The 143rd annual edition of the Westminster Kennel Club and Dog Show is a little over a month away. The 2019 show will be held once again in New York City on Monday & Tuesday, February 11-12. This year, two new breeds will be making their official debut in the competition. Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen (also know as “GBGV” or “Grand”), an active and never high-strung scent hound out of France known as a poor man’s hunting dog, will compete in the Hound Group. Nederlandse Kooikerhondje (pronounced Coy-ker-hund-tsje), a small dog with a big personality, will compete in the Sporting Group.
Since 2016, a total of 10 new breeds have been added to the competition. Last year the American Hairless Terrier, Bergamasco Shepherd, Cirneco dell’Etna, Boerboel, Berger Picard, Lagotto Romagnolo, Miniature American Shepherd, and Pumi made their debuts.
Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen
• Temperament: Independent, Happy, Outgoing
• AKC Breed Popularity: Ranks of 192
• Height: 15.5-18 inches
• Weight: 40-45 pounds
• Life Expectancy: 13-15 years
• Group: Hound
The first GBGV to come to the United States came in 1990, and the first litter was born in 1994. [source] They remain few in number in the U.S. today. At present, there are fewer than 400 of this breed in the United States. According to the AKC website, “The Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen is a French scenthound. Somewhat active and never high-strung, yet GBGVs are busy dogs who don’t tire easily. He’s a sweet-faced, long-eared fellow in a shaggy coat whose mustache, beard, and profuse eyebrows suggest the look of a worldly but amiable Frenchman. Beneath the Grand’s Old World charm is a rugged, sturdily-built bruiser who is deceptively quick and light-footed. The stamina and courage of these longer-than-tall hunters is the stuff of Gallic legend.”
They are bred to hunt in packs in France, so they should get along with other pets. They love kids, but being a hound means they have to be kept in a fenced-in area or on a lead. Their temperaments are more laid-back than those of their cousins, the PBGV (Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen)
IT’S ALL IN THE NAME
To understand a little more clearly what their name manes, you can break it down as such [source]:
- “Grand” is a French word that means large, so it fits the bigger version of the two Basset Griffon Vendéen breeds
- “Basset” means low
- “Griffon” is a type of wire coat
- “Vendéen” comes from Vendée, the region of France where the breed originated
Official breed standards can be found at http://images.akc.org/pdf/breeds/standards/GBGV.pdf. Here are the components according to the AKC:
General Appearance
The Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen is a well-balanced, strongly built, rough-coated scent hound of friendly and noble character. He is of medium size with straight legs, deep chest. He is longer than he is tall with a moderately long muzzle, long ears and a long tail. His neck is moderately long and strong, noble head with a mustache and beard, surmounted with protective long eyebrows. His structure was designed to hunt rabbit and hare at a fast pace through the bramble, and over the rough terrain of the Vendee area of France. He is a courageous, passionate and broadly skilled hunter who today is used to hunt not only rabbit and hare but also boar and roe deer. He is active, possessing great stamina for a full days’ hunt and uses his voice freely while on the trail. Any feature that detracts from the function is a serious fault.
Head
Expression – noble with a proud head carriage. Eyes convey an intelligent, warm and friendly character. Eyes – large, dark and oval in shape, of the same color, showing no white; haw not visible. Rims fully pigmented. Ears – supple, narrow and fine, ending in an oval shape, draping and folding inwards. Leathers are covered with long hair and reaching at least to the end of the nose. Set on low, below the line of the eye. Viewed from the side, ears should form a corkscrew shape when the dog is relaxed.
Body
Neck – strong and far reaching, thicker at the base, without excessive throatiness. Topline – from behind withers to rump is level with slight rise over well muscled loin. Body – well developed, sturdy and broad, with deep forechest and prominent sternum. Depth of chest reaches to elbows, ribs well sprung extending well back. Loin well muscled and of moderate length. Belly never tucked up.
Forequarters
Shoulders clean and sloping. Well laid back. Length of shoulder blades approximately equal to length of upper arm. Withers very slightly prominent. Elbows close to the body, turning neither in nor out. Forelegs from front, straight and well-boned. In profile, set well under body.
Hindquarters
Well boned, strong and muscular, with moderate bend of stifle and a well-defined second thigh. Hips wide. Hocks turning neither in nor out.
Coat
Harsh and straight with undercoat. Not too long, fringing not too abundant. Never silky or wooly. Hair from bridge of nose fans up between the eyes without obscuring the eyes; this protective hair along with shielding eyebrows is an indispensable characteristic of the breed.
Nederlandse Kooikerhondje
• Temperament: Friendly, Alert, Quick
• AKC Breed Popularity: Ranks of 192
• Height: Dogs 16″, Females 15″
• Weight: 20 – 30 lbs
• Life Expectancy: 12-15 years
• Group: Sporting Group
From the AKC website, the Nederlandse Kooikerhondje is “lively, agile, self-confident, good-natured and alert. The breed is faithful, easy-going and friendly in the home. Outdoors he is a true sporting dog being keen, swift, tough, attentive and energetic. With sufficient perseverance and stamina, he enjoys working and does so with a cheerful character. They are instantly recognizable thanks to their large, black-tipped ears and the richly feathered tail they wag proudly. The breed has the sturdy bone structure expected of a serious hunter, but the overall picture is that of a harmoniously built dog of smooth, flowing contours and springy gait.”
