The Brussels Griffon is considered a toy dog and is very famous for its human like expressions. Being a small dog, it weighs about 8 to 10 pounds and grows to a maximum height of 7 to 8 inches.

Being small and fragile in structure, the Brussels Griffon is easy to carry. It doesn’t require much exercise but is rather high spirited and spunky in nature. As they have lots of curiosity, they love climbing. This can however at times get them in deep danger. So keep a constant watch on it as if it climbs up too high, there is a chance that it may accidentally fall and break its neck.

The Brussels Griffon is one of three types of Griffons and was first revealed to the public at the 1880 Brussels exhibition. It is also seen in the paintings of a Flemish painter named Van Eyck. These dogs were first kept in farms to keep vermin away, however it is their charming character that has turned them into the great companion dogs they are today.

The Brussels Griffon is not only a cheerful dog, but is also a very bright and alert dog. It is all these characteristics that make this dog the perfect companion dog. By nature, these dogs are spirited and curious and can also be rather entertaining and amusing if they want to. They always love lying on their owner’s laps.

While it’s not always keen at pleasing its owner, sometimes it can act comically. So if you are okay with this, you may find the dog a very entertaining one. However, you have to be careful with the dog as if it is handled harshly or teased, it can adopt a rather defensive attitude.

As this is an independent dog, you may find it a bit difficult controlling it if it’s not taught control when it’s young. Brussels Griffons generally like children; however, it’s always better if the children they are around are older and not younger children. This is because energetic and young children can put this dog in danger when in their company.

Though they are not outwardly aggressive by nature, they can be shy when they are with new people and in new situations. As the Brussels Griffon prefers calm settings, they try hard to avoid any sort of confrontations. This is why the dog has to be socialized a lot when they are young, to help build a confident and stable nature.

As these dogs lose interest quickly, it is important that you be consistent in training them. Moreover, being independent dogs, obedience classes are very important for these dogs, which should be preferably started from a young age. If you start late, you may have a hard time training it as it can show stubbornness at times, which in turn can make it difficult when you are teaching it housebreaking.

As the Brussels Griffon is a very clever dog, you have to be firm in its training, lest it becomes manipulative and demanding with you. It’s always better to make its training sessions fun as this helps keep its attention.

The Brussels Griffon is a low maintenance dog as it does not shed much hair. In fact it sheds practically no hair at all, which means you may find it difficult finding a strand of hair in your home at all.

All it requires is a daily brushing to maintain their coats in good condition and to prevent the formation of mats. However, make sure you clean their beard around their mouths to avoid any formation of cakes.

If you wish to maintain a pet coat for your Brussels Griffon, you will have to cut his coat short every few months. In this case, it needs to be brushed only every now and then. However if you prefer keeping a show coat, you will have to strip his coat every six months, and make it a point to brush it on a daily basis.

The Brussels Griffons suffer from the same, common canine conditions that practically any other dog may suffer from. The canine problems they generally suffer from are narrowed nostrils that can sometimes hamper their breathing, eyeball lacerations, cataracts, eyeball prolapsed and progressive retinal atrophy.

There is no doubt about it; puppies are going to chew on things! Dogs will have 28 baby teeth, and 42 permanent teeth. When a puppy is roughly, 2 to 3 weeks old, their baby teeth start to come in. All their baby teeth should be in place by roughly 8 weeks of age.

The puppy’s new teeth are very tiny and sharp, and will hurt your fingers when they get a hold of them. Most mothers will start to wean their babies at 5 to 6 weeks old.

Your puppies baby teeth will start to come out around 8 to 12 weeks of age. By roughly 8 months old, your dog’s permanent teeth should all be in. You should make sure that all baby teeth are out, so that a tooth is not left in, and another one comes in and crowds the space, and gives your dog pain. You would need to visit the vet if you see this happening.

Your puppy is going to want to chew on something, just like a real baby, their teeth are coming in, and they want to relieve some of the pain. It is good for them to chew, to help the teeth come thru. You would want to get some appropriate chew items to help them.

You could start to train your dog to have their teeth brushed. You can pick up doggie tooth supplies at your local pet store usually, and get down and dirty and brush your doggy’s teeth. Rawhide chews are an excellent source of good tooth hygiene, as they are good for your dog’s teeth, and can help take off build up plaque, and dogs usually love it!

