Intelligent, affectionate, loyal, curious … These are just some of the virtues that the Griffon of Brussels gives us. Definitely, this breed falls in love.

About ten years ago, seeing an Ewok walking by my side was the strangest thing.

I remember the people who were walking down the street at that time, stopping and hearing the children exclaim: Look, Dad! That dog has a beard !!

Fortunately, every day the Brussels Griffon is better known in Spain. An example of this is that a chain of stores in Spain has made a television spot in which a griffon appeared waiting in the arms of its owner, while the Star Wars soundtrack was playing off.

The Brussels Griffon is a small breed dog that usually weighs about 3 to 6 kg and, yes, it does look a lot like the Ewoks that appear in the Star Wars movie.

To find out more about its history: its origins date back to the 19th century in Belgium. These dogs were used to scare away rats that roamed in stables in Europe. In addition, they helped guard the house and kept its owners company.

This breed usually attracts a lot of attention for its monkey face. They have a very peculiar little face, with a flat nose (they are brachycephalic), ears attentive to everything and round little eyes that speak to us.

There are three varieties depending on the type of hair the specimen has: The Brussels Griffon, which has long, hard and red hair; the Belgian Griffon, with long, hard, black hair and, finally, the Petit Brabançon with short, reddish hair.

Obviously, the one that gives the least hairdressing work is the Petite Brabançon, for having short hair. On the contrary, the Brussels griffon and the Belgian griffon have to have their hair worked every few days using the stripping technique.

According to the FCI standard, the head must be large, broad and round, with a very short muzzle, a very marked stop and a black nose. The eyes are large, round and dark. Small ears are rewarded. The tail should not curl up, it should be set high and generally carried raised. Griffons have a prominent lower jaw (prognathism), but they should never show their teeth or tongue when they have their mouths closed, as this is considered a breed defect.

This breed has some care that should be noted. We must take good care of our eyes . As they are quite bulging, they are very prone to ulcers, so we must carefully monitor the ocular structure and check that they do not have transparent white spots, which can be a symptom of an ulcer. If our griffon suffers from an ulcer, it is very important to go to the vet as soon as possible so that it does not deepen, reaches the cornea and the damage caused may be greater.

Also, we must ensure that hairs are not accidentally introduced into the eye, since permanent contact can damage the eye cells and lead to keratitis or distichiasis (abnormal birth outside the usual lash line and rubbing them with the cornea).

Another important aspect to note is that the Brussels Griffon is quite delicate when it comes to heat stroke. Like all brachycephalic breeds, we must pay special attention in summer so that our pet does not suffer the dreaded heat stroke.

Regarding their character, it is important to note that they tend to suffer from separation anxiety, so those who are considering having a griffon should make sure that they are not going to leave their pet alone for a long time. They love company and pampering. Sometimes they can be fearful in front of young children. This, as always, will depend on how we train our dog. They can be scared by the noises, unexpected movements and games that they give them, but they are very good with them and, at most, what they will do is run to the opposite side. They have a very faithful character, they will not separate from you for a single minute. They will be your shadow.

It is perhaps one of the most impressive dogs in the world: the German Shepherd. He is capable of anything because of his incredible intelligence … During the First World War he was used to perform various tasks for the German army. Today his intelligence is fortunately mainly used by owners who want to teach him tricks. Read on and discover everything about this beautiful dog!

Its origin 

As you can guess, the German Shepherd comes from Germany, where they call him the Deutscher Schäferhund . Deutscher Schäferhund can be translated as “German Shepherd Dog”. The German Shepherd Dog was created because a soldier was bored while keeping watch . He looked out on a large area of ​​pasture, in which he saw all kinds of different dogs . He was amazed by what these dogs could do. After seeing that these dogs could move a whole flock of sheep , he decided to leave the army and breed this dog breed. Because all the dogs in the pasture were so different, the soldier decided to imagine one type of dog that would be perfect both in appearance and inwardly. By the way, did you know that the first guide dog for the blind was a German Shepherd named Buddy ?

