What was the Brussels Griffon first bred for?

Answer 1

There are three varieties of Griffon. The Brussels Griffon, Belgian Griffon and Petit Griffon. The Belgian Griffon has a long, wiry coat with fringe around the face. The Brussels Griffon has a wiry coat that is longer than the Belgian Griffon. The Petit Brabancon has a short, smooth coat. The Brussels Griffon was first shown at the Brussels Exhibition of 1880. An early example of the breed is depicted in a Van Eyck, the Flemish painter. Once kept by cab drivers of 17th century Brussels to rid their stables of vermin, the Brussels Griffon became a companion breed by virtue of its appealing character. The Smooth coated Petit Brabancon was most likely crossed with Pug blood. Other breeds including the Affenpinscher, English Toy Spaniel, Belgian street dog, Yorkshire Terrier and Irish Terriers may have contributed to the modern Griffons. The AKC recognizes only the variety known as the Brussels Griffon. Its American standard allows all of the color varieties, black through red, as well as the smooth variety (Brabancon). FCI, conversely, divided them into three breeds: smooth (Petit Brabancon), rough reds (Brussels Griffon) and roughs of other colors (Belgian Griffon). Therefore, in Europe they are shown separately with no interbreeding between the varieties. In America, although the same parameters exist, they are combined into one breed with different colors and coat varieties. It was the Brussels Griffon that appeared in the movie "As Good as it Gets". Somewhat rare, Griffons may be very difficult to find.