{"id":42,"date":"2024-01-14T22:35:08","date_gmt":"2024-01-14T22:35:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bgvclub.co.uk\/?page_id=42"},"modified":"2025-12-19T10:54:34","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:54:34","slug":"club-rules","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bgvclub.co.uk\/?page_id=42","title":{"rendered":"Breed Information"},"content":{"rendered":"\n \n
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BREED INFORMATION<\/span>\n
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If you are considering becoming a BGV owner you should firstly consider if this is the correct breed for you. Bear in mind that BGVs are scent hounds, bred over hundreds of years for their ability to use their nose to track. Those that are extremely well trained to reliably come back on recall are few and far between as their noses take over from their brains.  Therefore when exercising, unless you are in a securely enclosed area or one where your BGV can come to no harm, it is often better and safer to use a flexi-lead.
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Being a hound  breed, they do need regular exercise, not only to stimulate their brains but also to use their noses in different areas.  However they are also creatures of habit.  Once any BGV has enjoyed a long walk, he will settle down quite comfortably. Being a shorter-legged breed, puppies should be exercised sparingly during the first few months off their life whilst their bones and joints are forming.  Any jarring on the front limbs will result in deformation or injury.
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As with almost all breeds BGVs have some health issues and a good breeder will take time to discuss these with you. You are also encouraged to research the breed carefully and to ask lots of questions.  These do tend to be similar or fall into \u200bcertain categories, so below are answers to all those questions you might have wanted to ask which will hopefully help you in making your decision.\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n

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\n OWNERS GUIDE <\/a>\n GBGV HISTORY <\/a>\n PBGV HISTORY <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n
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TEMPERAMENT  <\/b>\n
What is a BGV really like?<\/i> <\/b>  Both\ntypes are active, curious, busy, happy, alert, independent and\nintelligent.  They are willing to please, affectionate and demand\nattention.  Although stronger, GBGVs are probably more laid back than\ntheir busier, livelier, smaller PBGV cousins.  As scenthounds, they are\npack animals so happy with others of their own kind. Why not click the BGV profiles button below and find out some fun and interesting facts about BGVs and what they are like to live with.
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TRAINING  <\/b>\n
Can you train them?<\/i>  <\/b> With\nunderstanding and time BGVs are not hard to train, although the Grand does need\nfirm handling. The bonus is that they have a desire to please.  The level\nof learning depends on the amount of time you can devote.  However\nremember that these are scenthounds.  If they get on the trail of\nsomething, they will become deaf to your calls and only return when\nready.  
What can you train them to do?<\/i>   <\/b>House-training\nand basic obedience to learn good manners come first. A BGV may be purely\na loved family member or there are other activities it is capable\nof.  With extra training, many become show dogs or compete\nsuccessfully in other events such as obedience, tracking, agility and heelwork\nto music.  A few are used in Search and Rescue and as therapy dogs. \nSome are achieving high standards in the Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Scheme. Do they bark much? <\/i><\/b><\/i>Most BGVs only\nbark if they have a reason to.  They do not just bark for nothing.  
Are they destructive?  <\/i><\/b><\/i>Like\nany dog, a bored or lonely BGV will make his own entertainment.  To\navoid coming home to find damage, a variety of safe toys, things to\nchew on and a safe environment will lessen the opportunity for him to be\ndestructive.  A  dog crate is useful - your BGV's special place\nwhere he feels secure for a short period of time.  Leave the door open for\nhim to get used to it.   \n <\/p>\n BGV profiles<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n

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Are they good with children?<\/i><\/b>   <\/i>BGVs\ngenerally love everyone and have a natural affinity with children.  Some\nchildren compete with them in Young Kennel Club handling competitions at\nshows. As with any dog, you should never<\/i> leave a child and\nyour BGV together unattended.  If your BGV is asleep, don't let a child\npoke him and do not allow teasing as these actions will provoke an\nundesirable response. 
Can you let them off the lead?   <\/i><\/b>Many\nsay \"Don't let your BGV off the lead\".  It depends on the nature\nof the particular dog, also on early training.  If you decide to let yours\nrun free, do it somewhere well away from roads or areas where there are sheep\nor other farm animals. An enclosed area is ideal.  Encourage him to\nreturn from short distances, offering a treat as a reward.  Remember that\nthe hunting instinct is very strong and noses do tend to take over from their\nbrains.  One small scent and your hunter will be off on the chase.  If\nyou stand your ground, he will eventually return - but how long are you\nprepared to wait?  Flexi-leads are a good alternative!   
Can a BGV live in a flat or apartment without a\ngarden?  <\/i><\/b>This isn't an ideal situation.  A ground floor flat\nwith access to a garden presents no problems.  But anyone living higher up\nmust consider seriously if this is fair on the dog.  Can you give him\nregular exercise or allow roaming free?  A BGV needs regular exercise and\njust taking a dog out on a lead to relieve himself is not sufficient. \nNumerous dog walks each day would be needed at a bare minimum and putting your\nshoes and coat on to take the dog our in all weathers, especially before bed,\nmay soon become irritating. 
If I want more than one, would they get along\ntogether?  Would a BGV settle with my current family pet? <\/i><\/b>  \nFor fans of the breed, one BGV is wonderful, two an absolute joy.  They\nprovide mutual company and entertainment.  However, if you want more than\none, consider waiting or varying their ages.  Otherwise, in years to come,\nyou will have two old ones with the attendant problems and upset.  If you\nhave another breed already, a new BGV introduced on neutral ground will\ninvariably be sociable and your existing family dog will be taking his new\nfriend back to his home.  They also normally befriend other family pets or\ndogs entering the home.  \n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n

