Korthals Griffon
The Korthals Griffon was assembled in the late nineteenth century by Eduard Korthals, a Dutchman working in France and Germany, from griffon and setter stock, to make a wirehaired…
About the Korthals Griffon
The Korthals Griffon was assembled in the late nineteenth century by Eduard Korthals, a Dutchman working in France and Germany, from griffon and setter stock, to make a wirehaired pointing dog for a walking gun on heavy ground. On the continent it is still known as the griffon d'arret a poil dur.
The coat is coarse and harsh, like boar bristle, over a fine undercoat, and the breed carries a heavy moustache and eyebrows above a squarish muzzle. Colouring is steel grey with brown markings, or brown roan, and dogs stand 55 to 60 cm. A correct Korthals feels rough to the hand, and soft or woolly coats do not do the job the breed was built for.
Hip and elbow scores and a current eye certificate are what to ask for, and continental breeders have long screened hips as a condition of registration, so a European pedigree may carry a score in another country's format. Ask the owner to explain any foreign result in plain terms. Ask as well about epilepsy in the line, about how the older dogs have aged, and about the working qualifications the breed's continental clubs require.
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 Korthals Griffon
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hip score (BVA/KC) | Screening scheme | BVA/KC | Total of both hips, 0–106. Lower is better. |
| Elbow grading (BVA/KC) | Screening scheme | BVA/KC | Grade 0–3. The dog is graded on the worse of the two elbows. |
Breed hip median
Breed median 8 (BVA Hip Dysplasia Scheme breed statistics 2025 — 5 years, 59 dogs scored). Lower is better. Source · How hip scores work
At stud now
Korthals Griffon stud dogs
No Korthals Griffon studs are listed right now
When a Korthals Griffon on the Royal Kennel Club Breed Register is listed at stud, it will appear here.
Also available
Korthals Griffon litters
No Korthals Griffon litters are listed right now
Litters appear here as breeders list them. Check back soon, or browse other breeds.
