Griffon is a small Belgian dog. Description of the breed, character traits and care

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Griffon is a powerful dog that fits in a small body and looks at everything around with his wise eyes, like an omniscient old man. Belgium is the country of origin of the breed. Griffonties van Beigiei is her original name. Brussels Griffon, Petit Brabancon and Belgian Griffon are other names.

Small Belgian Dog Description

Those who have never met a Belgian Griffon, hearing the name of the breed, can imagine a solid big dog, but such an opinion is erroneous. This is a group of decorative lap dogs of modest size, similar to the Pekingese breed. The difference from them is the endless life energy.

Small Belgian dogs are quite strong, cheerful and energetic. In addition, they are smart and cheerful. Effectively fight rodents. Their barking is rarely heard.

Small Belgian dogs - a bit of history

The history of the breed is very long, it is already about 500 years old. Ancestors of small Belgiandogs were bearded street dogs that lived at that time in the Flemish region of Belgium. They were known as early as the 17th century. The Belgian Griffon as a breed appeared as a result of crossing the Pug and the Brussels Griffon. It is assumed that toy terriers took part in the creation of the breed.

Initially, representatives of this breed were kept in stables, using them to catch rodents. They first got to the exhibition in 1889, it was held in France. The breed was finally formed only by the beginning of the twentieth century. Officially recognized in 1928.

At present, small Belgian dogs are found in many countries of the world, Russia also brought them from the USA in 1993. There, in the same year, breeders created the National Breed Club, and the popularity of animals began to grow.

Appearance

The appearance of the dog of this breed is attractive. They are low, compactly built, elegant. You can recognize them by their bearded, monkey-like muzzle.

Head with a convex forehead, round shape, wide, chin - pushed forward. The nose is black, large. Large round eyes, eyelids are also black. Small ears are erect after cropping, in their natural form they just hang on the cartilage.

The body is square, with a deep, broad chest and a straight back. Legs of medium length have small round paws with black pads. The tail is usually docked two-thirds of the length, it is set high.

Woolenthe coat is rough, long, according to the standard after trimming it should fit snugly and be short. The peculiarity of the varieties of the breed is that they have different colors. Small Belgian dogs have three main types of color: black, black with an admixture of red tan on the chest, above the eyes and on the paws, and red with a black mask.

Character Griffon

One of the characteristics of the Belgian Griffon is poise. He is always in high spirits, but he rarely speaks.

Another good character trait inherent in the representatives of the Griffons is observation. They quickly remember and learn the rules by which the family lives, and always find themselves where the owner may be needed. Loy alty helps them become pleasant companions and friends.

Extraordinary cleanliness distinguishes the breed of a small Belgian dog from others. It happens that the Belgian himself brings the owner a napkin so that after eating he can wipe the remnants of food from his bearded muzzle.

Shyness at the sight of strangers is probably only a Belgian Griffon.

Content Features

Small Belgian dog suitable for keeping in a city apartment. This does not mean that she will sit at home alone all day and be bored. The pet must always be near the owner or family members, for him it is very important.

For a pet you needfind a place where he can rest and sleep at night. There he will keep his favorite things. It can be socks, toys of children, slippers of the owner. So he can accustom family members to order. For such a character trait, the griffon was given the nickname Barabashka (or Kuzya).

The dog needs regular walks to keep him he althy and he althy. You need to walk the dog for quite a long time so that he can run enough.

It is important for the owner to know that the small Belgian dog does not feel well in the heat. So, it is necessary to create such conditions of detention under which her existence in the hot summer months would be safe and comfortable.

Griffon can be called happiness in the house, but you can’t spoil him!

Caring for a small Belgian dog

The Belgian griffon is a clean animal, despite this, it is imperative to take care of it. This is especially true for the dog's coat. She is very thick. The procedure that needs to be carried out regularly is cleaning and combing. During the molt, which happens twice a year, the hair of the griffons is renewed, at this time old strands should be removed from it.

It is also recommended to do trimming, cut the hair around the eyes, down on the stomach, on the ears, on the edges of the paws.

You should also take care of the eyes and wrinkles on the muzzle. Teeth need to be given special attention, because dwarf dog breeds often suffer from periodontal disease. With tartar, the problem should be solved by a veterinarian. In addition, the pet's teeth should be constantly cleaned with a special toothbrush.toothpaste and brush for dogs.

Feeding the small Belgian dog

Griffons eat whatever they are given. They like to eat well, but do not suffer from excessive fullness. This does not mean that they can be treated with various tidbits without knowing the measure.

What food should a Belgian Griffon eat? Dog breeds are not much different in this regard, you just need to take the diet of pets seriously in order to keep them he althy. Griffons require a natural food menu or special high quality dry food. When calculating the diet when feeding with natural products or choosing ready-made food, the age and condition of the pets should be taken into account. An active he althy dog needs to be fed more satisfying food, and a puppy and an old dog should be given lighter food, feed little and often.

If the owner of the animal prefers to use natural products to feed his pet, he should know that they should always be fresh and he althy. Representatives of the Belgian Griffon breed have a sensitive stomach, thrown stale meat or food from the table causes indigestion.

Meat is considered a staple on any dog's menu, including the Griffon. The dog is recommended to give different raw meat, except for pork. Chicken is allowed only boiled. Meat should be 40% in a pet's diet.

From dairy products, only kefir, yogurt and low-fat cottage cheese can be given. Whole milk is well absorbed only in puppies. Dairy products are a source of protein that is easily accepted by the animal's body.

If you give your dog fish rich in phosphorus and fatty acids every day, his coat will look beautiful and his skin will be he althy. Before feeding, the fish must be boiled for several minutes.

It is strictly forbidden to feed the Griffon with beans and potatoes.

Diseases of the small Belgian dog

The Belgian Griffon is in good he alth and is considered a small long-liver. On average, he lives 12-15 years.

Hereditary diseases bypassed this breed, although they happen, but in rare cases.

The main he alth problems these dogs have come from the head, its uniqueness. It creates problems during childbirth, which often pass with complications, you have to do a caesarean section. The shape of the head is the culprit in breathing problems, some dogs make strange sounds, snoring and wheezing. The Griffon's body cannot cool properly, the reason for this is short airways.

Features of mating of the Belgian Small Dog

Experienced breeders do not recommend early breeding dogs. Griffon (small Belgian dog) should be well formed, get stronger. Only a he althy parent pair can produce good offspring.

Dogs become capable of breeding at 8-12 months. In practice, it has been proven that the most favorable mating time for breeding can be considered 24 months for males, and 20 months for females. When planning the first mating, one should take into account the individual characteristics of eachintended parent.

Because of the small size of the breeding breed is not easy. It is good if a veterinarian is nearby during childbirth.

There are up to three puppies in a litter. Griffons have a strong maternal instinct, they make excellent mothers who feed their inheritance with their own milk. In the first days after birth, they do not leave the puppies for a minute, from time to time they lick them and turn them over.

Very devoted to their children are little Belgian dogs. Puppies grow up very quickly, on the 12th-14th day they begin to see, by the end of the third week hearing appears. So it's time to feed them.