Plate 083 · Continental Europe
Basset Fauve de Bretagne
布列塔尼短腿猎犬
“A rough-coated Breton rabbit hound built low to the ground.”
- Origin
- France
- Brittany
- Region of origin
- The breed is linked to Brittany as a whole; the marker uses a reference point inside the region (the label point of Côtes-d'Armor), not a claim that it comes from that département.
- The point marks the region the breed comes from, not an exact birthplace.
- Era
- 17th or late 18th century, as AKC accounts differ (from older Breton hounds)
- Today
- Hunting dog · Companion
Under editorial review — sources listed below.
History
01 · Origin
Brittany
A short-legged, rough-coated, fawn scent hound from Brittany, bred down from the larger Grand Fauve de Bretagne.
02 · Historical role
What it was bred for
Hunting rabbit and hare on foot, often in packs; the AKC links its ancestors to the Breton hounds kept at the French court in the 16th century.
03 · Breed development
How it changed
The larger Grand Fauve de Bretagne died out. A story that the Basset Fauve almost vanished after the Second World War and was rebuilt with wire-haired Dachshunds is disputed by the French breed club.
04 · Today
Hunting dog · Companion
Still a hunting hound and family dog in France; in the UK mainly a show dog and family pet.
Personality
- Cheerful
- Alert
- Affectionate
General breed tendencies, not guarantees — individual dogs vary with genetics, training and environment. Ratings: the AKC’s trait scores as its breed page gives them (the AKC’s 1–5 guidance for owners, not a measurement). Other profiles here use editorial ratings, a different source, so compare across them with care.
- Exercise
- Energetic and nose-led: keep it on a lead or in fenced areas, and add games such as hide-and-seek.
- Grooming
- A weekly comb and brush; the coat sheds seasonally and can be hand-stripped.
- Training
- Start early and keep it engaging: once on a scent, the nose tends to win.
Living with one
- Size
- Medium
- Lifespan
- 13–16 years
- Coat
- Short, harsh, rough coat in shades of fawn, from golden wheat to red brick
Field note
In French, 'bas' means low: a basset is a hound set low on short legs.
Recognition & today
- AKC
- Hound Group
- Also recognized by
- FCI (Group 6, standard 36), Société Centrale Canine (France), The Kennel Club (UK)
- Popular in
- No reliable data
AKC: Hound Group. Recorded in the AKC Foundation Stock Service from 2015 before moving to the Hound Group.
A French hunting hound, also kept as a companion.
Sources3 references
- Basset Fauve de Bretagne — breed information — American Kennel Club
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/basset-fauve-de-bretagne/
Registry · accessed 2026-10-14 · Registry status, group, size, life expectancy and registration rank; history as the AKC tells it. Ratings: the AKC's own 1–5 owner-guidance trait scores as the page gives them (energy level, trainability, barking level, openness to strangers, good with other dogs), not measurements.
- Basset Fauve de Bretagne — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basset_Fauve_de_Bretagne
Encyclopedia · accessed 2026-10-14 · Descent from the extinct Grand Fauve de Bretagne; the disputed post-war Dachshund cross; status in France and the UK.
- Basset Fauve de Bretagne — FCI breed nomenclature — Fédération Cynologique Internationale
https://www.fci.be/en/nomenclature/BASSET-FAUVE-DE-BRETAGNE-36.html
Kennel club · accessed 2026-10-14 · Country of origin France; Group 6, section "Scent hounds"; definitive acceptance 30 October 1963.
Text is written by World Breeds from the references above; it does not reproduce registry descriptions. Location note: The breed is linked to Brittany as a whole; the marker uses a reference point inside the region (the label point of Côtes-d'Armor), not a claim that it comes from that département.
