Brussels Griffon

[FartyBumCheeks]

Has anyone got experience of Brussels Griffons? I’m researching breeds with a view to getting a dog next year. I thought I’d ask here first, as I enjoy the board and the cross section of posters, so it seemed a good place to start.
I work from home full time, and have 2 children aged 11 and 13 and an absentee cat. We live in a house with an enclosed garden, and fields 2 minute walk away

Ask on Champdogs forum, lots of experienced breeders and dog owners on there.

Headstrong, full of personality and brachycephalic.

Yes. I love them. We had two growing up. I had two until recently (older one died aged almost 14), now just one who is 11. My friend has had three because she fell in love with my older one.

They're a bit like toddlers (but less work). They're clingy and stubborn but so loyal and loving (they call them Velcro dogs). They can be harder to train because of their stubbornness but they learn. They're better with older kids than smaller kids and they generally get on with cats.

The smooth variety shed a lot (but they're tiny so it isn't overwhelming). The rough variety take some grooming (particularly keeping hair around the eyes short) but it's not extensive. Some health issues to look out for but I haven't had huge problems.

Agree with this.

They're lovely little dogs but if you're not careful, you could very well end up with one of the ones that can barely breath (there were a fair few at Crufts this year tbh - IMO they look to be going a similar way to the Pugs/Frenchies).

That means, painful lives, shorter life expectancy, extortionate vet bills etc.

I'd love to have one at some point.

Thank you so much for responding, Ricki, what is it that makes them not so suitable for younger kids? Mine are older, but have friends who visit with smaller ones. Are they prone to snapping?
The brachycephalic and health side of things is one of the aspects I definitely need to look into more. Landsharks, do you mean going in the same way as pugs/frenchies in the breathing sense? I’d looked at both of those to start with, but the health problems and implications of those for the pup’s quality of life as well as the emotional and financial implications was a bit off putting

Sorry, I don’t know how to quote or highlight posters yet, I’m a mumsnet work in progress 😀

@FartyBumCheeks - just typed ‘@‘ and then the first letter of whoever you want to tag and it will notify them!

I meant that a lot of dodgy breeders are turning toward this breed - and the KC is not dealing with it properly (as they failed to do with pugs or frenchies). This means that during time the faces will get flatter and flatter until BGs go the same way as pugs and frenchies and can barely breathe let alone run. Some of the ones I watched at crufts could barely make it around the ring.

I agree with @LandSharksAnonymousabove.
I used to be very invested in Pugs-owned and fostered many, for around 20yrs and have also previously worked for a large UK Pug charity. I adore the braccy (bracycephalic ie flat faced) breeds. HOWEVER, think long and hard about investing your emotions, and finances into one. You could end up spending an inordinate amount of time at the vet, often for surgery, and be paying upfront for huge vets bills-you will need a top of the range insurance policy (starts at about £25 pcm for a young dog - look to be paying £100-£150 as the dog ages). It's soul destroying dealing with a pup that can't breathe.
After collecting my Pug from yet another bout of surgery (circa 2010) my vet confided in me that he could run his practice alone simply on Pugs and French Bulldogs, without seeing any other species. (He had six of those breeds in the vet hospital that day all who'd had surgery) Granted Brussels Griffons weren't mentioned, but they weren't 'fashionable' back then. Since the Insta explosion, (cue Squidthegriff) I fear BG will be exploited like many other breeds and their health/airways will suffer badly as a result.

If you are absolutely determined, please contact someone here

https://thegriffonclub1897.co.uk/news.php
also

https://www.champdogs.co.uk/breeds/griffon-bruxellois/breeders

and learn about the health testing that both parents should be screened for. This should be done before anyone has any business producing a litter. Just because a litter is KC Registered, does not mean that it is HEALTH TESTED. Health testing is vital for all pedigree breeds.

Avoid Pets4Homes, PreLoved and Gumtree at all costs.

If I haven't managed to put you off, I hope you manage to find an ethical breeder and have many years of happiness and joy from the dog you end up with 😁

My vet friend in Geneva claims his chalet in Chamonix was paid for by his French Bulldog owning clients. Not central Chamonix, but still…

Thank you all so much for sharing your knowledge. I hadn’t realised they’d become trendy, I’m not on instagram, TikTok etc. They do seem like lovely little creatures, but I definitely don’t want to be part of the problem with over popularity/breeding that creates the issues posters have talked about above.
With that in mind, does anyone have any other breed suggestions? I can’t have anything too vocal, as I spend half my working day on the phone with clients

Thank god!

I thought this was a baby name chat

Are you partial to the flat faced breeds, or would you contemplate another type? A terrier or suchlike?
How much time can you spend / or do you want to spend, walking and training? Can you afford backup? (Always wise to have either family OR paid help - walker circa £12-15 ph outside London; doggy day care approx £25 per day, again, I'm outside London). The reason to consider this is that everyone needs a break, and everyone becomes ill. You need to have your dog associated with and comfortable with at least one other person who can help in those circumstances.
If you give me some idea of the type of dog you like/want, other than the BG-I can certainly help with that.

Cavalier King Charles spaniels are highly recommended as first dogs. They tend to be one of the least barky small dogs. My vet also recommended them to me for my son, who is looking into getting his first dog. I did ask him his opinion on the Cavaliers (once often reported) problem with CM (Chiari like malfunction) and SM (syringeomyelia) brain issues and he says he sees very few incidents of these - and that all breeds have their specific problems, which can generally be prevented by purchasing from a good breeder who has health tested.

@abracadabra1980 my understanding was that no health testing would protect against these issues. They are lovely dogs but too many die far far too young.

The small kid thing is more to do with the dogs being a toy breed and so small. Young kids are clumsy and can be rough with them and fall on them. They aren't the most tolerant breed but they're usually not aggressive.

That said, I had 2 griffons when I had my babies and it's been fine. I watched them. My son has been nipped maybe 3 times in 4y and my daughter I don't think at all. You'd be fine with just young visitors.

They have become more popular as a breed in recent decades but partly that's because they were just very rare earlier. I know one breeder in NZ who deliberately breeds bigger, less flat-faced dogs to combat the health issues.

MVD is the biggest killer in cavs I believe. They're fantastic dogs, but when almost half of them die early from heart conditions, not one I'd recommend. Such a shame as I had one as a child and she was just perfect in temperament 😞