No one likes their purebred dog misidentified as a “designer breed,” or mutt, but this sometimes happens to the owners of smooth coated Brussels Griffons.  “Oh, a Puggle?” they might be asked. They are wrong, of course, but their error is not unfounded for a reason we’ll get to further down.

And here we pause for a little mood music to set the state, and again, we’ll explain further down why you’re listening to the National Anthem of Belgium:

The little ratters kept by coachmen in the early 19th century were called Griffon d’Ecurie​, or wire coated stable dogs. With the addition of foreign breeds, a rough coated dog emerged that came to be called the Griffon Bruxellois, or Brussels Griffon, “Griffon” the French reference for wiry or rough coated dogs, and Brussels for the capital of Belgium. We don’t know why they felt compelled to introduce a Pug to their breedings, but perhaps it seemed like a good idea at the time because the Pug was a favorite among the Victorians across the channel.

Out of this cross came a smooth coated griffon that was named after the Belgian National Anthem, La Brabonconne. These dogs sometimes mistaken for a Puggle today (not a complete stretch since a Pug is part of the breed’s ancestry) were called the Petit Brabançon, or smooth-coated Brussels Griffon.  Here you have the Pug/National Anthem connection.

Our image is a pen, ink & watercolor of a Smooth Hair Bruxellois Griffon named “Quest of Quatt.” The piece was done by K. C. Brown signed & dated “1955.” The Quatt kennel collaboration of Joyce Hargreaves (Comeytrowe), Mrs Nutting (Olveston) and Joan Cottrell formed around 1946, near the Quatt, just south of Bridgnorth in Shropshire. The kennels under Joan’s leadership until her death in 1979 and was continued by her daughter Ann until her death in 2001. The kennels were especially known for their French Bulldogs producing a long line of successful dogs, especially clear pieds and fawns, including 31 British champions and many worldwide. The Quatt kennel was the first in Britain to breed champion French Bulldogs in all three colours.