If you think the cute and shaggy haired dog approaching you on a street might be a loveable mutt, but their owner tells you it’s a purebred dog, it just must might be a griffon.
The Griffon type is quite old and was mentioned by the ancient Greek writer, Xenophon. These days, there are three lines of the griffon type recognized by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI): The griffon vendéens, the wirehaired pointers, and the smousje (Belgian companion dogs or Dutch Smoushond), and like all griffons, these lines are characterized by rough or wire-hair.
One of the griffon breeds is the Griffon Nivernais which you see at the left.
The Nivernais was developed in France during the 1200’s from common French hunting dogs descended from ancient bearded hounds and sheepdogs of eastern Europe and Asia. Unlike some other French hounds, the powerful Nivernais was built for endurance rather than speed, and for centuries, it was bred in the highlands of Central France to control wolves and wild boar. Like so many other breeds, the Nivernais nearly went extinct during the French Revolution. In time, a renewed interest in this type of dog lead to the breed being “rebooted” in 1925. Today, the Nivernais is a moderately popular breed in France where devotees admire its resilience, stamina, tenacity, speed and “tongue.” Take a look at the video we found on You Tube of a few hounds out for a “walk about:”
Image found on Pinterest and happily credited upon receipt of information.