Next on the list of dog breeds the British Busybodies don't approve is the Brussels Griffon. I never heard of such a thing. The dogs have been bred in the United States, and Petfinder has a category for them, but they're not normally found in shelters. Searching four pages yielded one listing for one dog.
Derry from Dalton, Georgia...see below.
So what is a Brussels Griffon? The griffin, griffon, gryphon, etc., was an imaginary animal used in heraldry. It symbolized different qualities of the human character in the form of an animal with features of lion, eagle, and sometimes other things. A Brussels Griffon is a smallish dog with a "mane" of long hair--not around the neck like a lion's mane, but on the face like a man with a full beard. A closely related breed, sometimes called a smooth-coated Brussels Griffon and sometimes given fancier names, has short hair on the body; the Brussels Griffon is somewhat shaggy all over.
Photo from the American Brussels Griffon Association. To my eyes, this show-quality specimen is not attractive, but that's probably due to the way his coat's been clipped.
Show-quality Brussels Griffons are up to 10 inches high at the shoulder and weigh up to 10 pounds. These cat-sized dogs live as long as cats; people adopting one need to plan on a life expectancy up to 15 years.
Show-quality Brussels Griffons come in four colors: black, reddish brown, black and reddish brown, or black and tan. The dogs are sometimes born light tan or "blue" gray all over. In that case they are not show-quality and might, like the individual we'll meet below, be sent to shelters.
They usually get along well with other dogs and children. Because of their small size, you may need to supervise to make sure the other dogs and/or children don't hurt the "Griffs." They tend to bond with one human and want to stay close to that person, even to the point of showing separation anxiety.
Some health problems run in the bloodlines of this breed. Potential adopters need to check for eye, heart, and joint disorders. Individuals who survive long enough to be adopted are usually healthy but, because of their long facial hair, their eyes and ears need attention.
The long hair doesn't shed a great deal. The short-haired variety do shed, twice a year.
Although small dogs can get most of their exercise indoors, they do need at least a half-hour of exercise each day. Many Griffons like to chase and fetch balls. They are typically clever enough to compete in dog athletic events.
The breed can be described as easy to train, or difficult, depending on your approach. According to the American Kennel Club, starting early and understanding the dog's psychology are important.
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Griffs have a high degree of intelligence and bond strongly with their owners, which makes them easy to train. As with many toy breeds, though, housebreaking may take some extra time and effort. Griffons have a very sensitive nature, and they don't respond well to harsh corrections or training methods. A Griffon wants to be with his family, often following his person from room to room, and undesirable behaviors can result if he is regularly left alone for long periods of time.
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And of course, because of their small size, you need to walk with them on a short leash whenever they're out where they could possibly run out into traffic.
It's good to see so few Brussels Griffons up for adoption. In honor of this small breed this week's photo contest will focus on other small dogs and small cats.
About small cats not much needs to be said. Almost all domestic cats we see today have been bred down to the small end of their species range. Their ancestors weighed about 30 pounds; they typically weigh 10 pounds, with slim, light-boned breeds like the Siamese often even smaller. Some cats weigh less than 10 pounds because of ill health. If you like small, thin cats (as I do) it's worth checking, before you adopt one, to find out what medical conditions may have contributed to their small size and which of them need treatment. A real featherweight cat, especially if just rescued from an alley, probably has multiple long-term parasite infections, treatment for which may be the cat's only chance of survival. A small, slim cat with solid little bones and wiry muscles usually has a good chance of living ten or fifteen years.
Zipcode 10101: Adrian from Puerto Rico via NYC
Sato is a Puerto Rican word for a street dog, but Adrian was actually rescued from a small house where he was crowded together with about thirty other dogs. One of those pathetic "animal hoarders" who wants to adopt all the homeless animals on Earth even after the situation in the hoarder's house starts to seem worse, to everyone but the hoarder, than living in an alley would be. Somewhat shy and unaccustomed to what North Americans consider normal pet dog life, this 20-pound young adult dog is ready to move to a safe place with adequate amounts of space and attention.
Gardenia from NYC
Thought to be three years old and healthy at just six pounds, Gardenia is described as friendly and respectful with other cats, snuggly, gentle, and lovable.
Zipcode 20202: Dart from Amarillo by way of DC
A stray dog called Buttons was rescued along with a litter of five puppies. Here are the others, Patch, Lace, Velvet, and Stitch, who are also up for adoption:
The best guess is that Buttons was some sort of mini-poodle and Shih Tzu or other shaggy lapdog mix, and the puppies' father was something a bit larger, possibly an Australian Shepherd. None of the pups is expected to grow over 30 pounds, though they might pass 20 pounds. The organization has a list of places where animals can be adopted. They have a long, though not altogether unreasonable, list of requirements for adopters. They
might be control freaks. It's not unreasonable to want to see some indication that a dog is going to have an adequate home; I'd go ahead and send them flatphone photos of the fenced yard and a nice doghouse, porch, or basement space where the dog's crate will be parked, but that's NOT the same thing as showing strangers through the
human family's actual home, which is something they deserve to be shamed for suggesting.
Pablo from DC
Pablo seems to be a healthy two-year-old tomcat who, for reasons unknown, has a healthy weight of just six pounds. He doesn't have much of a story. He is in a foster family; you can learn more about him by e-mailing his foster humans.
Zipcode 30303: Derry from Dalton
...makes it clear that poor little Derry has fallen into the hands of a virulent Humane Society gaggle of control freaks. You have to beg for a chance to meet her. They decide, based on your application pleas, whether they think you can live with her. They're not giving out any information about her to anyone they don't approve of. There's a distinct possibility that the lack of a story about this dog indicates that the Humane Society are aware of her having been petnapped by some US version of the Busybodies of Britain.
Feh. FEH. A glance at Derry's web page makes me want to breed dozens of Brussels Griffons and air-drop them over Georgia, although obviously that would not be an ethical course of action. You can, ethically, decide to adopt an alternative small dog, such as...
Alternate: Alfie from Atlanta
This mini-poodle was found on the street, possibly dumped out because he had a skin infection. The infection cleared up with treatment, which included a short haircut. He has a smooth short silky coat now but he'll need frequent trims to stay that way. His hair will grow long, curly, and tangly if it's not clipped. Now this quiet, mellow, mature dog (they think he's about 13 years old, but mini-poodles can live up to 20 years) is ready to snuggle up on someone's couch and be a house pet again. The organization insists that he be adopted by someone in northern Georgia, only. The adoption fee is quite reasonable for a Poodle.
Ms. Tabby from Atlanta
Not much information is available about Ms. Tabby except that she's a small healthy adult cat.
