Uncommon Brussels Griffon Dog Breed

Please consider adopting a dog, cat or any other pet from one of the hundreds of rescue sites on the Internet.  Anyone can use the humane societies and rescue sites to give an animal a second chance at a good life with a loving family.  “RED” stands for rescue every dog and can be located at:  http://www.rescueeverydog.org  another trusted site is:  http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com A special thank you to wikipedia, http://www.dogbreedsinfo.com  and The American Kennel Club for help in providing you with this summary.

Photo of a Griffon Bruxellois is courtesy wikipedia.com

Brussels Griffon as you probably guessed is a dog breed originating in Belgium.  Bruxellois includes three different breeds with some specific differences.  The Griffon Bruxellois, the Griffon Belge and the petit Brabancon are alike for the exception of the coat color and texture. One site I consulted stated this dog breed has a human expressive look.  Oh my, don’t look in the mirror and agree with them, please.

The bearded Griffon is in the toy group of canines telling you they are lap dogs.  Weight ranges  from 8 to 10 pounds for both sexes with a usual height of 7 to 8 inches tall.   It is not uncommon for the female to require a C section due to the size of the dog.  The size of the litter can be 1 to 6 pups, which add to the complications of birthing. Being called Griffon, Griff and Bruss, seems as though those names are small like the stature of this breed.

Physical characteristics start with a very prominent flat face, obvious chin and the entire head giving a circle  appearance.  The ears are tiny and protrude in an outward position even though they are considered erect.  Eyes are widely set apart and  large in size on a whisker laden head with eyebrows and a moustache.   Muscular, sturdy and well balanced, Brussels are quite a show stopper, taking awards for jumping that generally this size dog is not capable of achieving.

 Photo of agility conformation of a Brussels Griffon Dog is courtesy wikipedia

Temperament of this breed is an alert, docile, keen and loving companion. They like to cuddle and stay close to the pet owners.  Bonding with humans is one of the strengths of this canine.  Along with being sensitive they do well with children of all ages. Like any pet of this size, supervision is recommended with toddlers holding them, then accidentally dropping them.  Even at couch level this dog could be injured.  Their gentle and accepting nature will tell you they intermingle well with other dogs and non canines as well.  Many dogs of this breed actually need a  special person to snuggle with, since they do not do well if left alone for long periods of time.  You can count on them being a good watch dog along with performing tricks. This breed is a little difficult to house break.

Depending on the type of dog, the coat can be glossy, straight, smooth or soft and woolly.

Griffon Belge photo is courtesy wikipedia.

Colors of Brussels Bruxellois are red, reddish brown, black mask or all  black.  Griffon Belge colors are black, black and tan, black and tan combination with red shades.

Griffon Bruxellois photo is courtesy wikipedia

Petit Brabancon have assorted color variations with generally a black mask.

Photo is courtesy wikipedia

Grooming is different with the coats of these minimal shedding dogs.  Most often time a special removing of the hair is accomplished by stripping, which is a pulling out of the dead hair. Since they like attention, they tolerate this well when pet owners care for them with personal hygiene treatments like this.  The short hair is far easier to care for than the rough, longer fur.

The lifespan is 12 to 15 years with attention to observe for any health issues that have been in the breed for years.  Expect to have a cheerful  and entertaining pet in The Griffon.