A lot of puppies and dogs end up getting human food usually from the weakest link in the family. If your dog is under the table, they usually will go to the person they think will mostly likely give them some food scraps.

If you do, just remember, chocolate and some nuts can kill your dog never give chocolate. Raisins can be just as deadly for your dog, do not give, they can shut down your dog’s kidneys, so be very careful of these products and your puppy or dog.

Before you bring your Brussels Griffon puppy home, you might want to get things ready for him or her. You might want to get dog crates: one or two for the house, and one for the car. You would want to get some fencing for the back yard, and as you know, Brussels Griffon is going to be big dogs when they grow up! You might as well get the heaviest duty dog gear you can buy it will be worth it!

You would want to get your home and yard ready just like you would for a new baby almost. You would want to puppy proof your home, nothing that would hurt the puppy should be out, and all cabinets should be locked.

For outside the house, all pools and hot tubs should be fenced in, and all gates should be locked and double-checked. A Brussels Griffon can really put a lot of weight into something, if you think they might get out, they probably can, so make it even tougher, it's a Brussels Griffon!

Collars and leashes: you would actually need several for training purposes. A short one for training and a long one for walks you go on. You should not leave a collar on a puppy while unsupervised, it could be caught and choke the puppy.

A collar should be used only when training, but he or she are common on most every dog, just make sure you have a good fitting one, and watch your puppy, to make sure he or she does not get it caught. A collar should not be left on, but dog owners do it all the time it seems, so just be extra careful. You should never have to yell or scream, or be carried away when trying to train your Brussels Griffon Dog.

If you feel, he or she is not moving forward, take a break, and try it again in a bit. Make sure you are not the one who is trying too hard. To puppy will learn the commands over time. No puppy gets it all right the first time, there will be mistakes, but in the end, you will have a much better trained dog. One you and your family can live with for many years to come!

While your puppy is still young, you should enroll yourself and your new puppy in as many dog obedient classes that you think you could handle. This will be the best experience for both you and your puppy, and you both will bond much better together, and get the most out of it. For the long haul, it is totally worth it!

I hope that your puppy has already seen the vet before you even brought him home, just for a checkup at least. You should at this time, find a reputable vet in your area, and set your new puppy up for regular visits and exams all puppies and dogs need to have on a regular basis.

The first day you bring your new puppy home, try to make it when you have plenty of time off of work or school, so that the puppy is not immediately left alone and insecure. It is best to spend plenty of time with the new puppy, especially the first couple of days. If you can take a sock or towel with you, and let the mother and any other siblings roll around on it, it would be a good comfort blanket to help your new puppy adjust in his new home.

Your puppy might whine, whimper and cry the first couple of nights this is natural really. It will go away eventually, as this is how the baby is raised by its mother. It whines when it cries for its mother when it wants to eat, and is crying out for attention.

That is where the towel or sock with the mothers scent rubbed on it comes in handy to put inside the crate. You would also want some good solid stainless steel bowls for food and water. You should check with your vet on a proper food and feeding time, usually twice daily, at the same times, but some vets recommend different diets for your Brussels Griffon Dog, so check with your vet first.

Teach your new Brussels Griffon puppy to be a part of the family. Brussels Griffon Dogs like to be included with the family; they are not that happy if just left in the back yard. They like to be included with the family, so keep that in mind and have fun with your new Brussels Griffon puppy!

You can teach your new puppy to go to the bathroom outside. You need to take your new puppy outside several times a day. A puppy cannot tell you when they have to go pee or poop they just go. It is your responsibility to know to take the puppy outside, since they will have to go to the bathroom several times each day.

When you take your new puppy outside, teach them to eliminate in a certain spot, and then give them a treat and praise. Continue to do this each time you take them outside, tell them to go "potty" and wait for them to go. As soon as they are done, reward them with praise and a treat, and take them back inside.

When you take your puppy outside to go to the bathroom, when you take him or her out, just stand still, and let the dog do their business. When they are finally doing their business, while they are doing it, just stand there, say, “Good Potty” Good Baby, and talk sweet to them, until they are done. When they are done, give them praise and a treat. Continue doing this until you only use praise, and the dog will learn to go outside and do his or her businesses quickly, and then back inside.

Under no circumstances should you ever leave your new puppy unsupervised. If you have to do something, he or she should be in their crate unharmed.