Basset Fauve de Bretagne - Facts and Information

Appearance
This is a small short legged breed, but also very lively and athletic dog. They are built similarly as the more popular Basset Hound, but they are lighter all through and longer in the leg. The average height is between 32-38 cm, which is 13-15 inches and weight is typically between 25-35 pounds, which is 11-16 kg.

The Basset Fauve de Bretagne has inquisitive look in their dark eyes, ears that hangs down are not excessively long and the tail is medium long.

The typical feature of this breed is the hars and dense wire coat. On the ears, the fur is shorter, darker and finer. You can find this breed in three colors, wheaten, red wheaten and in any shades of fawn.


Temperament
The Basset Fauve de Bretagne is one of the smallest hound, so you should not be surprised that they are great at hunting. On the other hand, they also make excellent companion dogs. When they are on the hunt, they are very brave and courageous, strong willed, obstinate and they can adapt to all terrains. Thanks to that, they truly are very succesfull at hunting.

When they are around its owner and family, they tend to be stable, affectionate and sociable. They do enjoy company of people and they should never be agressive towards any people. They also make great playpartners for kids, but you should always supervise the situation between any dog breed and a very young child.

Important thing to consider when buying or adopting this breed is their higher energy. They truly pack a lot of energy in a small frame and they especially love outdoors. They definitely love longer walks in the nature and they love sniffing. They are also pretty intelligent so mental stimulation like interactive playtime, nosework or regular training sessions is needed to exercise them mentally.

Even though, the Basset Fauve de Bretagne is a smart dog, they are not pushovers to train. It is because they are pretty strong willed and they definitely know how to be stubborn. They need firm and a very patient trainer to become completely obedient.


History
The Basset Fauve de Bretagne is dog breed developed in France and it can trace its history back to 1500s to today already extinct, Grand Fauve de Bretagne. There is also a middle sized relative named Griffon Fauve de Bretagne, which is very rare and which is a direct ancestor of the Basset. All these three breeds share similar temperament and appearance.

Until the French revolution only the royalty and aristocracy were allowed to own hounds, but that changed at the end of 18th century. But the larger hounds were used to hunt next to horse and most common people did not own a horse, which is why the needed smaller hound and thus, the Basset was developed. It is unknown how they were developed, but one theory says that they are direct ancestors of Griffon Fauve de Bretagne and that the smallest dogs of litter were bred together to create the smaller Basset, which was mostly used to hunt rabbits, hare, fox, roe deer and wild boar.


Health and grooming
This is relatively healthy dog breed with average lifespan around 13 years. Just like all the dog breeds, they can suffer from some health issues, like cataracts, corneal ulcer, kidney problems or otitis exema.

The maintenance and grooming is very easy and the Basset Fauve de Bretagne coat are almost wash and wear. The harsh coat does not mat or tangle. They do shed, but it is nothing crazy. If you want to minimize the shedding, weekly brushing is recommended to remove the dead hair. Just like with all dogs, you should regularly check their eyes, ears and nails and clip them or clean them if needed.