much ancestry came from the Griffon Fauve de Bretagne, alongside Gris de Saint-Louis and Griffons de Bresse. Smaller regional relatives include the Briquet Griffon Vendéen and Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen.
Built for deer and wild boar
The standard describes use in shooting, sometimes mounted pursuit, for deer, roe deer, wild boar and fox, usually in packs, sometimes singly as a tracker. Accordingly, the dog is powerful without heaviness, with deep chest and long, muscular thighs. Thin, long-haired ears curl inwards and extend beyond the nose. Definitive FCI recognition came in 1969.
Obedient but independent-minded
The standard describes responsiveness and determination, obedience but also wilfulness and passion, requiring good handling and extensive terrain. In everyday terms, the dog listens while no trail is more interesting. Consistent, kind training and great recall patience are needed; harshness achieves nothing with such a mind.
Beard, eyebrows and burrs
Harsh hair and dense undercoat resist thorns and wet but collect burrs and leaves. Thorough weekly brushing and checks of beard and feet after woodland usually suffice. Eyebrows should be pronounced without obscuring eyes. Check inside the long ears regularly.
What is known about health
Almost nothing breed-specific. McMillan and colleagues’ lifespan analysis does not include it; the analysed Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen group includes the Grand Basset, but not this breed. We found no breed-disease studies. One standard requirement matters: conjunctiva must not be visible, so hanging eyelids are not desired.
A home with hunting grounds
Best with hunters, preferably experienced with packs, or highly active rural people with time for hours of scent work. Anyone seeking a large, calm family dog for city life will struggle. Above all, this passionate bearded hunter needs terrain where the nose can work.
The breed quiz establishes whether a large pack hound suits your life; our book “Which Dog REALLY Suits You?” (book in German) explores it in detail. For the start of puppyhood, there is the free Puppy Starter Pack. A shaggy beard and tricolour coat look good on a magazine-cover canvas or as a downloadable digital artwork.
Further reading
- Weimaraner: the beautiful hunting dog who never clocks off
- Autumn shedding in dogs and cats: what is normal and when it is not
- Puppy biting: teaching bite inhibition without spoiling the fun
Sources, accessed on 20.10.2026: FCI Standard No. 282 Grand Griffon Vendéen (Großer Griffon Vendéen) (fci.be, German version dated 15.10.1999, English version dated 18.02.2000, valid original standard dated 09.01.1999, original language French) and FCI breed page No. 282; McMillan KM et al., Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death, Scientific Reports 2024 (breed not listed).
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