The development of the P.B.G.V. covers a time period of over 400 years.  This breed has its origins in France, and was developed for the purpose of hunting rabbits and other small game.  The hunter would be on foot and work with one, two (also known as a brace), or a pack of dogs.
     To begin, we will look at the Vendee area of France.  The Vendee is located on the western coast of the country of France. It is a countryside that has a very rough terrain, with rocks and brush, bramble and thorn bushes. It is also an environment that tends to be cool and damp. This terrain would be impossible for a hunter on horseback to traverse efficiently. So the hunting dog had to be one that a hunter on foot could keep up with.  A dog required certain characteristics to be able to hunt successfully in this type environment.  Characteristics such as: agility, strength, determination, a good "voice", a rough coat that would not allow the bramble nor the rain to penetrate to his skin, and the ability to follow a scent, being capable of independently thinking and determining how to best track its prey.
     It must be remembered that the French were very influential in the development and the refining of the hound for hunting purposes.  The practice of venery (the art of hunting) probably had its start in France. A common man would hunt with a dog that he had trained, or had acquired for its hunting ability.  In France, the nobles would have large estates, and keepers of their dogs.  These keepers observed the dogs, and would breed the best hunting dogs with other excellent hunting dogs to develop the instinct, and the ability, and any other trait that the keepers, and the master, found desirable.  They may not have known about genetics, but they did know what they liked, and bred for traits that filled the needs of the hunt.
     The hound was probably one of the first dogs to have its "breed type" be standardized.  Until the French made a serious effort  to the maintenance of the hound, there were really no set breeds.  Most crosses, to that time, were rather casually arranged in taverns, or between neighbors and friends, and of course, the very casual "he was there and she was there" so a breeding took place. The French turned breeding into a science.
     There are four size varieties of the Griffon Vendeen.  They are the:
          Grand Griffon - this is the largest variety, measuring at least 23-1/2 inches at the shoulder.
          Briquet Griffon - this is a medium sized dog, measuring between 20" and 22" at the shoulder.
          Grand Basset - this dog measures between 15" and 17" at the shoulder.
          Petit Basset - the smallest variety, measuring 13"-15" at the shoulder.
     For more recent history, the Basset Griffon Vendeen Club was formed in France in 1907.   This club then became the Club du Griffon Vendeen when the Briquet Griffon was accepted as an addition to the varieties, this was in 1924.  In 1951, the Petit was included in the written standard for the first time.
     In the U.S., the P.B.G.V. Club of America was formed on November 19, 1984, with 11 people representing nine states and Canada.  The P.B.G.V. became eligible to compete at A.K.C-licensed shows for ribbons and points in February, 1991.