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Brussels griffons are small-sized dogs weighing eight to 12 pounds (four to six kilograms).

A Brussels griffon's height is about 10 inches at the shoulder. Their body is square and their head is large and round with a very short nose. The dogs generally mature at one year, although they reach their full size around six to eight months.

The Brussels griffon has two types of coats: the rough and smooth. The rough coat is harsh and wiry, while the smooth coat is straight, short, tight and glossy. The rough coat requires clipping and stripping. They require brushing and combing twice a week. The smooth coat needs only a quick brushing weekly. They can be red, black and reddish brown with a black mask and whiskers, black and tan, and solid black.

Personality:

Brussels griffons are very active. They do not make good kennel dogs and prefer being with their owners. They can be demanding and assertive. They are good for apartment dwellers and homes with small backyards, but require daily exercise.

They tend to be stubborn and very intelligent. They do not accept harsh punishment and require patience when training.

Living With:

Brussels griffons need a large amount of interaction with people. They are good with family dogs and cats, but can be dog aggressive toward strange dogs. Other pets, such as rodents, birds or reptiles, should be kept away from them.

They make excellent watchdogs, but poor guard dogs because of their small size. They can bark excessively if not properly trained. They can become aggressive if threatened by either a stranger or another dog and are fearless, regardless of the size discrepancy.

They are ideal for owners who want a small, active dog that does not require a large yard and can be contented with frequent walks, games of fetch and other activities. They do not do well left alone for long periods and are noisy. Brussels griffons typically live from 12 to 15 years.

History:

The Brussels griffon is descended from the German affenpinscher and the Belgian street dog, to produce in the 17th century the griffon, a dog with a rough coat. In the 19th century the griffon was crossed with the pug, producing the smooth coat variety. The breed became a common sight riding in and supposedly guarding Belgium cabs. By the late 1800s the breed had stepped into Belgium dog show rings; their popularity grew and by the early 1900s they were in demand by the Belgium upper class. The first Brussels griffon was registered with the American Kennel Club in 1910. These small dogs are part of the toy group and make an excellent companion pet.

Affenpinscher |  Afghan Hound |  Airedale Terrier |  Akbash Dog |  Akita |  Alaskan Klee Kai |  American Eskimo |  American Pit Bull Terrier |  American Staffordshire Terrier |  American Water Spaniel |  Australian Cattle Dog |  Australian Shepherd |  Basenji |  Basset Hound |  Beagle |  Bearded Collie |  Beauceron |  Bedlington Terrier |  Belgian Malinois |  Belgian Sheepdog |  Bernese Mountain Dog |  Bichon Frise |  Black and Tan Coonhound |  Bloodhound |  Border Collie |  Border Terrier |  Borzoi |  Boston Terrier |  Bouvier des Flandres |  Boxer |  Boykin Spaniel |  Briard |  Brittany |  Brussels Griffon |  Bullmastiff |  Bull Terrier |  Cairn Terrier |  Canadian Eskimo |  Cavalier King Charles Spaniel |  Chesapeake Bay Retriever |  Chihuahua |  Chinese Crested |  Chinook |  Chow Chow |  Clumber Spaniel |  Cocker Spaniel |  Collie or Scottish Collie |  Curly-Coated Retriever |  Dachshund |  Dalmatian |  Dandie Dinmont Terrier |  Doberman |  English Bulldog |  English Cocker Spaniel |  English Foxhound |  English Pointer |  English Setter |  English Springer Spaniel |  Field Spaniel |  Finnish Spitz |  Flat-Coated Retriever |  French Bulldog |  German Shepherd |  German Shorthaired Pointer |  German Wirehaired Pointer |  Giant Schnauzer |  Golden Retriever |  Great Dane |  Great Pyrenees |  Greyhound |  Havanese |  Ibizan Hound |  Irish Setter |  Irish Water Spaniel |  Irish Wolfhound |  Italian Greyhound |  Jack Russell Terrier |  Japanese Chin |  Keeshond |  Komondor |  Kuvasz |  Labrador Retriever |  Leonberger |  Lhasa Apso |  Maltese |  Mastiff |  Miniature Bull Terrier |  Miniature Pinscher |  Miniature Schnauzer |  Newfoundland |  Norfolk Terrier |  Norwegian Elkhound |  Norwich Terrier |  Old English Sheepdog |  Papillon |  Pekingese |  Pharaoh Hound |  Pomeranian |  Poodles |  Portuguese Water Dog |  Pug |  Puli |  Rhodesian Ridgeback |  Rottweiler |  Saint Bernard |  Saluki |  Samoyed |  Schipperke |  Scottish Deerhound |  Scottish Terrier |  Shetland Sheepdog |  Shih Tzu |  Siberian Husky |  Silky Terrier |  Skye Terrier |  Smooth Fox Terrier |  Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier |  Staffordshire Bull Terrier |  Standard Schnauzer |  Vizsla |  Weimaraner |  Welsh Corgi Cardigan |  Welsh Corgi Pembroke |  Welsh Springer Spaniel |  West Highland White Terrier |  Whippet |  Wire Fox Terrier |  Xolotzcuintli |  Yorkshire Terrier

The hallmark of this breed is the ridge on the back.

