Once the Belgian street urchin but now found frequently living in the lap of luxury, the Brussels Griffon has made a smooth transition into acceptance. The old Griffon d'Ecurie (Stable Griffon) was a street dog that was often found killing rats in stables.

The Affenpinscher was bred with these dogs and the blood of the Dutch Pug and Ruby English Toy Spaniel, two well-known and very popular breeds, was introduced to the resulting litters. These infusions brought about several changes. First the breed now developed with both rough and smooth coats ("griffon" means rough or wiry). The Smooths were referred to as Le Petit Brabancon. Next, it became a brachycephalic breed which means that it had a rounded skull and short muzzle. Its appearance thus altered, it moved from the stables and streets into homes where it won its way into people's hearts.

Griffs, as their English-speaking devotees know them (they never refer to them as "Brussels"), with their human like, often quizzical expression, large, meaningful eyes and pouty mouths are impish, inquisitive dogs and full of terrier confidence. It is said that puppies and adolescents can be rather sensitive, so care is called for in training to the lead and other essential lessons, to prepare a young dog for a life as a companion or an outgoing show dog. The Griffon must think the training regimen is entirely his own idea.

As with any Toy dog, care should be taken not to allow a young Griffon to jump off furniture to prevent it from breaking its legs. Since its eyes are quite prominent, they should be bathed daily and checked for problems, including irritation from eyelashes or head furnishings. Slipping patellas may be a problem in the breed and may be caused by trauma, as well as being a heritable problem. A Griffon's rear legs should never be grabbed or twisted because this might cause patella luxation. With a young puppy, the teeth should be inspected at least weekly to make sure that the baby teeth are shedding properly, and that the second teeth are growing as they should (teeth normally start to shed at three and a half to four months). The vet should be consulted if any problems are noted.

These dogs are highly intelligent and quick to learn commands from their owners. in this respect the breed resembles many of the harsh-coated Terriers, but the outer coat is not usually as hard as that of an Irish or Welsh Terrier. The Rough Griffon's coat is a broken coated type, with long, harsh and wiry outer hairs and a soft undercoat. The outer coat should be plucked gently so that the new coat can grow and replace the dead one. This is good for both the skin and the coat and also reduces scratching and shedding.

The Brussels Griffon is filled with the joy of life and is at home in any surroundings. Its increasing popularity means that it is very unlikely to find itself relegated back to the stables in the near future.

Griffs are square in body, usually running to 6-10 pounds/2.7-4.5 kg in weight. Of the two coat varieties the Rough is harsh and wiry with a soft undercoat, while the Smooth has a short, straight and glossy coat with no wire feel to it. The colors are rich red, red and black mingled or black-and-tan. Frosting on the whiskers of mature dogs is common and acceptable.

As might be expected, great emphasis is placed on the head of the Brussels Griffon which should be slightly domed with large, black eyes. In the United States the ears of the Brussels Griffon are usually cropped to stand in small erect points. The cropping process enhances the breed's insouciant expression. The nose is black, short, deeply set and laid back with a slight backward tilt. The nostrils should be large and open; the jaw is undershot, with a strong chin and a wide muzzle that has an upward turn. The teeth and tongue must not show.

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