Personality and Behavior

Because the German Shepherd is used as a sheepdog, it is very easy to train . It is of course very important that your dog is obedient when you use it with the sheep. In addition to a good sheepdog, you can also use the German shepherd at home as an alarm system. This dog breed is very territorial and will bark immediately if a burglar enters your home. Due to this territorial behavior, the German Shepherd can also quickly show suspicion when encountering strangers.

The German Shepherd is a very loyal dog. He really loves his owner and will always try to do what you expect from him. Just because he is so affectionate, he is not the best dog to leave home alone all day while you go to work . It’s important to keep this in mind before bringing a German Shepherd into your home.

It is also very important to give your German Shepherd a good upbringing . If you give him a good upbringing, with or without the help of a dog school or an expert experienced with this breed, he will always do what you expect him to do! Please note, a good upbringing does not immediately mean a strict upbringing! Your German Shepherd will learn much faster if you reward him for positive actions than if you yell at him if he does something wrong. If you socialize the German Shepherd at a young age and allow it to interact with other dogs , there is no problem whatsoever. The same goes for other pets such as cats. Also with childrenthey have known all their lives they have no problem. This breed is certainly also suitable as a family dog !

It is a highly intelligent breed that can teach you any trick in no time! For a German shepherd the sky is the limit. Maybe you can teach your dog to urinate on command using the step-by-step plan in this article ? Today, the German Shepherd is still often used as a guide dog for the blind , which shows its good-natured nature. Other jobs that can be perfectly performed by this breed are that of a police dog, tracker dog, or guard dog . For these jobs, the courageous nature of the German Shepherd is really perfect. This dog is really not afraid of anything!

Care and nutrition

The German Shepherd has an undercoat, which allows its coat to tangle more easily than the coat of some other dog breeds. To avoid this, it is best to give your dog a thorough brushing twice a week . At certain times of the year you will notice that your German Shepherd sheds even more than usual. It can be very helpful during these times to give your German Shepherd more brushings than usual so that less hair ends up in your house. In addition, these brushings also help to keep your dog’s coat beautiful and prevent tangles! Do you have no idea exactly how to tame that coat? Then you find here a few tips!

The German Shepherd is a dog that needs a lot of exercise . He loves to take long walks with his owner and if you give him daily, he can also live in a house or apartment without a garden. If you don’t give him this move, your dear dog might get very nervous or let off steam on your furniture. This dog is very sporty , which means that you can also take it with you when you go jogging or going for a bike ride!

What a German Shepherd needs in terms of nutrition varies from dog to dog. It depends on what he does in daily life : is the German Shepherd a police dog or a family dog? If he performs a job as a police or tracking dog, he needs a lot of energy in his diet. When choosing food for your German Shepherd, you must therefore think carefully about the situation with your dog. With this large dog breed, it is also important that obesity is avoided in order to give the hereditary joint disorders as little chance as possible. If you don’t know what to do, don’t hesitate to ask your vet for help! Do you think your German Shepherd might be too fat? Then you find here an article that might help!

Do German Shepherds suffer from health problems?

Like all dog breeds, German Shepherds also have typical ailments linked to the breed. Since it is a very large dog, German Shepherds have regularly suffer from diseases of the  joints such as hip and elbow dysplasia . Hypothyroidism is a condition of the thyroid gland in which it works too slowly due to a lack of active thyroid hormone. Von Willebrand ‘s disease is an inherited blood disease that is common in German Shepherds.

It is important to buy your puppy from a good breeder who will perform preventative testing to prevent these hereditary conditions in their puppies. If you have chosen a good breeder and you have your dog regularly preventively checked by your vet , the chance of these typical ailments is immediately much smaller! These small measures also ensure that your German Shepherd can easily reach the average age of 12 !

The appearance

The German Shepherd is a dog with many muscles : its neck, back and loins are very strong and muscular. It has a long tail that has longer hair on the bottom than on the top. The German Shepherd is a large breed of dog. The height at the withers is between 55 and 65 centimeters high. Weight depends on your dog’s gender. Females weigh between 22 and 32 kilograms , while males have  30 to 40 kilograms weigh. A German Shepherd has very dark eyes. His pointed ears are pointed with the auricle facing forward on his head.

