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| Brussels Griffon |
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The Brussels Griffon is a Terrier through and through, with a colorful and entertaining personality. Because of its diminutive stature, it's easy to treat this dog like a porcelein doll in need of constant doting and indulgence. In fact, few things would be worse. A fearful Brussels, often the result of having no sense of the world because the dog has been heavily sheltered, is often aggressive, tense and filled with anxiety (leading to other behavior issues like submissive urination, excessive barking, destructive behavior and more). By nature, this is a strong personality and given a reasonably safe environment and calm help and guidance, the Brussels can develop into a dog with a charm that is exceeded by none. Affable with attitude, the Brussels Griffon, is a canine treasure, protected by a few dedicated fanciers who realize that quality is not in quantity. |
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| General Information |
| Group(s):
Terrier, Toy |
Height: up to 10 inches |
| Weight: 8-10 pounds ideally |
Longevity: often into the teens |
| Colors: black and tan, red, black, beige |
Coat type: rough or smooth |
| Recognized Registries: AKC, UKC and others |
| Overall Appearance: Sturdy compact with almost human expression accented by mustache and beard (on rough coated). Same body type with smooth coat is much more reminiscent of the Pug. |
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| Personaility - Behavior - Training |
| Energy Level: moderate to high |
| General Nature: |
good to excellent |
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with Children: because of small size require supervision to protect the dog; good if handled properly |
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with other pets: can be good if socialized, may show some terrier (chasing) traits with cats and smaller animals |
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with dogs: usually very good especially if raised with them |
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| Socialization requirements: moderate to high; without proper socialization and handling they can become dominant (overly indulged) and/or fearful (mishandled and lacking trust) |
| Ideal home characteristics: Understanding of a breed who's charm includes idiosyncrasies. Sometimes difficult to housetrain but charming, entertaining and alert companion. |
| Temperament Notes: Intelligent, alert, sturdy, sensitive and self important |
| Training requirement: basic manners at a minimum |
| Trainer notes: Very intelligent and always interested in a new game, so keep all training sessions fun (even if that means you have to think about it for an hour before you train for ten minutes). Keep sessions very short (10 minutes is plenty) and be prepared for lots of bending over... the dog is small after all! |
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| Background Information |
| Year range of first recognition: 17th or 18th century (speculatively) |
| Country of Origin: Belgium |
| Original Function: stable ratter |
| History: Common dog of Brussels, every household seemed to have one for the purpose of vermin control. Enjoyed for their sunny disposition. Some speculation that Affenpinscher contributed to the breed as we know it today. |
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| Adoption Information |
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| Deviations from Standard: coat color may be outside standard, coat too soft for rough, loss of substance, too big, head incorrect |
| Health Notes: Eye Problems, Respiratory Problems, Serious Breeding challenges |
| Health Testing: CERF |
| Questions to ask Breeder: http://www.digitaldog.com/breeder_questions.html - The Breeder Questions as listed here provided with explanations and answers you will want to be looking for!
- How long have you had Brussels Griffons?
- How many litters do you breed or co-breed a year?
- Do you plan to keep a puppy from this litter?
- What health issues have you seen in the breed?
- What do you consider to be the ideal Brussels Griffon temperament?
- What titles do you seek for your breeding stock?
- What health clearances do you seek for your breeding stock?
- Do you have a written contract and puppy guarantee?
- At what age do you send your puppies to their new homes?
- What would you consider an ideal Brussels Griffon home?
- What suggestions would you have for raising and training the puppy?
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| Web Sites: http://www.brusselsgriffonrescue.org/- National Rescue for the Brussels Griffon |
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| Other Resources |
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