At a glance the quick version
Coat and looks how to spot one
long, harsh with dense undercoat
A well-built, sturdy but not heavy hound with a fairly long, rough outer coat over a thick undercoat. Strong eyebrows and a moustache give it the typical griffon face.13
Personality what they are like
Gentle and cooperative by nature but full of passion once it finds a scent. It has an excellent nose and a fine voice, and it does best with a confident handler who keeps it well guided.13
Daily activity how busy a day looks
High: a pack hound for large game that is used to long days in the field, so it needs plenty of daily exercise.13
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Brush the rough coat regularly to clear burrs and loose undercoat, and keep the beard tidy.1
Home where they are happiest
Suited to country homes with room to roam and an active owner.1
Company who they like around
Works in packs as well as alone, so it generally enjoys the company of other dogs.13
The story where it all began
An old French breed that grew out of the short-coated Grand Vendéen, itself linked to the 'Greffier' and the king's white hounds of the 1500s. Crosses with other rough-coated hounds, such as the Griffon Fauve de Bretagne and Griffon de Bresse, produced the Grand Griffon Vendéen.132
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
It was the first of the Vendée griffons, and the smaller Briquet and Basset Griffon Vendéens were bred down from it.2
- 2
It hunts stag, roe deer, wild boar and fox, either in a pack or on its own.1
- 3
Like other Vendée hounds, its colours can carry old country names such as hare, wolf, badger and wild boar.3
Recognised by the official bits
- FCI
- Standard No. 282, Group 6 (Scent hounds); current standard dated 18 Feb 20001
- UKC
- Recognised 1 Jan 1996, Scenthound Group3
- Société Centrale Canine
- National breed standard (France)2
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Grand Griffon Vendéen. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- Brushingevery week
- Bathevery 8 weeks
- Hand strippingHand stripping keeps the harsh texture; clipping also worksevery 12 weeks
- Nail trimSooner if you hear clicking on the floorevery month
- Ear checkFloppy ears trap moisture, so check and dry themevery week
- Teeth brushingDaily brushing is idealevery 2 days
- ExerciseDaily walks and playevery day
- Flea, tick and worm protectionSchedule as your vet recommendsas your vet recommends
- Vet check-upSenior years usually start around age 7every year
You might also like
Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen
Briquet Griffon Vendéen
Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen
Griffon Nivernais
Griffon Fauve de BretagneLike what we are building? Buy us a coffee.
The breed atlas is free for everyone, with a source on every fact, and it will never show ads. If it helped you, a small tip keeps the research going. Any amount is lovely, and no is a perfectly fine answer too.
Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- FCI-Standard N° 282 fci.beused for history, size, coat, colours, temperament, use
- Wikipedia: Grand Griffon Vendéen en.wikipedia.orgused for other names, history, related breeds
- UKC Grand Griffon Vendeen ukcdogs.comused for recognition, size, coat, colours
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.