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Brussels Griffon Dog Breed Introduction
Brussels Griffon is a toy-sized dog breed from Brussels, Belgium. In the USA, there are two types of Brussels, Petit Brabançon( smooth-coated) and Brussels Griffon ( rough-coated). However, in Belgium there are three varieties, Griffon Belge, Petit Brabançon, and Brussels Griffon. The term Brussels Griffon or Griffon Bruxello may refer to the three breeds. The smooth-coated variety( Petit Brabançon) looks like a Pug.
The Griffons are inquisitive, alert, and tend to bond with one human more than others. They are also good with children provided they are not teased. However, Griffons are not very patient but love to play. These dogs are emotionally sensitive, therefore, they should be socialized from an early age to avoid fear aggression. Griffons are easily trained, sociable, and alert.
Brussels Griffon Origin | History
The Brussel Griffon descended from Smousje, a small terrier-like dog with a rough coat. This dog was used for eliminating rats in the stables. These dogs were known as “wire-coated stable dogs or griffons d’ecurie. The coachmen of Belgium were fond of their alert stable dogs. Therefore, in the 19th century, they bred their Griffons with the imported toy dogs. Breeding with King Charles Spaniel and Pug brought about the current breed type as well as the smooth-coated variety that led to the Petits Brabançon.
Initially, Petits Brabançon was a fault in the breed. The spaniels also brought the rich red and black and tan color of the modern Griffon Bruxellois and Griffon Belge. The popularity of the breed skyrocket in the 1870s after the Queen of the Belgians, Henrietta Maria took a liking into the breed. The royal boost received by the breed led to an international interest. Therefore, Griffons were exported to America and England.
In 1910, AKC registered the first Griffon. The numbers of Griffons greatly reduced after World War I and II. If not for the dedication of the UK and the USA fanciers, the breed might not have survived. In 1997, Griffons won a millions of new fans due to the appearance of a Griffon in the movie, As Good as If Gets.
Brussels Griffon Lifespan
According to AKC, Brussels Griffon has a lifespan of 12 to 15 years.
Brussels Griffon Grooming
The grooming needs of a Griffon depends on its coat texture. Smooth-coated Griffons need a weekly brushing using a hound glove or a grooming mitt. During the heavy shedding season, brush the coat daily to confine the loose hair in the brush. Smooth-coated Griffons also require occasional bath every 6 to 8 weeks unless they roll off into something stinky.
The Rough-coated Griffons do not shed. However, their beard should be combed regularly using a small metal comb to prevent matting and tangling. Brush the rough-coated variety twice a week or so using a metal comb tooth and a bristle brush. The coat also needs to be stripped twice a year to remove the loose hair and promote new hair growth.
Griffons need nail trim every 3 to 5 weeks to prevent overgrowth, cracking, and splitting using nail clippers. Brush the teeth of a Griffon at least twice a week if not daily to remove tartar buildup using a dog-formulated toothpaste and finger roothbrush. Clean the ears on a weekly basis using an ear cleanser solution and cotton balls. While cleaning the ears, check out for signs of dog’s ear infection such as odor, redness, or dark discharge.
Brussels Griffon Haircuts | Grooming Styles
Some owners prefer to clip the coat several times a year in addition to hand stripping. Even though, clipping interferes with the texture of the coat. Some of the suitable haircuts for Griffons include:
Puppy cut – For this cut, the hair on the body is clipped to an inch while the fur on the head and tail is left a little longer.
Teddy bear cut – To achieve this haircut, the fur on the face is clipped in a rounded shape to achieve a teddy-bear look. The hair on the body is clipped to a length of 2 inches.
Summer cut – As the name suggest, this is a suitable cut for warm months. To achieve this look, the fur is trimmed to a length of 1/2 an inch.
Brussels Griffon Shedding
Wiry or rough-coated Griffons don’t shed. However, the smooth-coated type sheds all-year round at moderate levels and heavily for a period of 1 or 2 weeks during Spring and Fall.
Brussels Griffon Coat
A Griffon may have a smooth coat or a rough-coat. The rough coat is hard, wiry, and dense while the smooth coat is short, straight, tight, and glossy.
Brussels Griffon Coat Hypoallergenic
The rough coated Griffons ( Brussels) are considered hypoallergenic. They have a wiry coat that does not shed. However, the smooth coated Petit Brabancons, shed moderately throughout the year and heavily in Spring and Fall. A moulting coat releases dander and fur into the environment aggravating allergies.
