Brussels Griffon
| Recognized By: |
ACR
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AKC
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ANKC
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APRI
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CKC
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CKC
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FCI
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KCGB
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NKC
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UKC
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| AKA: |
Griffon Belge, Griffon Bruxellois, Belgian Griffon |
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| Mispellings: |
Brussel Griffin |
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Caring for a Brussels Griffon
Feeding: If the Brussels Griffon is fed table scraps they may become gluttonous or picky eaters.
Living with a Brussels Griffon
Temperament: The Brussels Griffon is an intelligent, curious, alert, sensitive, affectionate, cheerful dog who is full of personality. They have a feeling of self-importance and tend to love everyone the meet.
Family Dog: The Brussels Griffon makes a good family dog. They are generally good with other dogs and cats.
Shedding: The Brussels Griffon sheds very little.
Grooming: The smooth coat requires less grooming than the rough coated dogs. The coat of a rough-coated Griffon must be hand-stripped and should never appear unkempt if it is to be shown. The coat of a Griffon kept as a pet may be trimmed.
Training: The Brussels Griffin may be difficult to housebreak. Care should be taken to give the Brussels Griffon proper guidelines to keep them from developing Small Dog Syndrome which can lead to behavioral problems.
Exercise: The Brussels Griffon is very active and can get a majority of their exercise inside but they should be taken on a daily walk.
Living Conditions: The Brussels Griffon make good apartment dogs as they will do fine without a yard.
Brussels Griffon Appearance
Appearance: The Brussels Griffon is an alert, sturdy dog with a short, thickset body and intelligent, almost human-like expression. It has been said that they resemble a miniature Boxer.
Size: The Brussels Griffon should be between 7 to 8 inches tall and weigh between 6 to 12 pounds with 8 to 10 being average.
Companionship: The Brussels Griffon makes a great companion dog. They need to be around people and will not do good as an outdoor dog or one who spends lots of time alone.
Head: The skull of the Brussels Griffon large and round with a domed forehead. It appears very large in size when compared to the size of the body.
Nose: The nose of the Brussels Griffon is very black in color with large nostrils.
Eyes: The eyes of the Brussels Griffon are large, black and set well apart. They appear lustrous, prominent and well open. The eyelashes are long and black. They eyelids are edged with black.
Ears: The ears of the Brussels Griffon are small and set high on the head. The ears of the Brussels Griffon are generally cropped but can be left natural. If they are left natural they should be carried semi-erect.
Muzzle: The muzzle of the Brussels Griffon is very short with the tip set back deeply between the eyes. The lips are edged in black. They should be well together and not pendulous giving a clean look to the mouth.
Teeth/Bite: The Brussels Griffon has an undershot jaw with the incisors of the lower jaw protruding over the upper incisors. The broad lower jaw is more prominent with an upward sweep. Neither the teeth nor the tongue should be visible when the mouth is closed.
Neck: The neck of the Brussels Griffon in of medium length and gracefully arched.
Body: The body of the Brussels Griffon has an overall square proportion. The body is short, thickset, and compact with good balance. The brisket is broad and deep with well sprung ribs. The topline should be level and short.
Forequarters: The front legs are straight, muscular, set wide apart and of medium length. The pasterns are short and strong.
Hindquarters: The hind legs of the Brussels Griffon are strong and well muscled with bent stifles, well let down hocks and turn neither in nor out.
Gait: The movement of a Brussels Griffon is a straight ahead in a purposeful trot. The gait should show moderate reach and drive while maintaining a steady topline.
Feet: The feet of the Brussels Griffon are small, round and compact with well arched toes. They should turn neither in nor out. The pads and toenails should be black in color.
Tail: The tail of the Brussels Griffon is docked to about one-third and carried high.
Color: The coat of the Brussels Griffon can be one of four colors. Red which consists of a reddish brown coat with black at the whiskers and on the chin. Belge which is a black and reddish brown mixed coat usually with a black mask and whiskers, Black and Tan consisting of a primarily black coat with uniform reddish brown markings under the chin, on the legs, above the eyes, around the ears and around the vent. Black which is a solid black coat. None of these colors should have any white hairs except for "frost" on the muzzle of an older dog.
Coat: The coat of the Brussels Griffon comes in two distinct types. The rough-coated Griffon has a harsh wiry, dense coat. The coat should never have a shaggy appearance nor at all resemble the coat of the smooth coat Griffon. The head should be covered with a wiry coat which is longer around the eyes. The smooth-coated has a short, straight, glossy coat nose, cheeks and chin giving them "fringe".
Brussels Griffon Facts
Category: Toy
Life Expectancy: The average life expectancy of the Brussels Griffon in 12 to 15 years.
Characteristics: The Brussels Griffon makes an excellent watch dog. They have been given the nickname "Monkey Face" because of their almost human-like expression.
Celebrity Owners: Jack Nicholson's character (Melvin Udall) in the movie "As Good as it Gets".
Brussels Griffon Health
Health: The Brussels Griffon is prone to slipped stifle as well as eye and respiratory problems. The female often requires a Cesarean section to give birth.
Litter Size: The average litter size of a Brussels Griffon is 1 to 3 pups.
Brussels Griffon History
History: The Brussels Griffon was first in 1880 at the Brussels Exhibition. This breed was once kept by cab drivers in Brussels during the 17th century to rid their stables of vermin. They later became a companion dog because of their wonderful character. The Smooth-coat probably comes from Pug ancestry along with the Yorkshire Terrier, English Toy Spaniel and Irish Terriers which have contributed to today's Griffon lines.
There are in fact three different types of Griffons. The AKC only recognizes The Brussels Griffon which allows all of the colors as well as the smooth-coat or Brabancon variety. The FCI has broken the Griffon into three separate breeds with the smooth-coat being called Petit Brabancon, the rough red coated know as the Brussels Griffon and the other color rough coats as the Belgian Griffon. In Europe the three types are shown independently and no interbreeding between the varieties is allowed. In the United States the three types are considered one breed and can be bred together.