This is formed by the hair growing in the opposite direction to the rest of the coat. It starts just behind the shoulders and continues down to just before the hips. At the beginning of this ridge are two identical crowns (whorls) directly opposite each other.

The Rhodesian ridgeback is a strong, muscular, balanced and athletic dog. He is capable of great endurance with a fair amount of speed. Males range in height from 25 to 27" (85 pounds, 38 kilograms) and females from 24 to 26 inches (70 pounds, 32 kilograms). Known for an even, dignified temperament, the ridgeback is devoted and affectionate to his master and reserved with strangers.

The color of a Rhodesian ridgeback ranges from light wheaten to red wheaten. A little white on the chest and toes is permissible, but excessive white there, on the belly, or above the toes is undesirable.

Personality:

The Rhodesian ridgeback has won many admirers for his innate qualities. The breed possesses many of the characteristics generally associated with Hounds, but is somewhat tougher than the typical hound breed. The ridgeback has a quiet, gentle temperament and rarely barks.

Although he may give the impression of a big, lazy hound, the Rhodesian ridgeback can be a threatening presence. This dog was bred to hunt and be a family protector. The ridgeback is easily trained and has above-average tractability.

Because of their innate abilities as guardians, ridgebacks should not be trained as protection dogs. Their natural protective instinct should be subjected to elementary obedience training for control.

Living With:

Rhodesian ridgebacks are extremely tolerant dogs and excellent companions. Ridgebacks are gregarious animals, enjoying the company of other dogs; but families should be cautious about having several male dogs in one household, because this can lead to dominance struggles. These dogs can be good with cats if brought up with them.

They are good with children, but both child and dog must learn to behave around one another. Because of their size, younger and more excitable ridgebacks may knock over small children by accident. Ridgebacks are protective of children and other household members. These are excellent natural watchdogs and family protectors, but they do need to know that the caregiver is in charge.

Ridgebacks are not barkers, but they will be an alert watchdog to anything unusual. Athletic dogs, they can be climbers and you may find their natural curiosity taking over when there is something interesting on the other side of the fence! Not natural diggers, they may, however, create some cool summer "caverns" in your backyard if left unsupervised.

Rhodesian ridgebacks are extremely clean dogs with little odor and minimal shedding. They can be termed an "easy keeper" when it comes to food, but you may have to monitor caloric intake to keep them from overeating and becoming obese.

History:

The Rhodesian ridgeback, often referred to as the African Lion Hound, is a native of South Africa. The breed's history dates back to the 16th century when the first Europeans explored the interior on the Cape of Good Hope. Here they discovered the Hottentot tribes living with a semi-domesticated dog that had hair along his spine — growing backwards. This is what we now refer to as the "ridge."

The Rhodesian ridgeback was bred by the Boer farmers to meet their needs for a hunting dog in the wilds of Africa. They needed dogs that could flush game, pull down larger wounded game and guard their farms from prowlers and wild animals at night. The farmers also needed a dog that could withstand the rigors of the African bush, handle the drastic changes in temperature from the heat of the day to the freezing night temperatures, be short-coated to avoid ticks in the brush, and that could go 24 hours without water. This dog also had to be companion and protector to his wife and children.

In 1922 a group of breeders in Zimbabwe set up a standard for the Rhodesian ridgeback that is virtually unchanged to this day. Several outstanding specimens were brought to the United States in the early 1950s and, by 1955, the Rhodesian ridgeback was the 112th breed admitted to the American Kennel Club.

