460 



THE NEW BOOK OF THE DOG. 



retrieve is not the highest kind of love. 

 There are utility dogs and there are non- 

 utility dogs, and it is equally certain that 

 there are many dog lovers who value 

 canine fidelity and affection far more than 

 canine noses and claws. At the same 

 time, this fact entails certain responsibilities 

 on the owners of what one may term the 

 non-utility dogs. A shooting man would 

 not dream of letting his Retriever run wild 

 up to the age of twelve months, and then 

 expect it to be endowed at need with perfect 

 manners and a tender mouth. And simi- 

 larly a dog whose metier in life is that of 

 being a companion to human beings should 

 from the earliest age be taught lessons of 

 obedience and confidence, besides having 

 its interest and affection aroused for those 

 with whom its lot has been cast. A spoilt 

 dog is as trying as a spoilt child, and that 

 dog who, at six months old, has not learnt 

 to stay in a room or cage or basket alone, 

 without complaining, has not been brought 

 up in the way it should go. 



There are two important points which 

 breeders should bear in mind. One is 

 that with a breed such as Griffons, where 

 the type has not been established for 

 very many years, pedigree is of the ut- 

 most importance, and " strain " on both 

 sides, for as many generations as pos- 

 sible, should be carefully considered and 

 thought out. 



The second point is the importance of 

 disposition in one's breeding stock. The 

 Brussels Griffon is admittedly made up of 

 composite breeds, and just as it has taken 

 the coat of one breed, the muzzle of another, 

 and so on, and fused them into one charm- 

 ing and homogeneous whole, so have the 

 different qualities and varieties of intellect 

 mingled and resulted in the delightful little 

 dog we know to-day. But in all breeds, 

 whether from inbreeding or from other 

 causes, " fool-dogs " -will occur, and for the 

 sake of the breed, as well as for that of the 

 breeder, such should not be bred from, no 

 matter how brilliant may have been their 

 show career. 



Before founding a kennel or choosing 

 a sire, the intending breeder should take 

 these things into account, and, if possible, 

 see the dogs of the strains he most admires 

 in their own homes and surroundings, so 



that he may judge at first hand of their 

 dispositions and upbringing. 



As regards the show ring, a Brussels 

 Griffon happily needs very little prepara- 

 tion. He will need a little training in con- 

 fidence and courage, but these are neces- 

 sary attributes under all circumstances. 

 As with all other wire-haired breeds, the 

 dead coat will need removing if it is not 

 naturally shed. A periodical outcry is heard 

 on this subject, but it is noticeable that 

 those who are loudest in declaiming against 

 '' trimming " are the possessors of smooth 

 dogs, and who therefore know nothing 

 about the matter. It is just as reasonable 

 to keep a dog without attending to its coat 

 as to rear a child without brushing its hair, 

 and in the case of Brussels Griffons, both 

 in the interests of their own comfort and 

 for the beauty of their appearance, the dead 

 and faded coat must be removed. The 

 need for this will arise every six or eight 

 months, and will soon show itself by the 

 faded and dead appearance of the long old 

 coat, together with the new undercoat 

 struggling to force its way out to light and 

 air. Then is the time to remove the dead 

 hair, and here a steel toothcomb, like those 

 supplied by Messrs. Spratt, will be found 

 useful. In this, as in many other matters, 

 a little practice soon makes perfect. It is 

 really sad to see the rough and uncombed 

 condition in which some dogs are led into 

 the show ring, looking uncared-for and 

 neglected, besides being obviously un- 

 combed and unwashed. Like most other 

 hard-coated dogs, Griffons are better with- 

 out frequent baths, but regular grooming 

 should take place daily, by grooming being 

 understood the sponging of eyes and muz- 

 zles, together with a thorough combing of 

 the coat and general inspection of the skin. 



Brussels Griffons are divided into three 

 groups, according to their appearance, and 

 representatives of each group may be, and 

 sometimes are, found in one and the same 

 litter. First and foremost, both in import- 

 ance and in beauty, comes the Griffon 

 Bruxellois, a cobby, compact little dog, 

 with wiry red coat, large eyes, short nose 

 well turned up, and sloping back, very 

 prominent chin, and small ears. 



Secondly come the Griffons of any other 

 colour, or, as they are termed in Brussels, 