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GROOMING<\/b>\n
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How do I care for a BGV's coat? <\/i><\/b>  <\/i>His coat should be thick, harsh and somewhat casual looking.  A weekly\nbrushing will remove loose and dead hair.  A pin brush and possibly a mat\nbreaker, which will help remove any little knots, are essential.  And,\nunless you are going to remove excess hair with finger and thumb, you should\nalso have a stripping knife.  Bath him as necessary. 
What about other grooming? <\/i><\/b><\/i>Nails\nneed clipping regularly and ear canals kept free of excess hair and wax. \nTeeth need regular care to be kept clean and free of tartar.  Trim long\nhair under the feet and check between the pads for unwanted material or\nmats.  And, if you show your dog, or want to keep him looking\ncharacteristic of the breed, there is a lot more to it!  At a minimum,\nkeeping that unrefined, rustic look means making sure this is no excess hair\ncovering the eyes, removing long, untidy hair from the ends of the ears and keeping\nthe feet tidy. You can achieve this, and tidying up the body, by plucking hair\nout with finger and thumb or using a stripping knife.  The breeder will be\npleased to show you how to do this.  
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HEALTH AND NUTRITION<\/b>\n
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Are BGVs healthy?<\/i><\/b>  <\/i>Both the PBGV and GBGV suffer from\nthe usual \"doggy\" health problems, most of which can be prevented or\ncured by prompt veterinary attention.  When thinking about more serious\nailments, in general both are extremely healthy breeds.  However if is\nalways wise to consider insurance to cover any unexpected illnesses or\naccidents. 
Are there any specific health problems that I should\nbe concerned about? <\/i><\/b> <\/i> Any breed can be subject to\ngenetic and\/or birth defects.  A few conditions have been reported in BGVs\nsuch as juvenile pain syndrome (asceptic meningitis), heart murmurs, epilepsy\nand some eye conditions.  In conjunction with the breed World Health\nCommittee, the BGV Club committee monitors all these extremely carefully,\nespecially the known slight incidence of epilepsy in Petits and Grands and\nPrimary Open Angle Glaucoma in PBGVs, which can now be detected and, in the\nlong term eradicated, by DNA testing.  The club also promotes regular\neye testing.  Before you buy, talk to the breeder if you have any concerns\nabout health issues.  Where appropriate, ask for evidence of DNA testing\nor of eye testing of sire and dam and, when buying, get certification of\ncurrent good health of the puppy.  Ask your own vet to examine your puppy\nto confirm that it is healthy and has no heart, eye, ear or other\nabnormalities.  \n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n

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What is the life expectancy? <\/i><\/b><\/i>You\nshould expect an average life-span of 12-14 years or more.  
What do BGVs eat?  <\/i><\/b>BGVs are easy to\nfeed.  Giving the recommended amount of good quality dog food (either\ncomplete or canned) and a small quantity of dog treats will normally satisfy\nnutritional needs.  Some owners prefer to feed their dogs raw food\nprimarily of uncooked meat, edible bones and organs. You should take\nadvice on this and what you should not <\/i>feed raw. Supplements of\nspecial foods should be used only on the recommendation of your vet.
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THE HOME ENVIRONMENT<\/b>\n
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Will I need a fenced back garden? <\/i><\/b><\/i>To\nbe worry-free when your BGV is in the garden you need a secure fence, ideally\nabout 2 metres (6 feet) high.  As some BGVs dig, consider putting wire\nnetting at an L shape down the bottom of the fencing and buried into the\nground.  If your BGV digs, his nails will meet the netting.  Check\nyour boundaries regularly.  If an animal, such as a\nfox, digs in this gives your BGV a means of escape.
 
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OBTAINING A BGV<\/b>\n
Where can I find a puppy?  <\/i><\/b>The Breeders\nDirectory on this website lists BGV Club members who occasionally have\nlitters. Alternatively, the Kennel Club lists those breeders who belong to\ntheir Assured Breeder Scheme.   
Is it possible to obtain  an older, already\ntrained BGV?  <\/i><\/b>Sometimes breeders have older dogs to re-home. \nThis may be for a variety of reasons - perhaps one not being shown any more, no\nlonger being bred from or purely when numbers creep up in the\ndomestic environment.  It is always hard for a breeder to let a loved\nBGV go but one especially that has lived in kennels deserves a comfy\nbed in its older years.  Most breeders stay in touch with the new\nowners, who become good friends, and they still see the BGVs who were a big\npart of their lives. The Club Welfare & Rescue Co-ordinator may also\nknow of a BGV looking for a home.   \n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n \n \n \n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BREED INFORMATION If you are considering becoming a BGV owner you should firstly consider if this is the correct breed for you. Bear in mind that BGVs are scent hounds, bred over hundreds of years for their ability to use their nose to track. Those that are extremely well trained to reliably come back on recall are … Continue reading “Breed Information”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":10,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-42","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bgvclub.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/42","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bgvclub.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bgvclub.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bgvclub.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bgvclub.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=42"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/bgvclub.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/42\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1207,"href":"https:\/\/bgvclub.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/42\/revisions\/1207"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bgvclub.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=42"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}