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Basset Fauve de Bretagne

sociable / lively / smart
Foundation Stock Service >>

Average sizes and life
expectancy of the breed.

Height

12.5-15.5 inches

Weight

23-39 pounds

Life Expectancy

13-16 years

Breed Traits & Characteristics

Affectionate With Family
  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    60% 60%
How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.
Good With Young Children
  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    100% 100%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.
GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS
  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    100% 100%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    60% 60%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    20% 20%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    20% 20%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    100% 100%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    60% 60%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    20% 20%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    98% 98%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    20% 20%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    80% 80%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    60% 60%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    99% 99%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

Affectionate With Family

  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    60% 60%

How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.

Good With Young Children

  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    100% 100%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.

GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS

  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    100% 100%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    60% 60%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    20% 20%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    20% 20%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    100% 100%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    60% 60%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    20% 20%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    98% 98%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    20% 20%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    80% 80%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    60% 60%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    99% 99%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

About the Breed

The Basset Fauve de Bretagne is a serious hunter who is easily adaptive to all types of games and terrain. He is intelligent, courageous, and determined. It makes a terrific companion dog because it is joyful, intelligent, and eager to please.
The Fawn Colored Brittany Basset, also known as the Basset Fauve de Bretagne, is a small, stocky, rough-coated tough dog that is lively and swift for its size. The Fauve is good with children and other pets. Training and socialization are essential because Fauves can get into mischief. You will know if a rabbit goes through the yard because they will give the dog ‘voice’ and chase it. This breed is equally content romping in the field as he is snuggled up next to you.
What To Expect When Caring For a Basset Fauve de Bretagne

Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.

Health

The Basset Fauve de Bretagne is a relatively healthy dog, and conscientious breeders examine their stock for health conditions such as PRA, epilepsy, cardiomyopathies, skin allergies, and age-related thyroid issues. The availability of a gene test for primary open-angle glaucoma means that breeders may now identify carriers and prevent developing this eye deformity. The vast majority of Fauves are extremely healthy and live to be at least 16 years old. Working with a responsible breeder can help folks who want to own a Fauve learn about the breed's special health concerns. To lessen the likelihood of difficulties with their puppies, good breeders use genetic testing on their breeding canines.
Recommended Health Tests From the National Breed Club:
  • Patella Evaluation
  • Cardiac Exam
  • Ophthalmologist Evaluation

Grooming

The Basset Fauve de Bretagne is almost a 'wash-and-wear' dog, with a coarse, wiry coat that repels dirt and resists matting. Some dogs have more coat than others. Longhaired dogs can be hand-stripped. All require grooming weekly with a fine-toothed comb, followed by a stiff brush. Shedding is seasonal. Nails should be trimmed regularly to avoid overgrowth and splitting. Teeth should be brushed and ears checked regularly.

Exercise

Basset Fauves are active and enjoy playing. Regular walks must be leashed because they can bolt and follow their nose at any time. Exercise and play areas, such as a backyard, should also be enclosed for the same reasons. Indoor activities such as hide-and-seek, chasing a ball tossed across the floor, or teaching them new behaviors can also provide exercise. Training for dog sports such as agility, obedience, and rally can also be a terrific way to exercise your dog.
 

Training

The Basset Fauve de Bretagne is a little scent dog that was initially bred to track rabbits. If the dog is not trained from an early age to tune into his person, the nose will descend to the ground and can dominate the brain. Because of the intellect of this breed, mental stimulation is just as necessary as physical activity.
 

Nutrition

The Basset Fauve de Bretagne should thrive on high-quality dog food, whether purchased commercially or cooked at home with your veterinarian's supervision and approval. Any diet should be tailored to the age of the dog (puppy, adult, or senior). Some dogs are prone to becoming overweight, so keep an eye on your dog's calorie intake and weight level. Treats can be a valuable training aid, but feeding too much can lead to obesity. Discover which human foods are suitable for dogs and which are not. If you have any concerns regarding your dog's weight or diet, consult with your veterinarian. At all times, clean, fresh water should be available.
 

History

The Basset Fauve de Bretagne is a true ancient French hound, dating back to the 1500s when Francois I had a pack of Breton hounds that he hunted on a regular basis. These were Grand Fauve de Bretagne, which are now extinct, although their DNA can still be found in the lines of present rough-coated Griffons and Bassets like the Basset Fauve. The larger Grand Fauve de Bretagne (Fawn Hound of Brittany) was introduced to the French court circa 1520 by Admiral d’Anneboulde. There was a stud dog named Mirraud in Francois I’s pack, and he was heavily used by royalty.
The Basset Fauve de Bretagne is a truly antique French hound, dating back to the 1500s when Francois I hunted with a pack of Breton hounds on a regular basis. These were Grand Fauve de Bretagne, which are now extinct, although their DNA can still be detected in the lineages of current rough-coated Griffons and Basset Fauves. Admiral d’Anneboulde introduced the larger Grand Fauve de Bretagne (Fawn Hound of Brittany) to the French court in 1520. In Francois I’s pack, there was a stud dog named Mirraud who was frequently employed by royalty.
Prior to the French Revolution, only the elite could keep hounds and hunt with them on horseback. Aristocratic privileges were eliminated in 1789, allowing everyone to own and hunt hounds. However, most peasants did not own horses, necessitating a shorter-legged, closer-range hunting companion. As a result, the Basset was created. The origins of the Basset breed are unknown, however, it is possible that the smallest bred to the smallest over a long period of time.

By the 19th century, hound packs were made up exclusively of Bassets to hunt rabbits, hares, foxes, roe deer, and wild boar. Though it was rumored that both the Grands and Bassets nearly became extinct during WWII, it was confirmed by leading French Fauve Expert Mme. F Corbeau of the French Club du Fauve de Bretagne that the breed remained strong in popularity among French huntsmen.

The breed still remains a popular, versatile hunting hound and family dog in France, is gaining popularity in the United States, and has breed clubs in numerous countries.