GRIFFON NIVERNAIS

  History 

These Griffon Nivernais hounds have been bred in the highlands of Central France for many centuries. The farmers and shepherds used these rough-coated hound dogs to control wild boars and wolves. It was not until after the French Revolution that a restored interest for this type of dog appeared and the development of the Griffon Nivernais began. They are known as the top dog for hunting wild boar.

GENERAL APPEARANCE   A typically bushy-coated hunting dog in a distinctly rustic genre, shaggy und unkempt. Clean legs and muscles. A working hound built for endurance rather than speed. Of rather melancholic character, but never timid.

HEAD Lean and light, without being small, fairly well eared, a little long.

NOSE   Black, very apparent, a little beard on the chin.

SKULL Nearly flat, the forehead slightly sloping in to a straight muzzle; superciliary arches appearing even more accentuated because of the bristling hair standing off at eyebrows.

EYES   Preferably dark, sometimes hardly coloured, vivid and piercing expression.

EARS    Supple, set on level with the upper part of the eye, fairly hairy, of moderate width, well shaped, half-long and slightly turned in towards the tip.

NECK   Rather light, clean and without throatiness.

SHOULDERS Shoulder slightly slanting, clean and close to the body.

FORELEGS Looking fairly strong because of the hair, but actually leaner than very thick. Standing vertical, but generally and at rest the forelegs, seen in profile, appearing a little behind the vertical; the pasterns strong and never long.

FEET   Slightly elongated, but with solid toes.

CHEST  Descending as much as possible down to the elbows, brisket moderately developed in width, thoracic cage deep and broadening towards the last ribs.

RIBS    The first ones a little flat, the last ones more rounded.

BACK  Rather long.

LOIN Well supported rather than arched.

FLANK   A little tucked up, but not Greyhound-like.

HAUNCHES   Fairly strong, the rump slanting.

THIGHS  Thighs lean and rather flat.

HOCKS Hocks well let down and slightly angulated. At rest, the hindlegs may be slightly standing under the body, without exaggeration.

TAIL  Well set on, carried sabre tail fashion and not very long, more furnished towards its middle part, sometimes a little curved over the back at its tip.

COLOUR Preferably wolf-grey or blue-grey, indication of the grey of the old "gris Saint-Louis" hound, or wild boar grey, or black badly tinged, black Marengo, with tan on the cheeks, above the eyes, on inner sides of the legs and on the feet, or fawn with mixing of black and white hairs, giving it a dark shading.

COAT   Long, shaggy and unkempt, fairly strong, wiry, in any case neither woolly nor frizzy.

SKIN Pigmented, black spots on the body and mucous membranes.

SIZE  Between 55 to 60 cm for the Dogs
53 to 58 cm for the Bitches
Tolerance of 2 cm more for top quality dogs.

GAIT  Flexible and supple, neither jerky nor bouncing.

FAULTS   Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered as a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

ELIMINATORY FAULTS   Round skull, short head, too light or wall eyes, nose and skrotum pink or vivid brown. For the coat, jet black, wheaten or orange; tricolour with colours distinctly defined; dewclaws.

Faults Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

Note Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scroum. 

Copy right © Dutch Kenstaff Staffordshire Bull Terrier ® All rights reserved