Petit Basset Griffon High Class Show and Breeders

The Petit Basset Griffon is definitely not a breed for everyone.He is not a lap dog and he is not a shaggy Basset Hound, as some would have him be.His resemblance to the Basset Hound is in the set and fold of his ear, his noble hound expression. As previously mentioned, the Petit Basset Griffon has been very popular as a hunter in France for nearly a century.His popularity in the show ring has increased over the last twenty years, attaining recognition by the kennel clubs of Canada,Great Britain and the United States. Petits are shown in almost every European country.Besides the field and the conformation ring, versatile PBGVs have made their marks in obedience, tracking, agility, flyball, frees tyle obed ie nce, ther ap y work a nd search and rescue.

Interest in the United States was sparked at the "Super Match" in 1983, when a 12 week-old Canad ian -born puppy, Belray AlexanderGebeba, entered in the rare breed class, won Best in Match, defeating over 3,000 other dogs. Ten years earlier, Mrs. Elizabeth Streeter of Pennsylvania imported some Petit puppies fromFrance and England for the purpose of creating a working pack. Her Skycastle Pack created interest at the Bryn Mawr (Pennsylvania) Hound Show, but it did not spread. It was that puppy in the ring at the Super Match who started it all. Publicity began word ofmouth...Dog World. Canine Chronicle and others. Importations began. Puppies were brought back from London and Copenhagen. As interest grew, adults and puppies were imported fromCanada, Denmark,England, France, Sweden, Holland and Germany. Mrs. Streeter, who died in 1987, was the first to whelp litters in the U.S., breeding only when it was necess ary to add to her pack.

As word of the Petit and the Super Match spread from coas t to coast, there seemed to be sufficient interest  not on the part of the general public but on the part of fanciers, especially hound enthusiasts for some sort
of organization in this count ry. To protect and promote the breed, and to educate and inform those interested so that sensible importations would follow, the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen Club of America was formed at the AKC Centennial Show in Philadelphia in November 1984. Eleven individuals, representing several states and a variety of breeds, but all with years of experience in dogs constituted the foundation of the national club. A bimonthly newsletter was started, which has now grown to the quarterly Saber Tails magazine.

Much was accomplished in the first years of the club's existence. By the end of 1985, the Petit Basset Griffon had grown from11 to 50members.A breed standard had been accepted, the const itution and bylaws adopted and a stud book and registry set up.The club had also notified the AKC of its intent to work toward eventual AKC recognition. The first national club event was held in Kentucky on March 16, 1986, during the tenth anniversary celebration of the Louisville Kennel Club. Fifteen Petits came fromall over the United Stat es to compete.

In 1987, the second annual meeting of the club and the first National Specialty were held in Louisville. Twenty-four Petits were entered, and 22 shown. Best of Breed was Axmos Don Ranudo de la Garonne.
On July 1, 1989, the Petit Basset Griffon became eligible to compete in AKC Miscellaneous classes. Belray Sirhan Braconnier was the first PBGVto gain an AKC title, earning his Companion Dog obedience degree nine days later. Full recognition followed swiftly on February 1, 1991. Fifteen days later, Axmos Fagin de la Garonne went down in the record books as the first Petit Basset Griffon to earn an AKC championship. In 1992, 24 champion Petits represented their breed at the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club show for the first time, with Jomil Ultra bearing away the laurels for the first Best of Breed there. Since AKC recognition, the numbers of fanciers and Petits have grown steadily. Depending upon the part of the country, 80 to 150 PBGVsmay be seen at the National Specialty held each spring.