Griffon Bruxellois
Brussels cab drivers kept small rough-coated dogs in their stables to control rats, and crosses with the Pug and the English Toy Spaniel produced the Griffon Bruxellois, which…
About the Griffon Bruxellois
Brussels cab drivers kept small rough-coated dogs in their stables to control rats, and crosses with the Pug and the English Toy Spaniel produced the Griffon Bruxellois, which moved from the stable yard to fashionable drawing rooms within a generation. In Britain the rough and smooth coats are registered as one breed, the smooth variety being known on the Continent as the Petit Brabancon.
Weight runs to roughly 2.5 to 5.5 kg, with a domed head, a very short upturned muzzle, a prominent chin and large dark eyes that give the almost human expression the standard asks for. Rough coats are harsh and wiry with a beard; smooths are short and glossy. Colours are red, black, or black and tan. A stud should breathe quietly, have open nostrils and a muzzle with some length to it, because exaggeration of the flat face causes real trouble here.
The screening to ask about is unusual for a toy breed: Chiari-like malformation and syringomyelia are recognised in the Griffon Bruxellois, and the BVA/KC MRI scheme covers it, so a graded result is worth having. Add a patella examination and a current eye certificate, and ask about whelping history in the line, since caesarean rates are high in a breed with this head shape.
Health & breeding
We check every hip, elbow, eye and DNA result you give us against the Royal Kennel Club’s public records by hand, and we record who checked it and when. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Breed Right’s summary — under The Royal Kennel Club Health Standard
Health tests for the Griffon Bruxellois
This panel is Breed Right’s summary of the testing that matters for the breed under The Royal Kennel Club Health Standard. The Health Standard is the Royal Kennel Club’s guidance for breeders, not a registration rule. It describes tests to ask about — it is not a report on any individual dog. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Best Practice — further tests it recommends
Completing these as well as the Good Practice tests is what the Royal Kennel Club calls Best Practice.
| Test | Type | Scheme | What’s involved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eye testing (BVA/KC/ISDS) | Screening scheme | BVA/KC/ISDS | Result printed on the eye certificate. |
| Breathing grading — BOAS (RKC Respiratory Function Grading Scheme) | Screening scheme | RKC | Grade 0–3; 0 is clinically unaffected. |
Breed hip median
Too few dogs of this breed have been scored (BVA Hip Dysplasia Scheme breed statistics 2025 — 15 years: 2 dogs) to give a meaningful breed median. Source · How hip scores work
At stud now
Griffon Bruxellois stud dogs
No Griffon Bruxellois studs are listed right now
When a Griffon Bruxellois on the Royal Kennel Club Breed Register is listed at stud, it will appear here.
Also available
Griffon Bruxellois litters
No Griffon Bruxellois litters are listed right now
Litters appear here as breeders list them. Check back soon, or browse other breeds.
