Brussels Griffon

Brussels Griffon, breed of toy dog named for the griffin, a mythological animal, which it is said to resemble. It is a distinctly different breed from the hunting dog known as the wirehaired pointing griffon. The Brussels griffon is a tiny animal, valued as a sturdy, extremely intelligent pet. It seems to have descended from a dog used by 17th-century Belgian peasants to rid their stables of rats; the ancestry of the modern breed includes the Affenpinscher, the smooth-coated pug, and the Ruby spaniel. The small type weighs 3 kg (7 lb) or less; the large type weighs no more than 5 kg (11 lb); the female is slightly larger. One variety of the dog has a wiry, dense, reddish-brown coat; another, called the Brabancon, is smooth-coated. All Brussels griffons have distinctive short, upturned faces; large, round heads; and short noses. They have unusually large and prominent black eyes, and their chins are undershot.