Official breed standards can be found at http://images.akc.org/pdf/breeds/standards/GBGV.pdf. Here are the components according to the AKC:
GENERAL APPEARNCE
The Nederlandse Kooikerhondje is a harmoniously built orange-red parti-colored small sporting dog of almost square body proportions. He moves with his head held high; in action, the well-feathered waving tail is carried level with, or above the topline. The ears may have black hair at the tips, the so-called earrings. The dog is presented with a natural, untrimmed coat. Visible scissoring or grooming, except for neatening the feet, is to be severely penalized.
HEAD
The head is of moderate length, fitting in with the general appearance, clean- cut, with flowing lines. Eyes – Almond-shaped, dark brown with a friendly, alert expression. Ears – Medium size, set above eye level but always lower than the top of the skull. The ears are carried close to the cheeks without a fold. Ear leather should easily reach the inner corner of the eye. Well feathered. Black hair tips (“earrings”) are highly desirable. Skull – Sufficiently broad, moderately rounded. Stop – Seen in profile clearly visible but not too deep. Muzzle – Should be a blunt wedge seen from above or in profile, not too deep, nor tapering too much. Well filled under the eye, creating a smooth transition from muzzle to skull. Planes (Muzzle & Skull) – Straight muzzle, almost parallel planes. Nose – Black and well developed. Lips – Preferably well pigmented, close fitting and not pendulous. Bite – Scissors bite. Complete dentition preferable. Level bite acceptable, but less desirable.
BODY
Neck – Medium length to balance body, clean-cut and strongly muscled. Topline – Smooth level line from the withers to hipbones with a slightly rounded croup. Chest – Reaching to the elbows with moderate spring of ribs. Underline – Slight tuck-up towards the loin. Back – Strong and straight, rather short. Loin – Short and broad, strongly muscled.
TAIL
Set on so as to follow the topline of the body. Well-feathered with a white plume. The last vertebra should reach the hock joint. When gaiting, carried level with the topline, with an upward curve or almost straight up. Not curling with a ring or circling over the back. When standing, the tail may be held downward.
FOREQUARTERS
Shoulders – Shoulder moderately angled in order to create a flowing line from neck to back. Upper Arm – Moderately angled to match layback of shoulder blade, which is of equal length. Forechest I Prosternum – Point of forechest should be slightly protruding beyond the point of the shoulder. Elbow – Close to the body. Legs – Straight and parallel, strong bone of sufficient density and length. Pastertics – Strong and slightly oblique. Forefeet – Small, slightly oval, compact, toes pointing forward.
COAT
Hair – Of medium length, close lying. May be slightly wavy or straight, but never curly or open. Soft, but with enough texture to be weather resistant. Functional undercoat. Front legs should have moderate feathering reaching to the pastern joints. Hind legs should have fairly long feathered breeches. No feathering below the hock joints. The coat on the head, the front part of the legs and the feet should be short. Sufficiently feathered on the underside of the tail. Longer hair on throat and forechest. Earrings (long feathered black hair tips) are highly desirable.
HINDQUARTERS
Angulation – Moderately angulated, to match forequarters. Seen from the rear, straight and parallel. Legs – Strong bone. Upper Thigh – well muscled. Second Thigh – length equal to upper thigh. Hock Joint – well let down. Hind Feet – Small, oval, compact, toes pointing forward.
Westminster Week 2019
For full schedule information, visit https://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/plan-your-visit/general-info
- 6th Annual Masters Agility Championship / Saturday, February 9
- 10th Annual AKC Meet the Breeds® / Saturday, February 9
- 143rd Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show / Monday, February 11 & Tuesday, February 12
- 4th Annual Masters Obedience Championship / Monday, February 11
About WKC
The Westminster Kennel Club is America’s oldest organization dedicated to the sport of purebred dogs. Established in 1877, Westminster’s influence has been felt for more than a century through its famous all-breed, benched dog show held every year at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Today, America’s dog show has expanded into Westminster Week which includes the Masters Agility Championship at Westminster and the Masters Obedience Championship at Westminster, both held at Piers 94. More than 3,000 dogs entered from around the world make Westminster Week like no other. Westminster. There’s only one.®
RESOURCES:
http://goodnewsforpets.com/two-new-breeds-will-debut-at-westminster-kennel-club-dog-show/
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/photo-essays/2018-12-27/our-favorite-luxury-photos-of-the-year
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/news/gbgv-akcs-new-hound-dog/
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/grand-basset-griffon-vendeen/
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/nederlandse-kooikerhondje/
https://www.westminsterkennelclub.org
https://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/plan-your-visit/general-info