The German Shepherd’s coat is  black with  reddish brown, brown, yellow or even bright gray markings . The German Shepherd’s hair is short on the head, limbs and toes. He has longer hair on the neck and the back of the legs.

How do you choose a German Shepherd puppy?

Are you convinced that such an intelligent dog fits perfectly in your family? Is there usually someone in the house so that this affectionate dog doesn’t sit alone? Do you have enough time to give him his daily exercise? Perfect! Then the German Shepherd might be something for you. Now you can start looking for a good breeder. But how do you know exactly who is a good breeder and who is not? Don’t worry, we’ve created this checklist to help you!

The average price for a German-Shepherd puppy is usually around 850 euros . Always be on the lookout if you come across a seller selling puppies for a much lower price! There is usually a reason for this cheap deal. Is the dog not a full German Shepherd? Do the puppy’s parents have a history of hereditary conditions? Be sure to ask the breeder for the pedigree and the official test results to check such things before buying a dog!

With a German-Shepherd, it is of immense importance to pay attention to the parent animals during your visit to the breeder . Are they anxious or rather social? How do they respond to you as a visitor in their home? The fact is that a German Shepherd can become aggressive if it has not been socialized early enough and has not received training. These dogs are often very nervous too . Does the breeder have several litters in his house at the same time? Then there is a good chance that you are dealing with such dogs. The breeder does not have time to train all puppies at the same time and to learn everything they need to know as a dog.

Usually you can distinguish a good breeder from a bread breeder by the interest they show in you and your family . A good breeder would prefer to know everything about the future family of his puppy, so that he is absolutely sure that you will give a golden home. Some breeders are less concerned with the fate of their animals and are mainly interested in the money he can earn with his puppies. Does a breeder ask you a lot of questions? Then that is certainly a good sign!

Although love for pets is universal to all dog breeds, preferences do exist and vary due to individual tastes and other factors. In the year 2021, the most popular dog breeds are those falling under the toy dog category.

Lockdowns brought about by the pandemic have reiterated the value these animals bring to your life. Spending more time with them has left their owners a lot less stressed. Dog parents have enjoyed a plethora of activities with their pets during these times. The dog’s breed has influenced the types of activities.

Toy breed dogs have not come up short in this regard. Their diminutive size has not determined the fun and love they shower upon their owners. They’ve irrefutably demonstrated that they can perform the typical activities expected of dogs in their way.

Below are the reasons why toy dogs are the most popular dog breeds of the year:

1. They Are Friendly

Dogs are not called man’s best friend without reason. Their loyalty and friendly nature are without question. They are always running towards you when called and can’t wait to jump and greet you after you’ve been gone too long.

The fact is, though, that different breeds have different temperaments. Pitbulls come to mind when temperament and dogs appear in the same sentence.

Toy breeds fall on the nice part of that spectrum. They are very friendly in general, and at times, too much. And, they still pack quite the personalities. They will alert you of unknown persons while being affectionate with known ones.

1. They Are Easy To Maintain

Their small size is an advantage when it comes to taking care of them. They also enjoy the privilege of being carried around in the purse, something these dogs’ larger counterparts can never experience. Such easy portability helps kids enjoy their company by carrying them in their arms too.

They don’t require much in the way of food, giving you savings on that front as well (not that dog lovers count how much it costs to feed their dogs). They are easy to clean, and with their small footprint, they don’t leave much mess on the floor to clean.

The one downside could be shortness of breath and low tolerance to heat, like with pugs. But in times of lockdown, their being in a controlled environment of the house keeps them safe.

1. They Are Stylish

For some owners, their dogs represent their personality and style. You will find that such dogs get groomed perennially to look their best, with copious amounts of accessories adorned.

Toy dogs are famous for this and could be considered the progenitors of the “deck-out-your-dog” trend.

Their small size makes them seem cute, like a puppy that never grew up. This aspect is also a part of the appeal and why they’re found in online videos frequently.

Toy or otherwise, dogs deserve all the love they can get. Some might be the most popular dog breeds presently, but their need in people’s lives transcends all trends.