The Griffon Bruxellois or Brussels Griffon is a breed of toy dog, named for the city of their origin, Brussels, Belgium. The Griffon Bruxellois may refer to three different breeds, the Griffon Bruxellois, the Griffon Belge and the Petit Brabançon. Identical in standard except for coat and colour differences, in some standards they are considered varieties of the same breed, much like

History

The three variations of this dog, the Brussels Griffon (Griffon Bruxellois), the Belgian Griffon (Griffon belge), and the Petit Brabançon, all descend from an old type of dog called a Smousje, a rough coated, small terrier-like dog kept in stables to eliminate rodents, similar to the Dutch Smoushond. In Belgium coachmen were fond of their alert little Griffons d’Ecurie (wiry coated stable dogs) and in the 1800s, they bred their Griffons with imported toy dogs. Breeding with the Pug and the King Charles Spaniel brought about the current breed type, but also brought the short black coat that lead to the Petits Brabançon, which was originally a fault of the breed. The spaniels also brought the rich red and black and tan colour of the modern Griffon Bruxellois and Griffon Belge. Over time, the Brussels Griffon became more of a family companion than a ratter. It is a member of the American Kennel Club in the toy group.

Appearance and Size

The Brussels Griffon is a small sturdy dog with a stout body. The most important characteristic of the breed is his almost human facial expression. The eyes are set far apart. The ears are small and are often cropped. If left natural, the ears are partially erect. The head is large for the body size with a domed forehead and an undershot jaw. The muzzle is short. The tail of the griffon is usually docked to about one-third. The Brussels Griffon has two different coat types: rough and smooth. The rough coat is wiry and harsh. The smooth coat, also referred to as the petit brabancon variety, is short and straight. The coat colors can be red, belge (black and reddish brown mix), black and tan or black. The adult Brussels Griffon stands around 7 to 8 inches at the shoulder and weighs about 6 to 12 pounds.

Personality

The Griffon Bruxellois is known to have a huge heart, and a strong desire to snuggle and be with his or her master. They display a visible air of self-importance. A Griffon should not be shy or aggressive; however, they are very emotionally sensitive, and because of this, should be socialized carefully at a young age. Griffons should also be alert, inquisitive and interested in their surroundings. Griffons tend to bond with one human more than others. This, along with their small size, may make them unsuitable as a family pet, especially for a family with very small children. Griffons tend to get along well with other animals in the house, including cats, ferrets, and other dogs. However, they can get into trouble because they have no concept of their own relative size and may attempt to dominate dogs much larger than themselves.

Wikipedia and GNU

The content of this entry is from the Wikipedia article "Brussels Griffon" licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.