Lhasa Apso vs Briquet Griffon Vendeen - Breed Comparison

The Briquet Griffon Vendeen, a product of France is a hunting down bred down from the Grand Griffon Vendeen. The two dogs are descendants of the Gaul’s Canis sequsius and the Gris de St. Louis hounds. They are one of four dogs with rough coats from the Vendeen area along France’s west coast. Many of these lines were decimated by the Second World War and are still not found in France today.

The Briquet Griffon Vendeen survived the war due to a French dog show judge named Hubert Dezamy, who restored the breed and it is mainly a show dog today. Many of Frances royalty prior to the French Revolution favored the breed as show dogs as well. The Briquet was originally developed for hunting of smaller game and is a scent hound. The larger Grand Griffon Vendeen was used in the hunt for large game, namely wolves and boar.

The Briquet Griffon Vendeen is recognized by the UKC and the FCI but not by the AKC and the breed is hardly known outside of France

The Lhasa Apso is a non-sporting dog hailing from Tibet. He was a useful dog to the monks who would use him in the palaces as well as the monasteries to ward off intruders.

He actually takes his name from the holy city of Lhasa, with the history of the breed going back to 600BC.

Today he is a true companion dog, a family dog, known as as the Tibetan Apso, the Bearded Lion Dog, the Apso and Lhasa.

The dog has been recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1935, in the Non-Sporting Group category.

This medium sized dog is stocky and well proportioned. He looks very much like the Grand Griffon Vendeen only smaller. It is less muscular than other hound dogs and it holds its tail up when working. The head is short with a medium/long muzzle. It has low set ears and a flat skull with large, dark eyes and pronounced eyebrows. It also has a mustache.

Lhasa Apsos are small dogs which stand at between 25 to 28cm in height and weigh in the region of 6 to 8kg.

The body length of the dog is longer than the height of the dog. He has brown eyes, a black nose and medium length, floppy ears. The long tail is carried over the dog's back.

Many people get used to seeing a sheared or clipped Lhaso, so when they see a dog where the coat has been left uncut they can’t believe the long, straight, dense coat.

Because the dog hails from Tibet where the weather can be extremely cold, he has a double coat – an under- and outer coat. While the coat looks fairly silky, it isn’t really and is in fact quite course to the touch.

Colors of the coat can be gold, tan, cream, white, black and white. Regular brushing will be needed for the coat because this is a dog with continual shedding. These dogs are regarded as being hypoallergenic as they hardly shed.

Temperament:

Looks can be quite deceiving when it comes to the Lhasa Apso as he is a dog who looks as though butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth and that he is essentially just a cuddly lapdog.

This small little dog is tough, robust, strong-willed and in his heart he believes he is a huge Tiger.

He’ll make his human family a loyal and loving pet but he is wary with strangers, distrusting anyone he meets for the first time. He is a dog that will need to be trained and socialized as he may take over your home in his ‘Tiger’ role.

Smart and dominant, this training will turn him into an obedient dog to have around which is important as he can become bossy if left to go his own way.

The Briquet Griffon Vendeen is a smart, attentive and sensitive dog. It is easy to train. They are loyal and bond quickly with their owner/trainer. These are enthusiastic dogs with a lot of stamina and get along with dogs and children. They don’t like to be told what to do. They respond well if you bribe them with treats or play with them. They are patient, extroverted and happy dogs.

The Lhasa Apso is a small dog full of surprises. That's because he can be manipulative, naughty and feisty one minute, and sweet and gentle the next. He happens to be a good watch dog too, and will alert you well in advance to intruders.

Because he is small and not a particularly energetic dog, he can slot into life in the city or the countryside with ease. However, exercise is good and necessary for every dog so be sure he joins you on your daily walks or you give him some games indoors.

The Lhasa can be a wonderful family companion and you’ll find that he can get on well with children who have been taught to treat animals with kindness and respect. He isn’t the kind of dog that you keep outdoors but is essentially an indoor dog, relishing the time he spends with his beloved human family and making a wonderful companion.

