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The Basset Fauve de Bretagne is a short-legged hunting
breed A breed is a specific group of domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist several slig ...
of dog of the
scent hound Franz Rudolf Frisching in the uniform of an officer of the Bernese Huntsmen Corps with his Berner Laufhund, painted by Jean Preudhomme in 1785 Scent hounds (or scenthounds) are a Dog type, type of hound that primarily hunts by scent rather than ...
type, originally from
Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...
, a historical duchy of France.


Description


Appearance

The Basset Fauve de Bretagne is a smallish hound, built along the same lines as the
Basset Hound The Basset Hound is a short-legged breed of dog in the hound family. The Basset is a scent hound that was originally bred for the purpose of hunting hare. Their sense of smell and ability to ''ground-scent'' is second only to the Bloodhound.Har ...
, but lighter all through and longer in the leg. Wire-coated, the coat is very harsh to the touch, dense, red-wheaten or fawn. They measure 32 – 38 cm in height and weigh between 36 - 40 lbs but due to the historically controversial practice of registering mixed litters of Griffon and Basset Fauves, sometimes a litter of bassets will produce dogs with long legs. They have coarse, dense fur which may require stripping. Although their coat repels dirt and does not mat easily, they still require weekly combing and brushing. The hair on the ears is shorter, finer and darker than that on the coat. The ears just reach the end of the nose rather than trailing on the ground and should be pleated. They should have dark eyes and nose and ideally no crook on the front legs. The French standard says these are the shortest backed of all the basset breeds so they generally do not appear as exaggerated as the British Basset.


Temperament


Health


Mortality

Based on a small sample size of 15 deceased dogs, Basset Fauve de Bretagnes in the 2004 UK Kennel Club survey had a median longevity of 10.4 years (maximum 13.9 years),http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/570 Kennel Club/British Small Animal Veterinary Association Scientific Committee. 2004. Purebred Dog Health Survey. Retrieved July 5, 2007 which is a typical median longevity for purebred dogs, but a little low compared to other breeds of similar size. Most common causes of death were road traffic accidents, cancer, heart failure, and kidney failure. The high incidence of road traffic accidents may be perhaps blamed on this dog's love of the scent. Many pet Basset Fauves go AWOL when they find a scent, and this character trait is something an owner must never forget. Basset Fauves can be trained very well in a controlled environment, but training is rapidly forgotten once a fresh rabbit trail is found.


Morbidity

Among 84 live dogs in the 2004 UKC survey, the most common health issues noted by owners were reproductive, aural (otitis media and otitis externa), and ocular ( corneal ulcers and
cataracts A cataract is a cloudy area in the lens of the eye that leads to a decrease in vision. Cataracts often develop slowly and can affect one or both eyes. Symptoms may include faded colors, blurry or double vision, halos around light, trouble w ...
).


History

The breed was developed in France as a hunting dog from the larger
Grand Fauve de Bretagne The Grand Fauve de Bretagne was a breed of scenthound from Brittany used to hunt wolves and wild boar. The Grand Fauve de Bretagne were large rough-coated hounds, their coats were short, dense and harsh, and they were a uniform pale golden-brown ...
, a breed that is now extinct. There was a rumour that the Basset Fauve de Bretagne was also close to extinction after the Second World War, and the breed was recreated using the remaining examples of the breed and crossing in standard wirehaired Dachshunds. However, the French club denies this, and says that Basset Fauve numbers were never so low. The middle-sized breed, the
Griffon Fauve de Bretagne The Griffon Fauve de Bretagne (''English: Fawn Brittany Griffon'') is a breed of dog of the scenthound type, originating in France in the region of Brittany. Appearance The Griffon Fauve de Bretagne is a medium-sized dog, 48 to 56 cm (1 ...
, also still exists, but it is certainly rarer than the Basset Fauve. The breed in the UK is mainly seen as a show dog and family pet, finally coming off the Kennel Club's rare breed register in 2007. It can also be found in other parts of Europe where it is used to
scent trail An odor (American English) or odour (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences) is caused by one or more volatilized chemical compounds that are generally found in low concentrations that humans and animals can perceive via their sense ...
and also as a family pet. They are loving, happy, outgoing dogs and are good with children, but it must be remembered that they are scenthounds and do retain their love of the hunt, so they may not suit every family. In the UK the breed has no hereditary faults; however, epilepsy has been identified in some breeding lines in France and other parts of Europe. Some Basset Fauves are born with black in the coat; this may or may not go with maturity. It is less common to see them with white patches, but when they do occur, it is generally confined to the chest and top of the head. However, even though the black ticking and white patches are not accepted colours, of course it does not interfere with their hunting ability, which is their prime job, and so these coloured Basset Fauves are still seen and occur fairly often in litters. The correct colour for a Basset Fauve is anything from fawn to red, but it should be solid with darker shaded ears.


See also

* Dogs portal *
List of dog breeds This list of dog breeds includes both Neontology#Extant taxa versus extinct taxa, extant and extinct dog breeds, Designer breed, varieties, landraces, and dog types. A research article on genomics, dog genomics published in Science/AAAS defines m ...
*
Basset Hound The Basset Hound is a short-legged breed of dog in the hound family. The Basset is a scent hound that was originally bred for the purpose of hunting hare. Their sense of smell and ability to ''ground-scent'' is second only to the Bloodhound.Har ...
*
Basset Bleu de Gascogne The Basset Bleu de Gascogne (), also known as the Blue Gascony Basset, is a long-backed, short legged breed of dog of the hound type. A French native breed, it is rare outside its homeland. It is recognized internationally by the Fédération Cy ...
*
Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen The Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen or GBGV is a dog breed from France. History The Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen is derived from the Grand Griffon. The first selections were made at the end of the 19th century by the Comte d'Elva who was loo ...
*
Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen The Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen (), or PBGV, is a breed of dog of the scent hound type, bred to trail hares in bramble-filled terrain of the Vendée district of France. The breed is known in the United States as "Petit" or "PBGV," in Engl ...
*
Basset Artésien Normand The Basset Artésien Normand (''Norman Artesian Basset'') is a short legged hound type dog developed in France. The word ''basset'' refers to short-legged hounds. History The Basset Artésien Normand and the more familiar Basset Hound share a ...
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Griffon Fauve de Bretagne The Griffon Fauve de Bretagne (''English: Fawn Brittany Griffon'') is a breed of dog of the scenthound type, originating in France in the region of Brittany. Appearance The Griffon Fauve de Bretagne is a medium-sized dog, 48 to 56 cm (1 ...
*
Coat (dog) The coat of the domestic dog refers to the hair that covers its body. Dogs demonstrate a wide range of coat colors, patterns, textures, and lengths. As with other mammals, a dog's fur has many uses, including thermoregulation and protection f ...
*
Rare breed (dog) A dog breed is a particular strain of dog that was purposefully bred by humans to perform specific tasks, such as herding, hunting, and guarding. Dogs are the most variable mammal on Earth, with artificial selection producing around 450 globally ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Basset Fauve De Bretagne FCI breeds Rare dog breeds Scent hounds Dog breeds originating in France