Brussels Griffon Training
A Griffon has high degree of intelligence and strongly bond with the owner which makes it highly trainable. However, Griffons are emotional sensitive breeds that need socialization to ensure they don’t bite out of fear. This training ensures a Griffon matures to grow into a well-adjusted and well-mannered dog. This training starts from the age of 3 weeks while the pup is with the breeder until the age of 8 weeks after the pup has already settled in its new home. Although, socialization may be a life long process to ensure that the dog has an all-rounded temperament.
Normally, owners take their pets home from the age of 8 weeks. To ensure a Griffon is socialized, expose it to wide variety of people, animals, surfaces, places, smell, situations, experiences, sights, and sounds such as door bells, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, whistles, lawn mowers, baby crying sounds, and sirens. Enrolling a Griffon in a puppy class serves as a form of socialization. These classes create a controlled environment where canines interact. Puppy classes are also beneficial to parents. They not only enable them to identify and correct bad habits but also have access to training information and assistance.
Naturally, Griffons are sensitive dogs that don’t respond well to harsh training or correction methods such as yelling, kicking, or shoving. However, they respond to positive training methods such as the use of treats, toys, petting, verbal praise, and playtime. Keep the training sessions for a span of 5 minutes distributed throughout the day. They should be fun and challenging to avoid distraction and boredom.
Start teaching basic command words like come, sit, lie down, stay, heel, etc. one at a time. Proceed to the next command word after a Griffon is well-acquainted. Owners should avoid issuing a command while too excited or frustrated. It does not sound the same for their dogs. Effectively housebreak a Griffon by creating a feeding schedule, potty training, and crate training. Consistence and patience is key.
Brussels Griffon Temperament | Personality | Traits
- Sensitive.
- Alert.
- Easily trainable.
- Intelligent.
- Sociable.
- Energetic.
- Playful.
- Inquisitive.
- Active.
- Watchful.
- Self-importance.
Brussels Griffon Exercise
A Griffon is an active and playful dog that needs at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily to stay happy and healthy. These dogs also love to chase the ball, play, and romp. Griffons also excel in canine events such as tracking, agility, and obedience due to their intelligence and trainability.
Brussels Griffon Barking
A Griffon is a vocal and alert dog that barks at any sound which makes them excellent watchdogs.
Brussels Griffon Height
Griffons have a height of 7 to 10 inches ( approx. 18 to 25 cm ).
Brussels Griffon Weight
A Griffon has a weight of 8 to 12 pounds ( approx. 4 to 5.4 kg ).
Brussels Griffon Size
A Griffon is a toy-sized dog that has a height of 7 to 10 inches ( approx. 18 to 25 cm ) and a weight range of 8 to 12 pounds ( approx. 4 to 5.4 kg ).
Brussels Griffon Health Issues | Health Problems
A Griffon is a relatively healthy and robust dog. Although, it is brachycephalic and may experience breathing problems in hot or sunny weather. They also snore. Apart from breathing problems, other health problems that a Griffon may suffer from include Cleft palate, Syringomyelia, eye disorders like Glaucoma, Lens Luxation, cataracts, and lacerations, patella luxation, hip dysplasia, skin allergies, and heart problems.
Brussels Griffon Names
A Griffon owner may decide to find a name for the pet before it joins them home from the breeder or a few days after the pet joins them home to understand better the personality of the particular dog. Owners may get name inspirations from the Belgium heritage of the breed, coat color and texture, characteristics of the dog, celebrity Griffons, movies, books, songs, food, nature, and historical figures.
Regardless of where the Griffon owner will source the name, they should ensure the name chosen will not make them embarrassed when uttered out loud in the public places. Griffons and other dog breeds better understand names that have vowels. Avoid giving your pet a name that rhymes with the command words to avoid confusion.
If the owner settles with a long name, they should find a cute nickname for the Griffon. If a Griffon shares a name with any household member or guest who frequent the home, it may result in confusion. Some of the names that Griffon parents give to their pets include:
- Empress.
- Heidi.
- Coco.
- Bambi.
- Zoe.
- Poppy.
- Cooper.
- Damien.
- Finn.
- Jake.
- Lance.
- Murphy.
- Oscar.
- Simon.
- Monet.
- Leo, etc.
Brussels Griffon Dog Food
The amount of food that a Griffon feeds on depends on its age, activity level, metabolism, size, and body build. Puppies tend to eat small portions of food 3 or 4 times a day due to high metabolism rates from when they start weaning until the age of 6 months. From the age of 6 months, Griffons should feed on a total two meals a day. Avoid leaving a food bowl all-day long for the pet to graze on it since they are prone to obesity. Remember to watch weight level and calorie consumption to avoid overfeeding especially with treats.
