The body should be a thickset, short body. Bris- ket should be broad and deep, ribs well sprung. The Brussels Griffon is a slow- maturing breed. It usually takes the breed 2-1/2 years for the head to be fully de-
higher and in deeply between the eyes, forming a layback. The skull shall be large and round, with a domed fore- head. The forehead shall not be flat. Judges should examine the head to be sure the groomer didn’t leave a lot of hair on the dog’s skull so as to make it look like it is domed. A smooth Griffon shows everything it has. No cover-ups! What you see is what it is. A rough-coated Griffon with a good groomer can cover a lot of faults. I have seen pin heads look like they had large heads with domes when, in fact, it was just hair left lon- ger and left in the shape of a dome. The nose is very black and extremely short. When I bred my first two litters, I got “button noses.” I thought they were so cute. Then I really started studying other dogs in the ring, and the Breed Standard, and learned that the nostrils should be large. I like to see a nice-sized nose pad now, rather than the “button noses” I used to get. A Dudley or but- terfly nose is a disqualification.
The jaw must be undershot. The inci- sors of the lower jaw should protrude the upper incisors. Brussels Griffon’s should have black lips. I say that they should look like they are pouting. Neither teeth nor tongue should show when the mouth is closed. Judges should carefully examine the mouth. The undershot jaw can be checked without prying the mouth open. I pre- fer to have the judge ask me to “show them the bite.” IF the judge prefers to examine the bite, they should be very careful not to close off the dog’s air- ways by covering or pushing against the nose. They can actually check the bite visually and, with just their fingertip, lift the lip. The lower jaw is prominent, rather broad, with an up- ward sweep. A wry mouth is a serious fault. Disqualifications are an over- shot bite or a hanging tongue. The heads usually get broader by the time the dog is mature and the under jaw will tilt up to its maximum po- tential, which should place the nose
veloped and for the ribs to spring and the chest to drop to the maximum. The body that a judge sees in a young- ster will be quite a different body in the same dog at maturity. The weight is usually 8 to 10 pounds and should not exceed 12 pounds. There are larger dogs being shown, and the Standard says that type and quality are of greater importance than weight . There are also smaller dogs being shown, and the Standard states that a smaller dog that is sturdy and well proportioned should not be penal- ized . Let me make emphasis on the fact that the smaller dog should not have spindly legs and be stringy in appearance, nor shall the larger dog be built like a Border Terrier. Their bodies must be thickset, compact and with good substance. They must be well-boned; however, they must not be Terrier-type. The neck should be of medium length with a graceful arch. The back should be level and short. The tail should be
40 • T op N otch T oys , J anuary 2024
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