General information about the dog, the first attempts at breeding them, selection of Basset Fauves de Bretagne and external factors, popularization, restoration of the variety and its recognition. The Basset Fauve de Bretagne or Basset Fauve de Bretagne is a small hound shaped in the same way as the Basset Hound, but lighter and with longer limbs. Also, these dogs have a different coat. It is wiry, dense and very hard to the touch, wheaten red or fawn in color. The animal has 32-38 centimeters in height at the withers and weighs from 16 to 18 kilograms.
Due to the old and now illegal practice of registering mixed litters of Griffins and Basset Fauves de Bretagne, sometimes long-legged individuals more similar to the Griffin appear among their offspring.
The hair on the ears is shorter, thinner and darker than on the body. The ears, when pulled, reach the end of the nose. In length they do not reach the ground. The ear cartilage should be wrinkled. Dogs have dark eyes and a black nose, and ideally do not have dewclaws on their forelimbs. The French standard says they are the shortest of all Basset species, but this does not look as exaggerated as the British Basset.
Basset Fauve de Bretagne is a neat looking hound, and without exaggeration, very lively and friendly. As a dog with a great scent, it often relies on olfactory receptors. Also, the Bassett Fauves de Brittany is quite fast, and it is not difficult for him to catch up with any rabbit on the trail of which he attacks. In areas where the species is still used for hunting, Bassets are trained to work alone or in pairs.
Their cheerful disposition won favor. Animals have made friends and admirers among people from many countries. Overall, this is a very healthy dog and does not appear to suffer from any specific inherited defects. However, like all hounds, they have an independent mindset and early training from puppyhood will give great results. You should never expect unquestioning obedience from a dog, as it has its own agenda for most of the time, although it can be quite cooperative.
These pets are pretty easy to care for. This is not a difficult task for the owner, although many prefer to take them to a professional groomer. A fun and compact breed, the Basset Fauve de Bretagne has parameters that can make it a pet friendly city apartment, although they have great demands for significant exercise. The dogs enjoy being taken out of town, out into the fields or into forest areas.
The origin and application of the ancestors of the Basset Fauves de Bretagne
The beginning of the emergence of representatives of the variety leads to the need for the use of such dogs in hunting. During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, hunting with dogs became a popular sport among the European nobility. Eventually, hunting activities became very important and stylized entertainment. They included certain ritual actions.
The hunt was just as important as the social events, as it was a great pastime, a kind of relaxation. Noble people from all corners and regions gathered in order to hunt. This group activity cultivated strong bonds of trust and friendship among the nobles, and was often a source of personal and political commonwealth. Many important social, family and political issues were discussed during the hunt. Hunting with dogs (which included bassets) was especially popularized in French soil. The French have created a kind of cultural hunting center.
The history of the selection of the progenitors of Basset Fauves de Bretagne and their distribution
Initially, in breeding among beagle dogs, there was relatively little standardization. Despite this, selective breeding undoubtedly took place, but it was not organized and largely depended on the working capacity or personal preferences of the owners. Canines from different regions of France were quite different among themselves. These dogs were not a separate breed, now we would call them yard dogs. However, as the prestige and importance of hunting increased too much, packs of hound dogs began to be bred more carefully and deliberately.
The first written record of an organized breeding program in Europe originates from the monastery of Saint-Hubert near Mouzon. Sometime between 750 and 900, the monks of Saint Hubert, who was considered the patron saint of canines and hunting, began a systematic breeding program that eventually led to the emergence of the Hubert Hound. By the 1200s, the monastery had introduced an annual offering of several pairs of its hounds to the king of France. After that, the French monarch distributed dogs to his nobles as gifts.
Eventually, the Dogs of Saint Hubert spread widely throughout France and Great Britain, where the breed became known as the Bloodhound. Many pros and simple breeders, inspired by these dogs, often used the breed as a base stock in general packs. Hunters in France began to adopt more complete breeding programs, and the original landrace dogs gradually became what we now call the breed.
Landrace is a term applied to domestic, locally adapted, traditional varieties of animal or plant species that have evolved over time by adapting to the natural and cultural characteristics of agriculture and pastoralism, a particular area, due to isolation from other populations species. Landrace usually differ from species and from breeds in a standardized sense, and tend to be approximately hereditarily similar, but differ more than individuals of a standardized or official breed. Certain standardized animal species have arisen from the desire to make them more resilient. In this case, the Landrace can be seen as a "stage" in the development of the breed.
Breeding Basset Fauves de Bretagne and external factors that influenced it
By the 1200s, many different regions of France had their own unique dog breeds. A breed known as the Grand Fauve de Bretagne developed in Brittany. These animals became famous for their hunting abilities and deer coat colors. Also, a closely related breed known as the Griffon Fauve de Bretagne was developed, which was significantly smaller than the Grand Fauve de Bretagne. It is not clear which variety was original if both originated from a single base stock.
The Fauve de Bretagnes are known to have been some of the most popular hunting breeds in France from the 1400s to their peak in the 1800s. Fauves de Bretagne was originally tasked with hunting wolves - an activity in which they proved to be excellent. Eventually, the Fauve de Bretagne and other breeds such as the Grand Bleu de Gascogne drove the wolf into virtual extinction in France. In part, this has resulted in the disappearance of the livestock, the Greater Fauves de Bretagne. However, the Griffin Fauves de Bretagne switched to another beast, such as deer and boar, and remains present in France to this day.
Traditionally, the wire-coated French Hound breeds were known as the Griffons. There have been many different griffons throughout history. The original stock of dogs from which the Griffons are descended is something of a mystery. This mystery is unlikely to be solved because the existence of griffon breeds predates almost any record of dog breeding. Many hobbyists believe that the Griffons are primarily descended from Canis Segusius, a hunting dog belonging to the pre-Roman Gauls. This breed is said to have had a hairline as tough as wire.
