The Gran Grifón Vendeano is an imposing French hound of large size, hard hair and unruly, born in the Vendée region to hunt wild boar and wolf in rough terrain. Rustic, tireless, and with a prodigious scent, it is the largest and oldest of all the Vendéan griffins. Outside the mountain he reveals himself to be a friendly and sociable companion, but it is good to be clear from the beginning: It’s a working dog with a huge need for exercise, designed for active owners with space.
Is the Great Vendian Gryphon for you?
The Great Vendean Gryphon is not a dog for just anyone. It’s a large hunting dog, with a motor that only shuts off after hours of activity and a sense of smell that pushes it to track as soon as it steps on the street. It fits wonderfully with hunters, runners, hikers, and rural families; it fits fatally with anyone looking for a quiet city dog. Before you fall in love with her ragged face, take an honest look at these pros and cons.
Points in favour
- Sociable, affectionate and very close to his family.
- Excellent with other dogs: it’s a pack dog.
- Rustic, healthy and tough, with good longevity.
- Exceptional sense of smell and endurance for hunting and tracking.
- Fur that doesn’t require a hairdresser, just brushed.
- Balanced and good at home when he spends his energy.
Points to Consider
- Very high need for exercise; no sedentary lifestyle.
- Unsuitable for floors: requires space and fenced garden.
- Independent character; the so-called fixed cost.
- Strong voice and tendency to bark and howl.
- Strong hunting instinct with cats and small animals.
- Long ears that require frequent inspection.
Character and temperament
The Great Vendean Gryphon combines two faces that define almost all French hounds. In the countryside it is passionate, tenacious and courageous, able to chase a piece for hours without giving up, with a strong temperament and even dominant. At home, however, it transforms into a sweet, affectionate and endearing dog, very sociable and attached to its people.
He’s a dog with his own standards. Generations of working in packs, following the trail on their own away from the hunter, have shaped an independent self-deciding character. It’s not free stubbornness: He’s a dog used to solving problems, and that needs to be respected and channeled. With an owner who understands his nature, the Great Vendean Gryphon is a noble, balanced companion of enormous loyalty.
Coexistence: children, other pets, flat and loneliness
With children:‘s gentle nature and patience make it a good companion for families. However, it is a large and very energetic dog, so it is advisable to supervise play with younger children to avoid pushing and teach them to respect their rest times.
With other pets: usually gets along well with other dogs, because it was bred to work in a group. With cats, rabbits or other small animals you have to be careful: its hunting instinct is very strong and can shoot.
Floor and solitude: is not a floor dog. It needs space, preferably a house with a large and well-fenced garden in a rural or semi-rural environment. It also does not take well prolonged solitude: if it is bored, barks, howls and can become destructive. It is a dog for whom you can dedicate time and company.
Education and training
Educating a Great Vendean Gryphon is an exercise in patience and consistency. It is intelligent and learns, but its independence makes it not obey “because it does”. It works with positive reinforcement, short and motivating sessions, and most of all with constancy; harshness and yelling are counterproductive and only get it to shut down.
He needs a firm, calm owner who sets the rules from the time he is a puppy and always keeps them. Early socialization with people, dogs and environments is key to a balanced adult. The big challenge is the called: When this hound picks up a scent, the world disappears and there’s only the trail. That’s why it’s best to work hard on the “here”, use long training sessions and not release it into open areas without control until you have a very solid response.
Exercise and activity
Here’s the key to the breed. The Great Vendean Griffon was bred for whole days of hunting in the open, chasing wild boar and wolf, and that machinery is still intact. It needs a lot of exercise: at least one or two long hours a day of strenuous walking, running and, if possible, sniffing and tracking work that also occupies its mind.
It is an ideal companion for hiking, running, canicross, or any long-term outdoor activity. Without that exhaust valve, it accumulates frustration and problems appear: barking, wrecking and anxiety. With a sporty owner and space to run, however, it becomes a calm and happy dog that rests at your feet when it comes to stopping.
Care: fur and hygiene
His mantle is one of his hallmarks: hard, long, somewhat ragged and plentiful. hair, with marked eyebrows and beard, designed to protect him from weeds and weather. The good thing is that he does not need a hairdresser or complicated cuts; what he asks for is a regular brushing, once or twice a week, to untie knots and remove twigs, spines and mud that get stuck behind the field.
The point that should never be neglected are the ears: long, fallen and covered with hair, they retain moisture and dirt and are the main source of the breed’s problems. Make it a routine to check and clean them frequently to prevent otitis. Complete hygiene with cutting nails when necessary, checking eyes and pads, and bathing only when really dirty.
