Griffon Bruxellois

Red or red-black, sometimes with black areas.

The Griffon Bruxellois hair is medium length, rough coated with an undercoat.

Very dark brown.

This small, keen, bearded dog doesn’t just look intelligent: he looks like an academic. He’s very small, but very sturdy considering he’s attributed to the toy genre of dog. His head is relatively large compared to the rest of his body, and arresting in its human-like countenance. His snout ends abruptly, although his jutting jaw gives it something of an epilogue. His ears flop forwards, and are absolutely adorable – but live somewhat in the shadow of that formidable beard, which is his defining feature. His back and legs are subtly muscular, his tail high and erect. His hair is wiry, rough, and more or less straight; it may be wavy, but never curly. The Brussels is a beige-ish red, with more or less blackness to it, while his cousin the Griffon Belge is black and tan.

The Griff forms a strong bond with his family and illustrates this with the warmest affections.

This dog was once a worker, and retains the energy and enthusiasm of his working generations. Although he is strong for his size, he is too fragile for tussling.

He’s not the calmest of fellows, since his high energy levels drive him to constantly seek stimulation. He’s not neurotic, but may become barky or mischievous if neglected.

The Griff is a clever fellow and gives every impression that he would devote himself to building model aeroplanes if left to his own devices. However, this is not the case and this little dog should not be trusted with glue.

His rat-catching instincts may not have fully-subsided, so he should always be chaperoned in the company of the family hamster.

This Bruxellois is generally warm towards people he doesn’t know, although it varies from dog to dog and early socialisation is essential. His ancestors were used as guard dogs, although due to his size he is more of an alarm function than a physical deterrent.

The Griff requires the close company of his family and soon becomes unhappy without it; however, he is a free-thinker, and may act stubbornly or bring his own ideas to the table if not well-disciplined.

This dog does not like being alone. He will demonstrate his displeasure with small and ingenious acts of protest.

His intelligence and sociability make the Griff a good subject for education; however, his wilfulness and sensitivity may inhibit his progress if he is treated too harshly or pushed beyond his comfort zone.

He is quite a barky one; he will let you know when someone’s at the door, or he’s happy, or he wants your attention. Anti-bark training is recommended.

An under-stimulated Griff may well engage his wily intelligence to hatch an escape plot if he finds nothing to do where he’s currently situated.

Although not the most destructive of dogs, one should not trust one’s best slippers with him if one intends to leave him alone for longer than he is accustomed.

The Griffon is not a greedy dog, but care should be given that he gets the exercise he needs and is not allowed more food than his small frame requires.

This surly chap looks just dandy in a guard’s cap and browsing the daily newspaper. What’s more, he’ll alert you to the approach of strangers the best he can, although he may not quite have the stature to arrest intruders.

For those that have the time for this fellow and the intelligence to deliver a full education program in his youth, there’s no good reason not to be introduced to the world of dog ownership with a Griffon Bruxellois.

The Griff can flourish in an adequately-sized apartment as long as he gets daily walks and is offered the attention he requires to distract him from mischief-making.

He needs at least half an hour of decent exercise a day. This can include walking, gentle running, and ball games – he’s first rate at the popular dog sport of ‘fetch.’ However, be aware that he is not really made for wrestling.

The Griff is a good traveller and a good size for easy portability.

If socialised from a young age, the Griff usually doesn’t have a problem with familiar cats; however, his ancient hunting instinct lurks still, and he will not tolerate abuse at the paws of the family moggy.

Again, if well-socialised then in general problems should be minimal. However, the Griff has been accused of ‘small dog syndrome,’ which is to say he may attempt to prove himself, unprovoked, against larger dogs; or indeed, should a larger dog provoke him, the Griff might forget his size and get himself into something he’ll need your help to get out of.

The Griff is not the ideal match for small children, since he does not tolerate unwarranted poking, wrestling, close-talking, or over-hugging. It is a good idea for him to spend some time in the society of small children while still a pup, regardless of plans for him to share a home with such creatures in his maturity.

An older person who is capable of dealing with the Griff’s sometimes demanding energy levels should find that his relatively low exercise needs and keen sense of companionship are well-suited to the autumn years.

Shedding is moderate.

12-14 years.

The Griff is pretty sturdy for his size, and is truly monumental next to his compadres in the Toy category. However, he’s still a small dog, and rough-handling is likely to result in injury or at least upset.

Due to his squashed snout, the Griff may suffer from breathing problems during hot weather. It is important to make sure he is always well-ventilated, with good access to fresh water and shade.

The Griff is moderately tolerant of cold weather but should not be subjected to extremes.

He will only pile on the pounds if under-exercised or over-fed.

• Patella Luxation (slipped stifles)
• Hip dysplasia
• Eye Problems
• Skin Allergies

This Belgian toy-terrier can trace his lineage to the “Smousje,” a common hunter in the Brussels area from where the Griffon takes his name. The Smousje was cross-bred with such unlikely suiters as the Affenpinscher, Ruby King Charles Spaniel and the Pug, and the keen dog observer can spot elements of each of these distinguished dogs in today’s Griffon.
Developing as an ardent rat-catcher, the Bruxellois found work with the common people and the aristocracy alike, where his fine character and peculiar looks won him favour; Queen Marie Henriette was a particular fan, and took to breeding the little dogs and distributing them across Europe. He arrived in England in the 1890s, where he quickly won over small bands of enthusiasts, and indeed he has the British to thank for his survival through two world wars, when his numbers were decimated.
Of late he has achieved some considerable celebrity, appearing in the paintings of Mary Cassatt, films such as Gosford Park, Sweet November, The First Wives Club, and Teaching Mrs. Tingle; his cousin, the Petit Brabançon, played Carter’s morbid dog in the sitcom Spin City; and the Ewok connection is no coincidence, since George Lucas was an owner, and the Star Wars design team drew inspiration from the short fellow. 
But the Griffon Bruxellois received his greatest popularity boost following the 1997 movie As Good As It Gets: six Griffs - Timer, Sprout, Debbie, Billy, Parfait, and Jill – took it in turns to play Verdell, the dog of Greg Kinnear’s character, Simon Bishop. So adorable was their collective performance, the ripples of demand were felt by Griffon breeders across the movie-going territories.