Brussels Griffon: dog characterization and rearing

The Brussels Griffon is a charming dog that seems to have gone from the pages of a book about brownies. This shaggy and slightly clumsy bearded man will quickly win the hearts of all members of the host family.

The history of Brussels Griffons began a couple of centuries ago in Belgium, although there is evidence that dogs were known in the 15th century.

The favorable climatic conditions of the Netherlands allowed the inhabitants of this small country to actively engage in cultivating the land and growing crops. All this led to the fact that the barns in which the hay was stored became the site of a frequent attack of rodents, which were surprisingly voracious - after a dozen such “visits” the Belgian family could completely lose their crops. In order to get rid of pests, a new breed of dog was created. These dogs with great ease penetrated even the most inaccessible places and pulled out uninvited guests from there.

Outwardly, these dogs were very different from their modern descendants, but, nevertheless, the similarity is obvious. In the second half of the 19th century, the fate of the Pied Piper dogs changed dramatically; it was at that moment that unusual animals attracted the attention of the local nobility. It is known that even Queen Maria Henrietta admired these dogs.It was this royal person who played a leading role in the further distribution of the breed in the territory of the Old World.

In 1882, the St. Hubert Society was formed, uniting all griffon breeders. Members of the association immediately set about breeding a small breed, and already in 1904 their work was successful - the breed standard was officially adopted, and after another six years the animals were entered into the register of the American Dog Association.

In 1945, the first American club of griffon lovers was created, and in 1963, the adopted standard was slightly adjusted - in the new edition it is valid to this day. Despite all the efforts of the breeders, the breed is still small in number, and today it is very rare to meet a real Belgian griffon. These funny bearded men did not get significant distribution, but they still won the hearts of dog handlers all over the world due to their outstanding appearance and exceptionally friendly character.

The Brussels Griffon is classified as a decorative breed dog. Sure, it can not be called a classic pet dog, because these animals can not be described as pretty and docilerather, they are playful shooters, a little awkward, rude, with an unruly fur and a truly human expression of the muzzle.

In accordance with the description of accepted standards, the height of the dog at the withers is: for males - 27-32 cm, and for females - 25-30 cm. Weight varies from 35 to 46 kg, males look more stocky, strong and muscular - genital the differences are very clear. The head of the griffon is round, looks large in relation to the body, the occipital protuberance and the superciliary arches are relatively invisible. The skull box is large and large.

The muzzle of the Brussels Griffon is shortened, slightly upturned, usually does not exceed 2 cm. The transition of the frontal part to the bridge of the nose is sharp, the nostrils are quite massive, separated by a furrow. Lips fit tightly to the teeth, have a pronounced edging of a dark color. If the jaws are closed, then the teeth and tongue of the animal are not visible. The coat on the muzzle is a couple of tones lighter than on the rest of the body. The ears of dogs of this breed are small, stand high, are located at a significant distance from each other, slightly bent forward.

Eyes wide apart, are on the same line. Quite large, rounded, but not convex. All people familiar with this breed note the “humanity” of the gaze, thanks to which even the youngest puppies give the impression of dogs wise in life experience. Eyelids tightly fit to the eyes, long eyelashes, create a visual effect of a black edging.

The lower jaw has a pronounced U-shape, slightly bent up, the incisors are parallel. The neck of the Brussels Griffon is set high and has noticeable bulges, but it does not appear weighted due to the average length and dry muscular part. The body shape is rather square, while the height of the dog at the withers coincides with the length of the body. Thanks to the highly developed skeleton, the feeling is created that the sternum of the pet is protruding forward. The ribs are rounded, the shoulder blades are tightly pressed.

The back is strong, muscular, smoothly passes into the lower back. The abdomen is tightened, the groin is well defined. Griffon is distinguished by a high tail - the dog wears it raised so that the tip invariably “looks” at the back, but does not touch it and does not twist. The limbs of the animal are characterized by a developed skeleton and strong muscles.The front legs are located at a considerable distance from each other, strictly parallel. The hind limbs protrude slightly beyond the sciatic tubercles, the ribs are distinguished by pronounced musculature. Paws are rounded, pads are hard, painted in dark color.

Thanks to these features of the limbs, griffons usually trot: the hind legs make a powerful push, while the front legs are moderately thrown forward. The back while running remains flat and straight. The remaining hair is thick, wire-like - in accordance with standards, the coarser the coat, the better. On the muzzle, the hairs are longer because they form a mustache, sideburns and beard.

The following colors are allowed:

• red, combined with a brown “mask”;
• beige with a “mask” of red-brown or black;
• completely black.

The following character traits are distinguished by the Brussels Griffon.

• Shyness. These animals are very timid and shy, they are afraid of strangers and try to minimize contact with them. They feel sincere affection and desire to communicate only in relation to their owner.
• Fear of loneliness. Griffons are referred to as companion dogs, which means that it is vital for them to have a constant presence near the owner. If you leave this animal alone for a long time, it begins to languish and hurt, which can even lead to premature death of a pet. This animal, like no other, requires stability and constancy - moving to a new place of residence or changing the owner can become a serious stress for him.
• Activity. Dogs of this breed are real sanguines who love to be in the spotlight. These animals are distinguished by curiosity and mobility.
• Dominance. Brussels residents have a fairly strong character, because the dogs in every possible way strive to command both the members of the host family and other pets living under the same roof with them.
• Courage. The genes of the Pied Piper ancestors determined the hunting instincts of the dog. They, as already mentioned above, shy away from strangers, but if they see that a stranger is in danger with respect to the master, they will boldly stand up for his defense.

