Country/Date of Origin: Belgium/1800s
It is thought that the Brussels Griffon was created by blending Affenpinschers and other toy dogs, notably Pugs and Toy Spaniels. Its original job was as a ratter in stables and on farms. Nowadays it is primarily a companion and watchdog. There are three varieties of this breed. They are shown separately in Europe but as a single breed in the US. When they are divided, the smooth coated variety is called the Petit Brabancon, the red colored rough coated variety is called the Brussels Griffon and the black or black and tan variety is called the Belgian Griffon. The Griffon traveled from its native land to England in the 1880's and shortly thereafter made its way across the Atlantic.