Foodstuffs
Being a large and very active dog, the Great Vendean Gryphon needs a quality diet adjusted to its enormous energy expenditure, especially if it works or exercises a lot. The ideal is a balanced feed or diet for large and active breeds, divided into two daily intakes instead of one, something recommended in deep-breasted dogs to reduce the risk of gastric torsion.
Adjust rations to your age, weight and actual activity level, and avoid being overweight, which hurts your joints and heart. Always have fresh water available, especially after field days, and don’t feed your pet just before or after intense exercise.
Health and life expectancy
The Great Vendean Griffin is a rustic and generally very healthy breed, the result of centuries of functional selection for work rather than aesthetics.
The most recurrent and almost the only truly characteristic health problem are ear infections s, derived from their long, dropped ears that retain moisture; a periodic checkup largely prevents them. As with any large dog, it is advisable to monitor joints and avoid overweight. With regular veterinary checkups, deworming, daily vaccinations, and an active life, it is a robust, long-lived dog.
Physical appearance
It is the the greatest of the griffins sold us., a large, solid and well-proportioned dog, of rustic and noble appearance.
The coat supports many combinations: white and orange, white and black, black and fire, carbonate leonade, carbonate sandstone or tricolor in all its variants. The ears are long, thin and fallen, and the tail is worn in the shape of a sword. The set is that of a hound made for the mountain, not for the showcase.
Origin and history
The Great Vendean Griffin comes from the French region of Vendée and its history goes back at least to 16th century, making it the oldest of the griffins in this area. It is descended from the old French tracking dogs, through lineages such as the so-called King’s whites(the King’s Whites) and the Lion Griffin of Brittany, from which the Basset Lion of Brittany also descends.
It was the first of the Vendean griffins to establish itself as a breed, and from it derive by selection into smaller sizes the Briquet Grifón Vendeano, Gran Basset Grifón Vendeano and Pequeño Basset Grifón Vendeano. It was traditionally used to hunt larger and more difficult game such as wild boar and wolf, working both alone and in packs. It is recognized by the FCI within Group 6(dogs type hound and trail), with its own French standard. Today it remains primarily a hunting and tracking dog, and a rarity as a companion dog outside France.
Curiosities
- He is the “older brother” of the entire Vendean family: from him descend the Briquet and the two Basset Vendean Gryphon.
- Its name says it all: large(large) for size, gryffon for hard, untidy hair, and they sell for its region of origin, Vendée.
- It was formerly used for hunting wolves, a piece that required brave, hardy dogs with a lot of depth.
- It is related to other famous French griffins such as the Gascony blue griffon and the Nivernais griffon.
- Outside France it is a rare dog, considered almost a jewel for hound connoisseurs.
If you are attracted to this prodigious-smelling French Hound, you may be interested in other tracking and hunting breeds with which it shares airs: the Basset Hound, the legendary Bloodhound for its legendary scent, the versatile Beagle and the elegant Vízsla as a hunting dog.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Great Vendean Griffon
Is the Great Vendean Gryphon a good family dog?
Yes, as long as the family is active and lives in the countryside or in a house with a large plot of land. It is affectionate, sociable and very attached to its own, but needs a lot of exercise and space. It does not fit in a floor or with sedentary owners.
How much exercise do you need a day?
We’re dealing with a large hound bred for full days of hunting in the open, so it requires at least an hour or two of long activity a day: long walks, running, tracking, and sniffing work.
Can you have it on one floor?
Its size, powerful voice, and enormous need to run make it unsuitable for apartment living. Its ideal habitat is a house with a large, well-fenced garden, in a rural or semi-rural setting where it can exercise freely.
Is it easy to educate?
It is intelligent but has a strong and independent character, inherited from the pack dog used to deciding only on the trail. It responds well to positive reinforcement, patience and constancy, but not to harshness. It needs a firm and serene owner who sets the rules from a puppy. The call is its pending subject: as soon as it catches an interesting smell, it tends to follow it.
How long does a great Vendean griffin live?
Its life expectancy is around 12 to 14 years. It is a rustic breed and generally very healthy; the weak point most cited are the long and fallen ears, which retain moisture and should be checked frequently to prevent otitis.
How tall and how much does he weigh?
The males measure between 62 and 68 cm at the withers and the females between 60 and 65 cm, with a small tolerance.
Does your coat need a lot of grooming?
Their hard, long and somewhat untidy coat does not require a hairdresser, but a regular brushing (once or twice a week) to untie knots and remove twigs, mud and dirt after the field.
Do you get along with other dogs and pets?
With cats and small animals you have to be careful, because their very strong hunting instinct can be activated; early socialization and good coexistence from a puppy helps a lot.
