Grifón de Bruselas"Mll. G. Warzée"

Should we allow an interesting breed that is in slow decline to disappear altogether?
Should the Griffon Bruxellois be classed with the breeds that are in danger of disappearing? According to the statistics, yes. The facts speak for themselves.
Those who, like me, knew shows before the war ( 1914-18) when there were never less than 40 examples are astonished to realise how far the number of inscriptions has fallen. What are the reasons for this?
The Belgians have not taken up the challenge of the science of breeding that only the English now possess. They have forgotten during these last years the national character and have forgotten the breed in favour of the fashion for the Pekingese in the dog world. This invasion was at first a peaceful one by the “yellow peril”. The Pekingese was said to have all the virtues and charms of the small pet dog. We noted the long history of the breed and its noble origins. I feel that it was homogeneity and ease of reproduction that influenced breeders, mainly, for this change of breed.
We must be honest and recognise that the breeding of Griffons is not an easy task. One needs a good dose of bravery and love for the breed to accept the letdowns that the breeding of any dog can bring, and more so with this particular breed. “Toy dogs and Ancestor” has a telling quote: “To understand a modern breed well, one must study its past”.
The greater part of the breeders belonged to a small working class, where the breeding of the Griffon produced a little extra income for these humble people. They occupied the less salubrious parts of the city, the Griffon and the Schipperke, blood brothers, shared their lives. Crossing the alleyways and backstreets, climbing a winding stairway of broken steps and rubble at every other step, twisting and turning with only a knotted rope for a banister, so one arrives at the homes of these working people: Spotlessly clean and tidy, white floor covered with clean sand... so to study the history of the Griffon it is necessary to bring back to life the past of the Flemish folklore. Here the scenes are as if from Breughel, full of colour and life, of old cabarets where a noisy and happy youth sat in front of a table with pots of good foaming beer and all this under the protection of Saint George as he killed the dragon. No need to add that to obtain the miniature Griffon one had to bring a good beer to the table.
Here in this unique picture of the old city, the Plaza de Bruselles, in a cabaret, in a café or bar the people of “la Porte de Fer”, met with a pot of beer to form the new breed, The Griffon Bruxellois.
The Griffon existed at this time, but without a defined standard, with the look of a small terrier, half barbet, half griffon. The sharp snout, rather long, a softer coat. With a silken topknot on the head. May coloured at times with a white blaze on the chest and legs. But it also had that air of a small, loyal companion, lively and intelligent at the same time.
Some years later. In 1880, a show was organised on the Field of Manoeuvres. It was the dog of one of the City Guards, chosen by Pierre Decoster Durieux that won first prize. This dog was bought by an Englishman, Mr. Marchinson, and was exported to England. This began the epoch of emigration to the other side of the Channel of our finest specimens. On their part, the English worked tirelessly to improve the breed never failing to use the best that our breeding had to offer.
After the City Guard a chauffeur of the Plaza Royale came along. He had a bitch with the chest and all four legs with white markings named simply Miss. This bitch would have three sons, amongst which was the famous Ch Fox, of whom I have been lucky enough to top find a portrait painted by Mlle. Zélia Clerkx.
The other two pups went to a Jew in the Rue Miroir at the foot of the Palace of Justice, one of which went to the Notary Public M. Gheude and also had great success.
M. Delvaux de Vleugart crossed a small Yorkshire Terrier with Fox. The result was Petit Fox, renowned for his structure, colour and the quality of coat. This dog went to one Mr. Rempeneers. The finest stud of this time was Petit Waterloo. He was given this name after the sign that presided the café that his owner had on the corner of Rue Violette. He was the grandsire of various studs, most notably Tom de M. Seghers. Tom’s mother was a Pug, a popular breed here at the time.
Tom, who we see under these lines, seems to have understood his master! What an expression, and what a change of type in so few years! He was an excellent stud and sire of Carlo de M. Pirard; of Tom and Topsy who belonged to M. Thielemans. One of these dogs, with only one testicle, was a prolific stud under the circumstances and produced some fine specimens for M. Krickeboom.
The cross of M. Pirard’s Djepsy with one of M. Malvaux’s bitches resulted in Ch. Loustic.
As the demand from abroad increased it was decided to adopt a standard for the breed.The ability and talent of M. Vandersnickt was called upon. A commission was formed in “la Porte de Fer”. Present were well known figures at the times as: Vandersnickt, Pirard, Seghers, Thirionnet, Pasteles, Marquelerencq and others. The drawings of M. Vandersnickt were presented to the assembly and one of them in particular was pointed out, that which represented the “Monkey Head”.
The standard was adopted and elaborated as follows:

First Division: Griffon; rough coat, longer around the neck to form an adornment
Colour: Red; to be assigned 50 points
Head: expressive, prominent lower jaw, must not show teeth
Eyes: large, round and prominent.
Nose: black, not divided.
Nails: Black.
Length of puzzle: One and a half fingers.
Second Division: Other than Griffon. Other colours, white markings, brown nose, silken coat.

The look of the Griffon was altered little by little through crosses with the Pug, shortening the body, better weight distribution, larger head and jaw and the magnificent eyes like spectacles. However the short hair which would give rise to the petit Brabançon was also introduced. All dogs born with short coats were eliminated. However these dogs slowly began to show good qualities, and under watchful the eye of M. Vilain it was decided to form a second variety.
Taking the name Griffon Bruxellois as a base we go from the city to the province. Given that Brussels was in the province of Brabantia it was decided to use the name, so the new variety was named Griffon Brabançon, later changed to Petit Brabançon. For this reason the third variety took the name of the country and was called Griffon Belge: reddish and black mixed together.
To shorten the snout of the Griffon it was crossed with King Charles and Ruby. This was done to such an extent that with the short snout all true, ancestral qualities of the breed disappeared. The heads were prettier, snouts shorter, the body more compact, cobby, the look and the structure, everything was transformed little by little to change the type and to arrive at the dog we see today.
Some breeders, very few, conserved the old type and are the rare examples worthy of their ancestors. Not all is lost, but there remains a long road to travel. Beautiful Griffons are scarce, and those that have them guard them jealously, for he who has bred them knows disappointment. But just one specimen is enough to ignite the spark in the soul of the breeder.
Who can fail to be moved by that physiognomy, those eyes that seem to be full of tears and that reflect all that is profound and human in a look. So much kindness, submissive affection, the true, the lasting, that will never lie or betray…..never.
The ancestors have descended to join with their younger brothers to raise a cry of alarm. “Will you let us die forgotten and forsaken? We do not want to perish, we also have a proud history, our titles and nobility, we who were the glory of Belgian dog world. As our owners are proud of their history, so are we. Avaunt!”