They are bred to be healthy and hardy, but still have some health concerns. These include:

Aseptic Meningitis

This is a frightening disease if you find your dog has it. It is characterized by a high fever and an intense hypersensitivity to touch. Aseptic Meningitis is an inflammation of the brain. It is caused by an infection and the most common ones include:

Ear infections

Sinus infection

Bite wounds – infected

Severe Allergic Reaction to something – may take medication

Ear Infections – long droopy ears can get infected

Deafness – white dog can be born deaf

Hypothyroidism

Hip dysplasia – bone doesn’t fit well into joint

Patellar luxation – dislocated knee cap

Glaucoma- Increased pressure in the eyes

Skin and Food Allergies

Epilepsy - Seizures

Every dog can develop genetic health problems, but it is highly unlikely that with good care, your Lhasa Apso is going to get sick.

He’s a healthy dog breed that can get to 14 years of age and even older. With Lhasas, health problems can include things like hip dysplasia, eye problems and intervertebral disc disease.

If you are buying a puppy, be careful from where you buy him from. You want careful breeders who screen their parent dogs for genetic diseases. Keeping your dog at the right weight and preventing obesity will also help to ensure he remains healthy.

Feeding

Don’t overfeed your Briquet Griffon Vendeen. Give her at least 2 meals of high quality dry food – two and one half to three cups daily.

Health issues

Aseptic Meningitis can result in death.

Ear Infections can cause meningitis

Deafness – born with this

Hypothyroidism

Hip dysplasia – lameness, arthritis

Patellar luxation - lameness

Glaucoma - blindness

Eye Issues -blindness

Skin and Food Allergies

Epilepsy – could be fatal

Exercise and games

Every type of Griffon is a strong hunter and has strong instincts. The Briquet is no different. They need to be able to hunt as this is one of the strongest of scent hounds. They need a fenced in yard at the very least to explore and smell. They also enjoy long walks with new smells. Stay in shape because your Briquet Griffon Vendeen has stamina to share.

They love to play in leu of hunting. The games they love include frisbee, retrieving balls, and learning new tricks. They need mental stimulation as well as physical.

Grooming:

The Lhasa Apso is going to require regular brushing of his coat as it can get long and then it will matt and tangle easily.

There are owners of this dog breed who prefer to send their dog to their grooming parlor where the coat is trimmed short the way they prefer, minimizing the time spent grooming the dog. At the grooming parlour they also check the ears, the teeth of the dog and the nails, particularly if they don’t wear down naturally.

Diet:

The Lhasa was bred to be a watchdog, so even though he is a small dog, he does his best to guard and protect you. He is no pushover, and training him and socializing him makes him even more adorable to be around.

As man’s best friend, he needs a high-quality, nutritious diet because this helps to protect him from disease. You can feed him the best commercially manufactured foods, but study the packaging details on what the ingredients are. You want to be avoiding corn and wheat, colorants and preservatives.

Your Lhasa has 4 – 6 puppies and as these get older and are weaned they will require 4 meals a day. Once your dog reaches one year of age, he can have 2 meals a day instead of one larger meal.

Every dog loves a little bit of home-made food as a treat, and your Lhasa will wag his tail when you add in some cooked chicken, brown rice and some raw or cooked vegetables into his kibble. Include some raw meat in the diet occasionally as well as this helps to avoid dog skin problems.

Folliculitis

Folliculitis is a skin disease starting in the hair follicles of the dog and often occurs in conjunction with other skin disorders like mange. It is found mostly on the dog's abdomen, his armpits and groin and you’ll notice scaly rings with pus and scabs.

To avoid nasty skin diseases which can be very distressing for your pet, remember that your dog's dietary intake plays a huge role in the maintenance of a healthy skin and some raw meat is key to his wellbeing.