belgian griffon

Author: Laura McKinney
Date Of Creation: 3 August 2021
Update Date: 1 November 2024
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Brussels Griffon - Top 10 Facts
Video: Brussels Griffon - Top 10 Facts

Content

O belgian griffon, the Brussels griffon and the petit brabançon are three very similar pet dog breeds that share history and come from the same place, the European city of Brussels, Belgium. We could say that there are three breeds in one, as they only differ by the color and type of fur. In fact, although the International Cynological Federation (FCI) considers these dogs as three separate breeds, other organizations such as the English Kennel Club recognize three varieties of a single breed called the Brussels griffon.

In this Animal Expert form, we'll tell you everything you need to know before adopting a belgian griffon, from their origin and physical characteristics, through their temperament and care, to their education and most common health problems.


Source
  • Europe
  • Belgium
FCI rating
  • Group IX
Physical characteristics
  • Rustic
Size
  • toy
  • Small
  • Medium
  • Great
  • Giant
Height
  • 15-35
  • 35-45
  • 45-55
  • 55-70
  • 70-80
  • more than 80
adult weight
  • 1-3
  • 3-10
  • 10-25
  • 25-45
  • 45-100
Hope of life
  • 8-10
  • 10-12
  • 12-14
  • 15-20
Recommended physical activity
  • Low
  • Average
  • High
Character
  • Sociable
  • very faithful
  • Active
Ideal for
  • floors
  • Houses
Recommended weather
  • Cold
  • Warm
  • Moderate
type of fur
  • Medium
  • Smooth
  • Hard

origin of the belgian griffon

The Belgian griffon, as well as the Brussels griffon and the petit brabançon, are three breeds that descend from the "Smousje", an ancient hard-haired terrier-type dog that lived in Brussels and was used to eliminate rats and mice in stables. During the 19th century, these Belgian dogs were bred with pugs, and with King Charles spaniels, giving rise to today's Belgian and Brussels griffons and petit brabançon.


The popularity of this breed, along with the other two, grew suddenly in Belgium and throughout Europe when Queen Maria Enriqueta introduced the breeding and maintenance of these animals. However, the two subsequent world wars almost completely extinguished the three races, but, fortunately for the European cynophilia, the English breeders managed to rescue them, however, they never recovered their former popularity.

Nowadays, the three Belgian pet dog breeds are used as pets and in dog shows and, although they are very little known in the world, fortunately they are not in danger of extinction.

Physical characteristics of the Belgian griffon

The only thing that differentiates this breed from the other two mentioned above is the coat. Thus, the Belgian griffon has a stiff, long, slightly wavy coat with an inner layer of fur. Accepted colors are black and black with brown, but black mixed with reddish brown is also allowed.


On the other hand, the three breeds have some identical physical characteristics: the height of the withers is not indicated in the FCI standard of any of these three breeds of dogs, but both the Belgian and Brussels griffon and the petit brabançon are generally between 18 and 20 centimeters. The ideal weight for these three breeds is 3.5 to 6 kilograms. These purebred dogs are small, robust and with an almost square body profile. However, due to their small size and broad chest, they have elegant movements.

The head is the most striking feature of the belgian griffon. In all three breeds, the head is large, broad and round. The muzzle is very short, the stop is very sharp and the nose is black. The eyes are large, round and dark. According to the FCI standard, they should not be prominent, but apparently this is a subjective assessment or criterion that is not always met in these three breeds of dogs. The ears are small, set high and well apart. Unfortunately, the FCI continues to accept amputated ears, although this practice represents only harm to the animal.

The cause of this breed of dog is high insertion and usually the dog leaves it up. On this occasion, the FCI standard does not favor animal welfare either, as it accepts the amputated tail even if there is no reason to do so. Fortunately, the custom of amputating tails and ears for "aesthetic" reasons is disappearing around the world and is already illegal in some countries.

belgian griffon temperament

These three breeds of dogs are so close to each other that they even share temperament traits. Many of these dogs are a little nervous, but not much. In general, Belgian griffons are active, alert and courageous dogs; and tend to cling to just one person, which they follow most of the time.

While Belgian, Brussels and petit brabançons griffons can be friendly and playful, they can also be shy or aggressive when not properly socialized. These three breeds can be more difficult to socialize than other companion dogs, as their temperament is strong and reckless, and they can get angry with other dogs and with other people who try to dominate them by trying to make them submissive. But when these dogs are socialized correctly and early on, they can tolerate other dogs, other animals and strangers without any problem.

As they need a lot of company, they are Strong personality and tend to follow the same person, they can easily develop some behavior problems when they live in the wrong environment. These dogs can have destructive behaviors, become barkers or even suffer from separation anxiety when they spend too much time alone.

But despite all these potential problems, the Belgian griffon and its canine cousins ​​make excellent pets for adults who have enough time to spend with their dogs. They are not good pets for first-time tutors because they need a lot of attention and neither are they for families with children, as these dogs tend to react badly to sudden movements and noises.

Belgian Griffon Care

Both the Belgian griffon, the Brussels griffon and the petit brabançon have great needs for companionship and attention. All three races need to spend most of their time with the person they are most attached to and their family. Belgian griffons aren't made to live in a garden or on a patio, although they like to be outdoors when accompanied. They are well suited to living in an apartment, but it is better if they live in a calm and peaceful area rather than in the center of big cities.

The three races are very active and need a lot of physical activity, and thanks to their small size, they can perform this exercise indoors. Still, it's important to walk the dogs daily and give them some time to play. It should be taken into account that they are puppies with flat faces that are susceptible to thermal shocks, therefore, they should not be exercised intensely when there are high temperatures and in very humid environments.

Regarding coat care, there are some slight differences between the three classes of breeds. So, for the Belgian and Brussels griffons it is necessary brush the fur two or three times a week and do stripping (manually remove dead hair) about three times a year. And you should only bathe them and bathe them when they are really dirty.

belgian griffon education

In addition to correct socialization, for these three races, the dog training it's very important, as it is necessary to be able to control these small dogs with a strong personality. Traditional training, based on punishment and domination of the dog, does not usually give good results with the Belgian griffon or with the other two breeds, on the contrary, it usually generates more conflicts than benefits. On the other hand, positive training styles, such as clicker training, tend to do very well with any of the three.

belgian griffon health

Generally, the Belgian or Brussels griffon and the petit brabançon are usually healthy animals and do not have canine diseases more often than other breeds. Even so, it is very important to know some of the most common health problems within these three breeds in order to prevent them. Among them are: stenotic nostrils, exophthalmos (eyeball protrusion), eyeball lesions, cataracts, progressive retinal atrophy, patellar dislocation and distichiasis.