Breed library

Brussels Griffon

Also known as Brussels Griffon, Petit Brabançon.

Brussels Griffon photograph.
Monkey Bizniz Drama Queen.jpg - Arne Fagerholt. CC BY 3.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Monkey_Bizniz_Drama_Queen.jpg. License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0. License: CC BY 3.0.

Breed overview

The Griffon Bruxellois or Brussels Griffon is a breed of toy dog, named for their city of origin of Brussels, Belgium. The Griffon Bruxellois may refer to three different breeds, the Griffon Bruxellois, the Griffon Belge and the Petit Brabançon. Identical in standard except for coat and colour differences, in some standards they are considered varieties of the same breed, much like Belgian Shepherd Dogs.

  • Breed type: dog breedBreed reference breed kind.
  • Country of origin: BelgiumBreed reference country of origin.

Breed facts

  • The three variations of the Griffon Bruxellois, the Brussels Griffon (Griffon Bruxellois), the Belgian Griffon (Griffon Belge), and the Petit Brabançon, all descend from dog called a Smousje, a rough coated, small terrier-like dog kept in stables to eliminate rodents, similar to the Dutch Smoushond.
  • The little coarse-haired dog in the foreground of the Jan van Eyck painting The Arnolfini Marriage is thought to be an early form of this breed.
  • In Belgium, coachmen were fond of their alert little Griffons d'Ecurie (wiry coated stable dogs) and in the 19th century, they bred their Griffons with imported toy dogs.
  • Breeding with the Pug and King Charles Spaniel brought about the current breed type, but also brought the short black coat that led to the Petits Brabançon, which was originally a fault in the breed.
  • The Griffon Bruxellois grew in popularity in the late 19th century with both workers and noblemen in Belgium.

Size and appearance

The Griffon comes in two coat variants, wiry/rough and smooth coat. Their fur can be red, black and tan, or black and reddish in color. The short hair Griffon requires little grooming while the wiry/rough coat Griffon requires weekly grooming attention. Often, breeders will dock tails and crop ears on puppies for sale. This practice is illegal in most of Europe and increasingly frowned on in the United States, but still practiced in some places.

  • Body mass reference: Up to 6 kgBreed reference body mass. maximum.
  • Body mass reference: 3.5 kg or moreBreed reference body mass. minimum.
  • Coat length: short
  • Coat texture: smooth
  • Coat texture: wiry
  • Weight category: toy
  • Weight category: small

Personality and behavior

The Fédération Cynologique Internationale describes the Griffon Bruxellois as a well-balanced dog, proud, alert, not timid nor aggressive, and very attached to its owner. The AKC also states that they have a low threshold for loneliness, and a very sensitive nature that leads them to reply poorly to harsh corrections or training methods. Griffons tend to be curious and are endowed with great memory and cleanliness. They are not very patient but love to play. Griffons tend to get along well with other animals in the house, including cats, ferrets, and other dogs. However, they have no concept of their own relative size and may attempt to dominate dogs much larger than themselves.

Exercise and activities

Care planning: build a weekly routine with walks, play and time to explore. Enter the minutes and sessions that work for your dog, then compare the weekly total with your available time. Keep notes about the activities your dog enjoys and adjust the routine together.

Training and enrichment

Care planning: choose one everyday skill to practice and keep a record of each session. Note the cue, the reward your dog enjoys and what went well. Rotate familiar games and new activities, and use your notes to choose the next small step.

Coat and grooming

Care planning: use the coat details above to discuss a grooming routine with your groomer. Record brushing sessions, baths and appointments in the app. Add the tools you use and your preferred schedule so the whole household can follow the same routine.

  • Coat length: short
  • Coat texture: smooth
  • Coat texture: wiry

Health and lifespan

A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 13.3 years for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreeds and 12 for crossbreeds.

Living with this breed

Care planning: compare this profile's adult dimensions, coat care and available activity information with your household's routine. Make a shortlist, plan who will handle daily care and save the questions you want to ask a breed club, rescue or breeder.

Compare breeds

Compare supported adult height and weight ranges, matching research measures and sourced coat and care categories.

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Breed history

The three variations of the Griffon Bruxellois, the Brussels Griffon (Griffon Bruxellois), the Belgian Griffon (Griffon Belge), and the Petit Brabançon, all descend from dog called a Smousje, a rough coated, small terrier-like dog kept in stables to eliminate rodents, similar to the Dutch Smoushond. The little coarse-haired dog in the foreground of the Jan van Eyck painting The Arnolfini Marriage is thought to be an early form of this breed. In Belgium, coachmen were fond of their alert little Griffons d'Ecurie (wiry coated stable dogs) and in the 19th century, they bred their Griffons with imported toy dogs. Breeding with the Pug and King Charles Spaniel brought about the current breed type, but also brought the short black coat that led to the Petits Brabançon, which was originally a fault in the breed. The spaniels also brought the rich red and black and tan colour of the modern Griffon Bruxellois and Griffon Belge.

Clubs and further reading

Sources

  1. Wikidata structured breed dataWikimedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC0 1.0. Wikidata contributors (CC0).
  2. National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.PLOS ONE / Figshare Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY 4.0. Bohland, Kyle R.; Lilly, Meghan Leanne; Herron, Meghan E.; Arruda, Andréia G.; O’Quin, Jeanette M. (2023). National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.. PLOS ONE. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0289356.s003 CC BY 4.0. Selected rows and field names adapted; values unchanged.
  3. File:Monkey Bizniz Drama Queen.jpgWikimedia Commons Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY 3.0. Monkey Bizniz Drama Queen.jpg - Arne Fagerholt. CC BY 3.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Monkey_Bizniz_Drama_Queen.jpg. License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0.
  4. Griffon Bruxellois - WikipediaWikipedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted excerpts from Wikipedia contributors, Griffon Bruxellois, revision 1374589771. CC BY-SA 4.0. Formatting, citations and selection changed. Source history: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Griffon_Bruxellois&action=history
  5. Palipaws everyday care planningPalipaws Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: Palipaws original factual summaries. Palipaws. Original care-planning text, separate from breed measurements and licensed article summaries.