Other theories say the Griffons evolved from random mutations of local French hunting dogs of the Middle Ages. There are also versions that suggest that these dogs are descendants of "foreign" breeds imported to France, such as the Spinone Italiano. Whatever their origin, the griffons were well known in France by the end of the Middle Ages. In particular, they were most popularized in Niverne, Venda and Brittany.
At some point, French hunters began to select short-legged hounds that they could follow on foot. These dogs became known as the Basset, and many different French dog breeds eventually descended from them. However, much of the original development of the Basset is somewhat mysterious. The earliest depictions of dogs that could be Bassets date back to the 1300s. Paintings from the Gascony region of that century illustrate dogs that closely resemble the Basset Bleu de Gascogne. The earliest known written description of a bassett dates back to 1585.
This year, Jacques du Fouillu wrote La Venerie, an illustrated hunting guide. Fuyu depicts wire-covered bassets hunting foxes and badgers. These dogs drive the prey into the hole, and then the hunters dig up the animal. However, Jacques du Fouillu's Bassets are very different from those found in Gascon paintings. Hence, both of them were already well developed in terms of type and shape. Therefore, it is likely that the bassets have already existed for many decades, if not centuries.
There are two unconfirmed assumptions about the development of the basset. The first of them is the version that a basset was first created, and then crossed with other hounds. The second version speaks of the development of several lines of basset hounds of different types. The first seems to be preferred in the literature and more likely. Also, it remains unknown what breeds were used to create these dogs. Bassets are widely believed to be entirely French in origin. They mutated from short-legged French hounds that were bred together and did not separate until the Basset hounds were created.
Other researchers believe that French hounds may have been mixed with short-legged "foreign" dogs such as Corgi, Beagle or Dachshund. If the French cops varied in size, it is not known what they were originally. One of the widespread theories says that among the representatives of the cop of St. Hubert were short-legged dogs. They have been converted to the basset form.
In fact, Jacques du Fouillu described the short legged cop of Saint Hubert in 1561, although he also said that the dog was so mixed at that point that its pedigree was lost. However, there are no obvious records of the Bassett of Saint Hubert. In addition, the earliest notes describe either the Gascon Basset Blue or the Wired Basset. It is also likely that the original bassets are descended from the Griffons or Bleu de Gascogne.
The French Revolution and social upheaval led to the disappearance of many of the local hunting dogs and dramatically reduced the number of breeds that did manage to survive. These include the basset. The increase in social freedom and the expansion of the middle class allowed more people to hunt than in the old days. However, most of these "newly minted" hunters could not buy and maintain horses. As a result, the popularity of the Basset breed, which allowed the hunter to hunt on foot, began to grow in popularity. By the mid-1800s, even the French emperor fell in love with these dogs.
The history of the Basset Fauves de Britanny is known in more detail than most other basset lines because these dogs are considered a fairly new breed, created differently from the Basset Hound. Basset Fauve de Bretagne first appeared in the 1800s. At this point, the Griffin Fauves de Bretagne reached the peak of its popularity and population. The hunters decided to create a kind of basset from the Griffin Fauves de Bretagne. The Griffon Fauve de Bretagne was crossed with Basset and possibly some other breeds to breed the Basset Fauve de Bretagne. Exactly which Bassets were blended with the Griffon Fauve de Bretagne is not known for sure, although it was most likely the Basset Griffon Vendeen and the now extinct Basset Artesian Normand.
Popularization and restoration of Basset Fauves de Bretagne
These canids quickly became a popular hunting dog in France. The prevalence of the breed was due to its hunting skills, as well as the demand for the ancestors of the Griffon Fauves de Bretagne and Basset, as a species in general. The Second World War caused significant damage to the breed, the number of which has sharply declined. The extent to which a species is harmed is a controversial issue. Many amateurs believe that the breed is so rapidly approaching extinction that the Basset Fauves de Bretagne is not much left.
Also, fans of the breed believe that in order to preserve the breed, the few surviving specimens were crossed with other canines, mainly the Basset Griffon Vendeen and the Dachshund. The French breed club believes that the Basset Fauve de Bretagne has never been in a very dire situation, but simply experienced a significant decline in numbers. Those who adhere to this version say that after the war, in order to improve the hunting qualities of the Basset Fauves de Bretagne, the blood of Basset Griffon Vendeen and a wire-haired dachshund was added. Research in France tends to support the latter theory - although this is difficult to track with precision.
Basset Fauve de Bretagne has been growing in popularity slowly but steadily since the Second World War. The breed is well appreciated in French hunting circles and is becoming one of the most common hunting dogs in France. In recent years, the registration of the breed in France, among small hunting dogs, has surpassed the Beagle. In particular, the breed representatives have established themselves as excellent dogs for hunting rabbits. The pleasant character and compact size of the Basset Fauves de Bretagne also suggests to some breeders that it might be successful to keep the breed as a companion dog.
Confessions of Bassett Fauves de Brittany
If the Basset Fauve de Bretagne follows the trend of other Basset breeds, the dog will eventually become primarily a companion animal. The breed was essentially unknown outside of France and several neighboring European countries until the 1980s. The first known Basset Fauves de Bretagne arrived in the UK in 1982. The breed appeared in the United States quite recently. Basset Fauve de Bretagne was recognized by the United Kennel Club in 1996, and the first representative was imported to America in 2001. Subsequently, the American Kenel Club "Basset Fauve de Bretagne of America" was created to promote the breed's interests in the United States. However, members of the variety remain very rare outside of their home country.
