griffon dog

History of origin

These decorative lap dogs originated in Belgium and were shown to the world in 1880. To date, the breed is popular in Europe, but not in Our Country.

Many dog ​​handlers are sure that Griffons are descended from German Affen Pinschers. But some are sure that these pinschers are descended from griffons. Both of these breeds are closely related.

When the griffons first appeared, they led a different lifestyle – they caught rats and rodents. The dogs lived in the warehouse. They arrived at the house much later. Later, the rat-catcher dog was taken into the royal family. So this dog turned into a charming aristocrat.

Gradually, the griffon spread around the world – there are many legends and stories about them. There is also a sad story – the Queen of Serbia named Draga had a dog of this breed. Draga was afraid of being poisoned, and therefore she always let her dog try every dish. Once the dog was poisoned, it was not possible to save the dog.

In Our Country, this dog is rare, because there is little information about it, and, accordingly, there are few kennels.

Breed description

Griffons are medium sized dogs. Despite their small size, they have a strong and strong physique, but light bones.

The representatives of this breed have a strongly developed mustache, as well as a beard and eyebrows. All this gives a characteristic facial expression to dogs. The head of the dogs is large, but the skull is not wide. The muzzle is long and rectangular. The eyes are set deep, but are always visible from behind the eyebrows. Eye color is amber yellow or light brown. The nose is small, brown. The ears are medium-sized, flat, they are set on the same line with the eyes according to the standard.

The body is elongated, the chest is strong, the legs are straight and strong. The tail is rather thick, the dog carries it almost horizontally, slightly raising the tip. Some breeders stop it at half or a third of the length.

The coat of the representatives of the breed is hard and plentiful. It perfectly protects the dog from cold in winter and heat in summer.

Preferred color is steel grey, with brown spots. There are also brown-roan, brown-white shades.

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Character

The Griffon is a true companion dog. She feels a constant need to communicate with the owner and does not like loneliness. If you work a lot and only come home to sleep, this breed is not for you.

It will get along well with all family members, including children – the animal is not aggressive and needs a constant environment. Griffons are devoted to the family, they will never bare their teeth at the household.

Dogs rarely bark for no reason, have a stable psyche. The modest size of the animals allows you to keep them in the apartment. They can even be litter trained like cats.

The griffon can attack the offender. In the presence of danger, he will not hide behind the owner. The dog allows himself to be caressed and pampered, he loves grooming procedures very much. You can take it with you on trips – in a bag, it can withstand any distance without trying to get out of it.

Griffons get along well with other animals. Having found a new animal in the house, he will be the first to get acquainted. They are able to make friends with even the most evil shepherd dogs.

Care and maintenance

There is nothing complicated in the care of this little dog. You need to comb it once a week, not more often, because the hair deteriorates from combing. Use a comb with wide teeth.

You can wash it up to 10 times a year. It is not necessary to use shampoo and soap, it is enough to wash them with plain water.

Once a month you need to trim the hair in the anus and genitals. These places should be regularly rid of long hair, because the hair will bring trouble after the pet goes to the toilet.

After each meal, it is advisable to wash the dog’s beard. Nails should be trimmed once a month.

For Griffons, it is advisable to buy outerwear for autumn and winter so that they do not freeze. The main thing is that the clothes are in size and do not cause embarrassment.

It is better to feed your dog with premium dry food for small breeds. There should always be a bowl of water next to food.

Education and training

There is no need to start training at a young age. You can start learning commands from 9 – 10 months, because until this age they will not have interest in them. It will only be possible to completely focus the attention of the dog on himself only when he is one year old.

You need to start with simple commands – “Sit”, “Lie”, “Give a paw”. The commands “To me” and “Stop” are important during the walk. There is no need to be angry with the dog if something does not work out for her. It is better to praise him or give him a treat for correctly executed commands.

Griffons have muscles. It needs to be developed, 15 minutes of jogging a day will be enough.

Dogs can get tired on a walk, so they may ask for handles. It is enough for them to walk about 20 minutes a day. Fans of long walks buy a carrying bag.

Health and disease

Griffons are a very gentle breed. It is better to know about their illnesses in advance.

Often they have eye diseases: conjunctivitis, retinal atrophy and even cataracts.

You need to regularly wash your eyes and monitor their condition.

Tartar often forms on the teeth of dogs. In veterinary clinics, growths are removed with special devices. To avoid “dental” problems, you need to regularly brush your teeth with special pastes.

The dog should also not be given sweets in order to avoid problems with teeth. To strengthen the dental tissue, the enamel of the dog gnaws on the bones.

Dogs can catch cold easily. In wet weather, it is better not to go outside with them. If you decide to bathe, then immediately wrap it with a towel and dry it. In winter, representatives of the beard should walk in special shoes.

Popular questions and answers

We asked about the Griffon breed veterinarian Alexander Alekseenkov.