Griffon Fauve de Bretagne vs Beagle - Breed Comparison

The Griffon Fauve de Bretagne is one of the oldest scenthounds in France and has always been part of a pack when hunting wolves and wild boar.

Once wolves started dying out in the 19th century and the dogs were no longer needed, they nearly became extinct. Luckily in 1949, Marcel Pambrun founded the Club de Fauve de Bretagne to bring the breed back from extinction.

Hailing from France, the dog is still used as a hunting dog in the country but is considered rare outside of Europe.

There are some accounts of similar size dogs used for hunting in Greece in 5th century BCE. During 8th century the Talbot Hound breed was created. In 11th century Talbot Hound was brought to England by William the Conqueror. While using in hunting they are found to be a slow runner. To overcome the situation and increase their running speed the hunting people bred Talbot Hound with Grey hounds. The beagles described earlier were very small in size and are said as pocket beagles.

Griffon Fauve de Bretagne are medium-sized muscular dogs standing at between 48 to 56cm and weighing in the region of 17 to 21 kg.

The fur of this dog is a tawny, golden, orange shade and is shaggy and coarse, being longer around the face. Known also as the Fawn Brittany Griffon, this scenthound has floppy ears and a long tail carried somewhat up and in a slight curve.

Temperament:

The GFB as he is also sometimes known by, is an affectionate and loyal dog that loves spending time with his human family.

He is a social, friendly dog, and when he is socialized and trained, he becomes even more amicable. He has been bred as a working dog and while he loves to spend relaxing hours indoors, he is essentially a dog that loves to be out and about chasing after prey.

He is alert and intelligent and therefore makes a good watchdog. Your Griffon is energetic and active and will require lots of exercise. He will love coming on walks with you, but this won't be enough and he will require ball- and rope games as well as the chance to join you on your jogging or cycling outings.

They are small and compact breed, and always happy and fun loving. They should be trained by patient and creative training techniques. Beagles are very much interested in using their nose in finding interesting scents and are food focussed. They always wake their neighbours at 6 am by their half howling. They think everyone is their best friend and love to have friendship with other animals and humans. They have about 220 million scent receptors and are said as "a nose with feet" by humorist Dave Barry.

We can see beagles at many airports in their duty. They can easily trace out the illegal things being smuggled. Since they are small in size they are suitable for apartment living. But they like to walk around several times. They should be exercised for plenty of time. Obedience training should be given to them by giving food reward. Beagles are wanderers of nature and so if possible they will try to escape. So it is necessary to make them microchipped or to wear a collar, to find them easily.

You won't find a better canine friend than the Griffon Fauve de Bretagne, once known as the Grand Fauve de Bretagne.

They have always loved their role as working- and hunting dog but when they're in the company of their human owners, they are loyal and loving, wanting to please.

This good nature of theirs sees them getting on well with other pets in the home as well as with children.Your golden Griffon Fauve De Bretagne is such a friendly, sociable dog and this is what makes him such a popular and sought after family pet.

Children friendliness

They are very good companion for children. They love to play and spend time with children.

Special talents

They have millions of scent receptors and so they can be seen in Airports and many important places in duty. Also they are interested in hunting small rodents.

Adaptability

They adapt well for apartment living but they don't like being alone for a long time. If kept alone for a long time in back yard they will begin to bark and dig pit or try to escape. Beagle likes hot weather more than cold weather.

Learning ability

Beagles are difficult to train up. Many people say it will take about one year to house train beagles. They have an attitude of "what's in it for me". But it depends on the personality and temperament of the individual.

Capable of reaching 10 to 13 years of age with good care, the Griffon Fauve de Bretagne isn't likely to cause you too much concern with dog illnesses, but there are those common dog illnesses that are worth knowing about because they affect so many dogs.

Hip Dysplasia:

This is such a common dog ailment that it requires mentioning every time. It's a condition where the hip joint bones don't fit properly, resulting in unnatural wear and tear which ultimately leads to pain and arthritis.

Sometimes it takes a while for the illness to become evident and you'll notice your pet being loathe to take part in the games he loves so much or battling to get up after lying down. It can start in a young dog and will require vet intervention.

Keep an eye on your dog for other common illnesses such as eye diseases, skin allergies and bloat, a disease which can be life-threatening and where the stomach of your dog swells up.

Beagle's ears should be checked occasionally for any sign of infections like discoloured wax, dirt or foul odour. Also their nails should be trimmed regularly. They should be exercised regularly in order to maintain a proper weight. The most common health problems in beagles are obesity, epilepsy and allergies.

Hair fall

They are average shedders and having short hair thus it is easy to groom. They should be made to bath with a mild and non irritant shampoo.

Grooming:

Your GFB, with his shaggy coat, will need a brush a couple of times a week and nothing much more, being looked upon as a fairly low maintenance breed.

He will require you checking inside his ears to ensure he is free of infection. You will need to have his nails trimmed if he doesn't wear them down himself and he will need to have his teeth brushed at least 2 or 3 times a week with special dog toothpaste- and toothbrush.

General Care:

As a medium sized dog, the Griffon Fauve de Bretagne will need a high-quality dog food full of all the right vitamins and minerals to ensure health and a long life.

He is a hunting dog so you want to make sure that protein is listed high on the ingredients list of his food packaging. You can vary his diet by adding in homemade fare such as cooked chicken, rice and vegetables and you can also try to include some raw meat into his diet too. This raw meat plays an important role in preventing skin allergies.

Never leave him without a bowl of fresh, cool water.

Ensure your 4-legged friend has a nice dry, warm spot with clean blankets to sleep on.

Feeding the puppy

After 4 weeks of birth the puppy can be given solid foods by slowly increasing the ratio for many weeks. The recommended food is fresh meat of chicken breast, lamb, turkey and lean hamburger. The vegetables can be given as raw or steamed. The vegetables that will be good for them are raw baby carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and sweet peas. The puppies should be fed 3 to 4 small meals per day as they require more nutrients for their growth.

Feeding the adult

The grown up dog should be fed with the same food and 1 complete meal is enough for them. The meal should be given at noon. The food should be given based on calories as they should not get overweight. In addition to food, fruits such as blueberries, raspberries, banana and mango can also be given to them periodically.

Points for Good Health

Beagles should be exercised daily in order to maintain proper weight. Beagles are average shedders and having short hair which is easy to groom. They should be made to bath periodically with a mild shampoo.

Games and Exercises

Moderate exercise such as walking and cardio exercise such as chasing a ball should be given to them for staying them to be active and for maintaining good health.