Griffon Fauve de Bretagne
Griffon Fauve de Bretagne were used in packs for hunting wolves and wild boar, and Francois I was known to keep a pack of Griffon Fauve de Bretagne. With the elimination of wolves in the nineteenth century, they nearly became extinct. In 1949, Marcel Pambrun founded the Club de Fauve de Bretagne to save the remains of the breed that had been kept alive by a few farmers and hunters. Since the 1980s the Griffon Fauve de Bretagne and the derived breed, the Basset Fauve de Bretagne, been successfully restored in numbers and are popular hunting dogs.
The dog breed is a good hunting dog, still used in France to hunt boar, but is also a good family dog. Examples of the Griffon Nivernais have been exported to other countries, where they are promoted as a rare breed for those seeking a unique pet.
The Griffon Fauve de Bretagne is a medium sized dog, 48 to 56 cm (19-22 ins, same for males and females) at the withers, with a distinctive rough (shaggy) pale coat, long drop ears, and a long tail carried up and in a slight curve. The body is short backed. The breed should appear bony and muscular. Colour of the coat can be any shade of fawn from golden to red.
No unusual health problems or claims of extraordinary health have been documented for this breed. The breed's ideal temperament is described in the breed standard as being wily and tenacious as a hunter on all terrains, but sociable and affectionate with people. Temperament of individual dogs may vary.
