Brussels Griffon - Dog Breed Profile

Author: Dooziedog.com

Key Facts:

Size: Small

Height: About 25 cm (10 inches)

Weight: 2.3 - 5 kg (5 - 11 lb)

Most desirable 2.7 - 4.5 kg (6 - 10 lb)

Life Span: 15 years

Grooming: Medium

Exercise: Undemanding

Feeding: Undemanding

Temperament: Lively & alert

Country of Origin: Belgium

AKC Group: Toy

Other Names: Griffon Bruxellois, Belgian Griffon, Petit Brabancon, Griffon Belge

Temperament:

The Brussels Griffon is bold, active, mischievous and affectionate. Brussels Griffons make great watchdogs and appear fearless. The Brussels Griffon is good with children but more wary with strangers. They get on with other dogs and household pets due to their naturally sociable nature. Brussels Griffons should be straightforward to train as they are eager to learn and have the intelligence for it.

Grooming:

The Brussels Griffon (rough-coated variety) is usually stripped by hand at regular intervals, except for the moustache, beard and other facial hair features. The beard needs regular brushing to keep it clean from food residue. The hairs in the corners of the eye need to be removed to prevent the eye form being irritated.

Exercise:

The Brussels Griffon doesn't demand a great deal of exercise and can adapt to apartment or flat living. But Brussels Griffons do enjoy going for walks in the woods or in the country.

History:

Originally the Brussels Griffon was supposed to keep the stables free of rats. They evolved from the soft coated Belgium street dog and it is believed that they were crossed with the Affenpinschers, a German hairy rat catcher and the smooth coated pug. All these crosses resulted in both smooth and rough coated varieties. The Pugs bloodlines gave the Brussels Griffons shorter muzzles which was detrimental to their rat catching abilities. But as their appearance improved so did their popularity.

Physical Characteristics:

General Appearance: Stocky, short and monkey-like.

Color: Black, black/tan, rust, black/rust, tan or clear red.

Coat: Bruxellois - Harsh and wiry. Petit Brabancon - Close and short with no curls. Preferably with an undercoat.

Tail: Commonly docked, set high and carried erect.

Ears: Set high, semi-erect, small and may be cropped within certain countries.

Body: The back is short and level with deep, well-sprung ribs. The loin is short and strong.

Additional Comments:

The Brussels Griffon is the rough-coated variety and the Petit Brabancon is the smooth-coated variety that came later after further cross-breeding. These different types are so similar that they are often categorized under one name.

About the author: This article provided courtesy of http://www.dooziedog.com/dog_breeds/brussels_griffon/