Dogs of this breed do not tolerate obsession at all, because they are not suitable for living in a family with small children. These animals do not like loud screams and rude treatment, but they do not accept familiarity. If one of the hosts accidentally or deliberately hurts him, the griffon may even bite in response.

As for other pets, griffons get along well with their relatives, but they are especially loyal to cats. The only exception is rodents - if the house has decorative rats, hamsters or guinea pigs, then they can become an object of hunting on the part of the pet.

If you are determined to become the owner of a griffon puppy, then even before buying you must create the conditions for his comfortable existence. Therefore, the first thing a future owner should buy is sunbeds, bowls, a drinking bowl and toys, as well as all the necessary dog ​​hygiene products.

There are not so many kennels breeding dogs of this breed. Be sure to collect the maximum information about the sellers - you must be sure that you have met conscientious breeders who, under the guise of a healthy puppy, will not slip you a sick and weakened animal with psychological problems.

Decide in advance what gender the dog you need. Keep in mind that males are more aggressive, but bitches, on the contrary, are loyal and submissive.However, during estrus, females can become a source of discomfort - during the walk you will have to repel the attacks of the “suitors” who have escaped from all the surrounding gates.

The optimal age for purchase is considered to be 6-8 weeks, if you tear off the baby from the mother earlier, in adulthood such a dog will be characterized by weak socialization. When choosing, be sure to watch not one puppy, but the entire litter - if you notice that all the dogs in it are shy or, on the contrary, behave aggressively, it is better to give preference to another dog family.

An important characteristic will be the puppy's mood - normally the pet should be curious, cheerful and playful. Do a little test - take a rattle or a bunch of keys in your hand and hand it to a young griffon. If he immediately grabs the toy, then you have a healthy dog ​​in front of you, who is happy to pay attention to the new taste, color and smell.

In reliable nurseries, each animal has a whole set of documents: pedigree and veterinary passport. Be sure to find out in what conditions the puppy was kept, and how he was fed - it is not recommended to change the diet for the period of adaptation of the animal. Puppies of a Brussels Griffon will cost a lot - for example, a healthy animal with an excellent pedigree costs about 40 thousand rubles. From the hands you can buy a puppy much cheaper - for 15-20 thousand, but in this case you can not be sure of the dog’s strong immunity and its stable mental state.

For a compact griffon, a separate corner is usually allocated in the house, although the animal itself prefers to spend time on the master sofa or in a soft chair.

The dog does not need professional grooming, but there are some rules for grooming.

• There are long hairs on the muzzle and paws, so they require frequent combing.
• Short and stiff hair on the body must be combed with a furminator to remove the undercoat.
• In the spring, as well as in the fall, all other hairs that have died out in a few months are subject to mandatory plucking. Usually the dog is trimmed with a special nozzle on the thumb and knife. Periodic trimming of the beard and eyebrows of the animal is allowed, but the dog should not be cut completely, since in this case the correctness of the remaining growth of the coat is disrupted.

Every two weeks, it is necessary to trim the pet's claws with special nippers, but keep in mind that you only need to remove the tip of the nail, and the living part of the plate cannot be touched. Due to the long and thick eyebrows, the eyes of the animal are often inflamed, so they must be cleaned every day with cotton pads dipped in chamomile infusion or a weak solution of furacilin. Once a week, anti-inflammatory drops can be instilled to prevent disease. Every 7-10 days it is necessary to scan the ears - a veterinary lotion or boric acid is used to clean them.

It is very important to provide Griffon with quality oral care. The fact is that a favorable environment for the propagation of pathogenic bacteria has been created there, therefore, from a very early age, it is necessary to accustom the pet to cleaning plaque - this must be done at least once a week. If the dog is on dry feed, then the frequency of processing can be reduced to once a month - dry and hard granules of the feed themselves contribute to the removal of plaque.

Griffons are dogs that are quite picky about everything about food, and it’s very difficult to please such a pet. It’s best to keep your dog on special premium and super premium feeds like Royal Canin and Pro Plan. Such products have a balanced composition, include all the necessary vitamins and minerals.

If you prefer natural feeding, keep in mind that 70% of the diet should be lean meat: beef, rabbit, veal, lamb or chicken. A couple of times a week, it is allowed to replace one feeding with offal, the remaining 30% is cereals, it is best to add buckwheat, rice or corn, as well as vegetables (carrots, pumpkins and cucumbers) to the mash. Once a week, inclusion in the menu of eggs (chicken or quail) and low-fat cottage cheese is allowed.

Take into account that the peculiarity of an animal’s bite is that when chewing large pieces of food, the griffon may have difficulty, so the products must be boiled to a soft state and chopped. An adult dog per day consumes about 500 g of food in two passes. Puppies up to three months of age are prepared with liquid porridge-mixers based on a milk mixture, the recommended feeding frequency is every 3-4 hours, while the serving size should not exceed 150 ml.

When training a Brussels Griffon, you should know that this dog categorically does not tolerate the frequent repetition of the same command - the owner can shout it at least for a day, but the animal will do its own thing anyway. These dogs must be stimulated, as it is impossible to make them execute the command in a different way.

See who the Brussels Griffon is and how to educate him, see the next video.