460 THE NEW 
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 métier 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 fale 
these things into account, and, if possible, 
see the dogs of the strains he most admires 
in their own homes and surroundings, so 
BOOK OF THE DOG. 
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, 