Griffons may feed on dry food, wet food, home made, or a raw diet depending on the budget and time of the pet parent. Regardless of the food type, parents should ensure that the dog feeds on a balanced diet to maintain a good health eventually allowing it to develop cognitively and physically. If a Griffon parent decides to feed the pet with the commercial dry or wet food, he or she should ensure the first three ingredients are proteins from a known source.
The commercial dog food should neither contain preservatives, chemicals, additives, Meat by-products, generic meat products, nor fillers. The same goes to the snacks. Dry or wet food should also be formulated for toy-sized, puppies, adults, and senior depending on the age of your Griffon. Check the physique of your pet to tell whether it is overweight or underweight.
If you can see the ribs, chances are the dog is underweight. However, if the ribs are not visible but can be felt without pressing hard, a Griffon has an ideal weight. If the ribs can’t be felt, the dog is overweight and should be exercised. Pet owners who want to switch to another quality food should gradually do this over a period of one month by mixing both new food and old food. As the weeks progresses, the amount of old food reduces as the new food increases until the Griffon is only feeding on new food during the fourth week.
Apart from Brussels Griffon, other dog breeds include:
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
Brussels Griffon Allergies
A Griffon may suffer from various forms of allergies as discussed below:
Food allergies – Rarely, Griffons suffer from a true food allergy which results to an immune response. It is usually accompanied with a wide range of symptoms ranging from skin issues ( such as facial swelling, itchiness, sores, hives, lesions, dermatitis, and pruritus ) as well as gastrointestinal symptoms such as acute vomiting and diarrhea.
Skin allergies – A Griffon may suffer from skin allergies due to food, contact, and environmental allergies that manifest on the skin.
Contact allergies – This allergy affects a Griffon once the skin comes in contact with the allergen. Some of the contact allergens that affect Griffons include carpet cleaning detergents, plastics, lawn chemicals, latex, grooming products, medication, bed linens, and certain fabrics. Commonly affected body parts include the feet, around the muzzle, and paws.
Environmental allergies – Some of the environmental allergies that affect Griffons include grass, trees, ragweed, fleas, dust and dust mites, pollen, mites, and house molds. Fleas cause flea allergy dermatitis that cause itchiness around the bite area until the skin is raw. Symptoms of environmental allergies include congestion, sneezing, nasal discharge, and itchiness on various body parts including paws, feet, ears, muzzle, belly sides, groin, face, around the eyes, underarms, and between the toes.
Brussels Griffon Colors
A Griffon may either have a solid black color, red, Black and tan, or Belge.
Brussels Griffon Types
In the United States, there are two types of Griffons categorized according to the texture of the coat, Petit Brabançon( smooth-coated) and Brussels Griffon ( rough-coated). However, in German there are three types of breeds under the name Griffon Bruxellois ( Petit Brabançon, Griffon Belge , and Brussels Griffon).
Brussels Griffon Tail
A Griffon has a docked tail, set and held high.
Brussels Griffon Teeth
A Griffon has an underbite, domed head, and short noses. A mature Griffon has a total of 42 permanent teeth. However, due to the anatomy of the breed it becomes difficult to fit these 42 teeth leading to some odd angles and crowding of the teeth. This increases trap of food and tartar as compared to non-brachycephalic breeds. Daily brushing or twice a week brushing will help to get rid of the stuck food particles.
Brussels Griffon Long Hair
Some Griffons have a wiry and dense coat. However, the hair should not be too long as to give the dog a shaggy appearance. Although, the coat should be distinctively different from the smooth-coat.
Brussels Griffon Short Hair
The smooth-coated Griffons have a short, straight, glossy, and tight coat that has no trace of wiry hair. These dogs have a close resemblance with the Pug.
Are Brussels Griffon Hypoallergenic
The rough-coated Griffons have a non-shedding coat hence they are nearly hypoallergenic. However, the smooth-coated Griffons shed all-year round at moderate levels and heavily when experiencing seasonal change in Spring and Fall. A moulting coat releases dander and fur into the environment aggravating allergies.
Do Brussels Griffon Bark A Lot
Yes. Brussels Griffon have a tendency to bark at any sound.
Do Brussels Griffon Shed
Smooth-coated griffons shed at moderate levels throughout the year and heavily in Spring and Fall.
Brussels Griffon Quick Facts
- Griffons are sensitive dogs that don’t respond well to punitive training methods.
- They are two types of Griffons in the United States, smooth-coated and rough-coated types.
- This breed gets its name from its native city, Brussels, Belgium.
