Introduction
The Brussels Griffon, named for the Belgian city of its origin, is a sturdy and lively little fellow originally bred to be a ratter in stables where horse-drawn carriages were kept. Also known as the Bruss, the Griff, the Griffon Belge, the Stable Griffon, the Griffon d’Ecurie, the Griffon Bruxellois and the Petit Brabancon, this breed is highly intelligent and delightful to be around. They are unusually sensitive and demanding of attention and are strictly house dogs that will pine away without sufficient love and affection from their people. Given their small stature and tendency to be a one-person dog, they are not the best choice as a child’s pet. The modern Brussels Griffon is a small and delightful house companion, with a very short, uptilted nose, prominent lustrous eyes and a domed top skull. He appears to pout, looking almost human in expression. His ears may be cropped or natural, and if natural should be semi-erect. The standard calls for an undershot jaw, with the lower jaw (mandible) being more pronounced. Their tail normally is docked to about one-third of its natural length.
Brussels Griffons have been described as looking like the Ewok of Star Wars fame. They were accepted as a breed by the American Kennel Club in 1960, as a member of its Toy Group. Like many small dogs, the Brussels Griffon seems to have no concept of its diminutive size and as a result can get into trouble if it tries to dominate larger dogs (i.e. “small dog syndrome”). It can also be moody.
The average Brussels Griffon is between 7 and 8 inches at the withers and typically weighs between 7 and 11 pounds. They should not exceed 12 pounds, although type and quality are more important than weight and a smaller dog of exceptional sturdiness and proportion should not be penalized under the American Kennel Club breed standard. They are not especially high-energy dogs but do require regular exercise and mental stimulation. Their coat, which can be rough or smooth, is easy to care for with regular brushing and occasional bathing, although the rough coat requires hand-stripping. Their coat color may be red, belge (black and reddish brown mixed), black and tan, or solid black. Any white hairs are a serious fault in this breed.
During the early 1800s, coachmen in Belgium kept small, wire-haired terrier-type dogs to manage the rodent population in their carriage stables. They were then known as “griffons d’ecurie”, which translates to “wire-coated stable dogs.” It is thought that the Pug (a Victorian favorite in Britain) was crossed with these humble native Belgian terriers in the mid-1800s, producing a smooth-coated dog called the “Brabancon, after the Belgian national anthem. Around the same time, the King Charles
The Brussels Griffon is a toy breed that developed in the streets of Brussels where they hunted rats. Small, with highly expressive faces, the Brussels Griffon looks like a fragile little “purse dog,” but even though they fit nicely in a hand bag, they are sturdy and fearless, boasting the ability to climb like a cat. They enjoy being the center of attention and are often described by owners as hams and clowns. They get
Brussels Griffons are tiny dogs but are very sturdy in build. They should be squarely proportioned, have a domed head, an underbite, a short nose and shiny eyes. Their faces have an almost human-like expression, and some owners describe their dogs as looking like an Ewok from the famous Star Wars trilogy. Others say Brussels look like miniature Boxers. There are rough coated Brussels Griffons and Smooth coated Brussels Griffons. They come in red, red-brown
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