A small, energetic, intelligent dog with bulging eyes and a snub nose is a griffin. She bizarrely combined in herself an ardent temperament and intellect, a cheerful disposition and elegance. These dogs are infinitely benevolent and devoted to the owner with all their being!
History of the breed griffin
Griffin is a rare ancient breed from Belgium. Griffon, translated from French, means woolly. Cynologists do not have a common opinion about their origin. According to one version, the breed griffin is closely related to the breed affenpinscher and pug. From the affenpinscher in the griffin the shape of the skull, bite, from the pug - smooth hair, from the Yorkshire terrier - small. According to another version, the ancestors of the griffin were small mobile dogs - stabled griffins. They got their name because they lived in the stables and caught rats.
And, if the pedigree is not yet fully understood, then the time and place of appearance of the ancestors of the modern griffin is known to researchers exactly. The ancestors of these wonderful dogs lived in Europe back in the 15th century. One of the proofs of this fact is the image of a dog similar to the griffin in Jan van Eyck's "The Cheval Arnolfini" (1434), and also the information is confirmed by the results of archaeological excavations.
Currently, the breed is gaining popularity all over the world.
Griffin Standard
General appearance: small, strong dog, almost square in shape, with good bone, with almost human expression of face, large round eyes.
Proportions: griffin is a room decorative dog, its weight varies from 2.3 to 6 kg. The length of the body from the shoulder to the ischial hillocks ideally corresponds to the height of the dog at the withers.
Temperament: watchful dog, very devoted to its owner, alert, active, does not like loneliness, not aggressive.
Varieties of the griffin
Prior to the beginning of the 20th century, three varieties of griffins - the Brussels, the Bragan (small Brabansons) and the 6th - were considered as one breed. The color and texture of the coat is the main thing that distinguishes them from each other.
The dog of the Brussels griffin has a red wool. Dog Belgian griffin - the owner of black or black-taned fur. The Belgians have a short face, but unlike other dogs with short muzzle, they do not make snoring and grunting sounds. Braban Griffin (Brabanson Birds) - smooth-haired dog. It can be both red and black, and black and tan, has a mischievous snub-like muzzle, similar to the mug of a pug and a smooth short fur. The Brussels and Belgian gryphons have a pretty beard; in the Brabanson, the muzzle is smooth, like velvet.
Advantages of the breed griffin:
- Hardy.
- Easily adapt to life in a city apartment.
- Do not require long and frequent walks.
- Very unpretentious in care - requires trimming (plucking the wool by hand in the head, neck and trunk area) twice a year for the coarse varieties.
For a smooth-haired griffin, a special brush is sufficient. - Have a kind and affectionate disposition.
- They are obedient and well trained.
- Have a long life expectancy.
Griffins are unlikely to protect your home, but will definitely bring fun into it and become favorites for the whole family. Hard-wearing griffins are also good because their hair does not fall out, which means that you do not need to cleanse clothes and home textiles indefinitely.
The main thing in the breeding of this breed is that the owner has enough time to practice and communicate with the dog. all griffins are very hard to tolerate loneliness, and this can negatively affect the psyche of a pet.