Dog breed profile

Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen

Petit Basset Griffon Vendeens rate 4 of 5 for affection with family, 5 with young children and 4 for energy on the AKC breed scale. Shedding is low and trainability is moderate.

KidsEnergySheddingTrainability

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Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen dog
Photo: Nathan150, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

Temperament and care ratings

The American Kennel Club rates every breed from 1 to 5 on the traits below. They describe how the breed tends to be, not a promise about one dog.

Affection with family4/5Independent to Lovey-Dovey
Good with young children5/5Not Recommended to Good With Children
Good with other dogs5/5Not Recommended to Good With Other Dogs
Openness to strangers4/5Reserved to Everyone Is My Best Friend
Playfulness4/5Only When You Want To Play to Non-Stop
Energy level4/5Couch Potato to High Energy
Trainability3/5Self-Willed to Eager to Please
Mental stimulation needs4/5Happy to Lounge to Needs a Job or Activity
Adaptability4/5Lives For Routine to Highly Adaptable
Watchdog / protective4/5What's Mine Is Yours to Vigilant
Barking5/5Only To Alert to Very Vocal
Shedding2/5No Shedding to Hair Everywhere
Coat grooming2/5Monthly to Daily
Drooling2/5Less Likely to Drool to Always Have a Towel

Coat: Rough coat, long.

A Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen suits

  • A family with young children (rated 5 of 5 with kids)
  • A home that changes often, or apartment life (adaptability 4 of 5)
  • Runners, hikers and active households (energy 4 of 5)
  • People who hate dog hair on the sofa (shedding 2 of 5)
  • Anyone who wants a natural watchdog (protective nature 4 of 5)

Think twice if

  • You can't offer daily training or puzzle games (mental stimulation needs 4 of 5)
  • You share walls with neighbors: barking is 5 of 5

What the ratings mean day to day

An energy score of 4 and mental stimulation needs of 4 mean plenty of daily exercise plus training games or puzzle feeders. With barking at 5 of 5 and a watchdog score of 4, expect a vocal dog that announces visitors. Grooming at 2 of 5 means an occasional brush.

Popularity

In 2020 it ranked 164.

Breeds with a similar profile

Closest matches across all 14 trait ratings:

Compare: Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen vs Harrier · Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen vs English Foxhound · Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen vs Finnish Spitz

Frequently asked questions

Are Petit Basset Griffon Vendeens good with kids?

The AKC rates the Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen 5 out of 5 for being good with young children. That is the top score.

Do Petit Basset Griffon Vendeens shed a lot?

Shedding is rated 2 out of 5 (low), and coat grooming 2 out of 5.

Are Petit Basset Griffon Vendeens easy to train?

Trainability is rated 3 out of 5 and mental stimulation needs 4 out of 5.

How much energy does a Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen have?

Energy is rated 4 out of 5 and playfulness 4 out of 5.

Ratings: American Kennel Club breed pages, compiled February 2022 (AKC Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen page). 2025 ranking: AKC, published August 2026. How we check.

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