Hounds

Basset Fauve De Bretagne – Hound

Basset Fauve De Bretagne – Hound

Basset Fauve De Bretagne – Hound

Basset Fauve de Bretagne

Image: Paul Steven/Shutterstock.com

Name Basset Fauve De Bretagne
Size Medium
Grooming Moderate
Training Medium
Exercise Daily / 60 minutes of Exercise
Origins France

 

The Basset Fauve De Bretagne (or Basset Hound Nombre Deux)

 

Basset Fauve de Bretagne

Image: Paul Steven/Shutterstock.com

Behold, the second of five different types of Basset Hound!

Quick Overview

Name:                                                                  Basset Fauve De Bretagne

Size:                                                                       13-15 inches at the shoulder

Weight:                                                                Around 10kg

Grooming:                                                          rough, short coat with infrequent grooming needs

Training:                                                               Mid difficulty – scent hounds will always follow a scent

Exercise:                                                              2 hours daily

Temperament:                                                 funny, friendly, great companion dogs

Origins:                                                                 Brittany, France

Lifespan:                                                              Up to 15 years

Breed Type:                                                        HOUND (hunting dog)

 

A little Basset Fauve De Bretagne History

The Basset Fauve de Bretagne breed is a hardy little dog that was descended from the Grand Fauve do Bretagne. The Grand was a larger version of the Basset, having been considered extinct since the 19th century. They were an unruly breed that were exceptionally difficult to train and were bred for hunting prowess. Similarly to other Basset hounds, the Fauve de Bretagne was a result of breeding these large hunting dogs down to a shorter leg size. They did this when horses became less popular for hunting with and was replaced by the lone huntsman going on foot.

Nevertheless, the smaller version of the Grand soon became less hunting dog, more family pet. This is particularly true of the ones that crossed the seas to Britain and America. It is thought that they were initially made shorter by breeding the grand with the Great Blue Heron, Dachshunds, and later the Griffon Fauve de Bretagne. These crosses would have served to do quite a lot of things. One would be to give them the shorter legs, yes, but as a side effect their coats got wirier, which meant they needed less grooming. Their temperament also improved, making them a better pet than the Grand could ever have been.

Nowadays you can find fawn-to-red coloured Basset Fauve de Bretagne all over Europe. Up until 2007 they were on the rare breed list, but they have made a comeback. You can find them in the UK kennel club, the American Kennel Club, and other clubs across the globe. You can also join the Basset Fauve de Bretagne club and become an exclusive member of the owner’s association.

Fun Basset FDB Facts

There are fun facts about every breed we review here at Five Minutes Spare. Here are some of our favourite bits we love about the Basset Fauve de Bretagne:

  • There is a conspiracy here! The legend is that this breed was almost extinct around WWII. However, numbers were bolstered by breeding them with the Griffon Fauve de Bretagne… The French say this is nonsense, that there was never a problem, and that we should all forget about it and move on. Hmmm.
  • Some Basset Fauve de Bretagne pups are born with black or white coats. They will often grow out of this by adulthood. Records indicate white is much rarer than black.
  • This breed was brought to the UK in 1983 where the Brits swiftly adopted them not as hunting dogs, but as companions. That’s how friendly they are. They won over we stiff-backed Brits almost overnight…
  • When a BFDB is nervous, uncertain, or scared, they will often turn their ears out the way to signify this. It makes them easy to read, especially when combined with their giant expressive eyes. Bless.

The Basset Fauve de Bretagne is a great French breed with a big heart and a massive following. We put it down to the puppy-dog eyes, but it could equally be the tootsie-wootsies or their furry snoots.

How do you Train a Basset Fauve De Bretagne?

You will need obedience classes for most dogs you adopt but with a scent hound it’s imperative. They are likely to catch a scent and run with it, and the only way to stop them once instinct takes over is with exceptional recall… which still might not be enough, depending on the dog. Early socialisation is also important to stop them being grumpy or yappy. The Basset Fauve de Bretagne was typically kept in pairs by hunters, so if you socialise them well it won’t be impossible to keep them alongside a different breed of dog.

How do you Groom one?

This member of the Basset hound family is easy to groom and comes with a wiry tough coat. This means you do the minimal in terms of brushing or grooming. You will need to do their teeth at least once a week, and keep those claws trimmed or get in plenty of pavement walks. The dew claw will need cut if they have one, but not all dogs do.

Do They Need Lots of Exercise?

They are a small to medium sized breed, but they were bred to hunt. Small breeds will get away with minimal exercise, but hunting breeds need more. Balance this out with one long walk and a half hour play in the evenings and you should tire them out.

Are Basset Fauve de Bretagne Dogs Healthy?

These are an extremely healthy, hardy little breed. Their reasonable newness as a species has meant they haven’t had time to develop any full-scale problems yet. A survey of owners found that across 84 dogs the chief concerns were with the ears and eyes. This is astonishing considering some of the health concerns of other dogs currently popular.

Where Can I Buy My New Puppy?

You should always try to get a new dog from a rescue shelter. No dog will ever love you as much as one that knows what life is like without you. That being said, specific breeds can be found from registered breeders lists, owned by the kennel club in your country. Using puppy breeders off these lists is a risk since they may be farmers. Any puppy farming activity should be reported to the RSPCA, SSPCA, or relevant prosecuting animal charity in your country.

Got Five Minutes?

If you find you have five minutes free and you enjoyed our article, drop us a follow on Facebook or check out some of our other articles. We have dogs aplenty here at Five Minutes Spare and we aim to keep ‘em coming. Pop along and join us and never be short of some break-time reading, ever again!

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