Affenpinscher |  Afghan Hound |  Airedale Terrier |  Akbash Dog |  Akita |  Alaskan Klee Kai |  American Eskimo |  American Pit Bull Terrier |  American Staffordshire Terrier |  American Water Spaniel |  Australian Cattle Dog |  Australian Shepherd |  Basenji |  Basset Hound |  Beagle |  Bearded Collie |  Beauceron |  Bedlington Terrier |  Belgian Malinois |  Belgian Sheepdog |  Bernese Mountain Dog |  Bichon Frise |  Black and Tan Coonhound |  Bloodhound |  Border Collie |  Border Terrier |  Borzoi |  Boston Terrier |  Bouvier des Flandres |  Boxer |  Boykin Spaniel |  Briard |  Brittany |  Brussels Griffon |  Bullmastiff |  Bull Terrier |  Cairn Terrier |  Canadian Eskimo |  Cavalier King Charles Spaniel |  Chesapeake Bay Retriever |  Chihuahua |  Chinese Crested |  Chinook |  Chow Chow |  Clumber Spaniel |  Cocker Spaniel |  Collie or Scottish Collie |  Curly-Coated Retriever |  Dachshund |  Dalmatian |  Dandie Dinmont Terrier |  Doberman |  English Bulldog |  English Cocker Spaniel |  English Foxhound |  English Pointer |  English Setter |  English Springer Spaniel |  Field Spaniel |  Finnish Spitz |  Flat-Coated Retriever |  French Bulldog |  German Shepherd |  German Shorthaired Pointer |  German Wirehaired Pointer |  Giant Schnauzer |  Golden Retriever |  Great Dane |  Great Pyrenees |  Greyhound |  Havanese |  Ibizan Hound |  Irish Setter |  Irish Water Spaniel |  Irish Wolfhound |  Italian Greyhound |  Jack Russell Terrier |  Japanese Chin |  Keeshond |  Komondor |  Kuvasz |  Labrador Retriever |  Leonberger |  Lhasa Apso |  Maltese |  Mastiff |  Miniature Bull Terrier |  Miniature Pinscher |  Miniature Schnauzer |  Newfoundland |  Norfolk Terrier |  Norwegian Elkhound |  Norwich Terrier |  Old English Sheepdog |  Papillon |  Pekingese |  Pharaoh Hound |  Pomeranian |  Poodles |  Portuguese Water Dog |  Pug |  Puli |  Rhodesian Ridgeback |  Rottweiler |  Saint Bernard |  Saluki |  Samoyed |  Schipperke |  Scottish Deerhound |  Scottish Terrier |  Shetland Sheepdog |  Shih Tzu |  Siberian Husky |  Silky Terrier |  Skye Terrier |  Smooth Fox Terrier |  Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier |  Staffordshire Bull Terrier |  Standard Schnauzer |  Vizsla |  Weimaraner |  Welsh Corgi Cardigan |  Welsh Corgi Pembroke |  Welsh Springer Spaniel |  West Highland White Terrier |  Whippet |  Wire Fox Terrier |  Xolotzcuintli |  Yorkshire Terrier

Briards are large-sized dogs weighing between 50 and 100 pounds (22 to 45 kilograms).

A male is 23 to 27 inches at the shoulder; females are smaller at 22 to 25 1/2 inches tall. The body is well-muscled and built for work. The head is long and wide with high-set hanging or cropped ears. Briards generally mature at one to two years, although they reach their full size around six to eight months.

The coat is slightly wavy and at least six inches long. They have long hair on the ears, giving a sail-like appearance when pricked. All uniform colors are allowable except white. These colors include black, gray and various shades of tawny. The coat, which sheds dirt and water, still requires brushing and combing at least once a week for two hours to prevent mats, and more frequently if the briard has been out in the field.

Personality:

Briards are active dogs that require a high level of physical activity. Although these dogs are independent in nature, they do not make good kennel dogs and prefer being with their owners. They are highly intelligent and need activities to keep them occupied to prevent destructive behavior such as chewing and digging. They need to be kept in a large fenced-in backyard to prevent them from roaming.

Living With:

Briards consider their owners to be equal companions. Although they can be aggressive toward other dogs, if properly socialized they can learn to co-exist with dogs or cats. Other pets, such as rodents, birds or reptiles, should be kept away.

Given their independent nature, briards may question or refuse their owner's commands. They do not respond well to heavy-handed punishment but respect authority. You must first earn a briard's respect through consistent obedience training.

Briards are ideal for owners who want a large, intelligent, active dog for herding, hiking and other outdoor activities. They make good watchdogs and good guard dogs. They are mistrustful of strangers. Briards typically live from 10 to 15 years.

History:

The briard is an ancient French breed dating back to the 8th century or earlier. The briard was bred for guarding and herding sheep and other livestock. The dog kept illustrious company including Emperor Charlemagne, Napoleon, and Lafayette. Thomas Jefferson, once a dog hater, was quickly turned into a dog lover when Lafayette sent briards over to the newly formed United States to guard the livestock of the author of the Declaration of Independence.

During World Wars I and II, the French used briards as guard dogs and search-and-rescue dogs. The breed suffered with the deaths of many dogs in both wars. The first litter of briards registered with the American Kennel Club was in 1922.

The briard excels in herding and guarding livestock and is a member of the herding group. He makes a delightful, active companion.