Guide for a First-Time Dog Owner Adopting a Brussels Griffon

Adopting a dog for the first time is more complicated than people believe, not because the actual process of adoption is necessarily difficult, but because it englobes much more than than just filing papers and paying the adoption fee.

You see, when it comes to dogs, you can find a wide variety of breeds out there. Each breed, in one way or another, has its own personality traits, behavioral patterns as well as general and unique needs that might make you unsuitable to take care of them.

Although this does not always apply when it comes to their personality, since each dog is its own very unique individual, the breed of the dog can definitely influence its behavior, and more specifically speaking, the way you will be taking care of it.

Take for example the Australian Shepherd. Australian shepherds are well known for being very sociable and protective dogs, making it a great choice for families, but… Australian shepherds tend to need an incredible amount of exercise to remain healthy, needing at least 1 hour of exercise daily.

This can be a little complicated to manage for a lot of people, especially for those who have always lead sedentary lives and don’t enjoy physical activity as much.

That is why, before adopting any type of dog, you should at least take your time to understand some general and special considerations to keep in mind before adopting it. In this article, we will mainly talk about the Brussels Griffon, also known as the Griffon Bruxellois, as shown at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griffon_Bruxellois.

But before we talk more about this specific breed, let’s talk about some of the general considerations you should keep in mind before adopting any breed of dog.

Adopting a Dog for the First Time

If you are a first-time dog owner, and you know nothing about the process of adopting a dog, I encourage you to ask yourself some questions before doing so. Including things like:

1. What size of dog do you want and which size is suitable for your circumstances?

Some large breeds need a lot of space, so if you live in a very closed environment, you might want to go for a small-sized dog.

2. Do you live by yourself, or do you have family and other pets?

Some pets are well known for being very aggressive towards other animals, such as the American Shiba Inu, a dog that is very dominant and reserved. Males of this specific breed are particularly aggressive towards other males!

3. What are you expecting from your pet?

Having a solid idea of what you are expecting to change or obtain through adopting a dog will definitely help you out narrow down your options and choose the one that suits you the most. If you want to do more exercise, an active dog is more suitable. If you just want company, a lap dog might be better. It’s all up to you.

4. How much time do you have?

Some breeds are well known for requiring a lot of attention, not because they can’t take care of themselves, but because they get anxious and require socializing with their owners and other animals. Adopted dogs are especially prompt to suffering from separation anxiety. If you have the time to pay attention to your dog or not, will also be an important factor to take in mind when adopting.

If you can, you should definitely check this one article over here to get to know more about the process of adopting a dog for the first time, and also, obtain valuable information about all the supplies and goods you will need once you have decided to adopt.

Now, with that taken out of the way, let’s talk about the Brussels Griffon in more detail.

The Brussels Griffon Appearance

There are three types of Brussels Griffon: the Bruxellois, the Belge and the Petit Brabançon. Each one is similar to the other since they are considered just variations of the same breed, but there are some small differences that encouraged the denomination of said variations.

Generally speaking, the Bruxellois Griffon is a very small type of breed. The most particular feature of the Bruxellois is their face, which has a similar look to the expressions we humans have.

Also, for their small size, they are fairly muscular and strong, and also very energetic animals that can play for a very long time. Their size goes from 7 inches to 10 inches and might have red or beige coats, or variations of these colors. Brown and black are also fairly common.

The Bruxellois’ Personality

One of the most important traits of a dog is its personality since it can influence its development at its newfound home. When it comes to the Brussels griffon personality, we can say that they are very easy intelligent, confident, and loving animals.

They bond easily with their owners and other animals but can be a little bossy and prepotent, which might be a problem if there’s another animal with similar traits around. That being said, they tend to get along with other animals, but as common as it is with small dogs, they might want to fight much bigger breeds, so be sure to be around just in case.

The Brussels Griffon’s Needs

Because of their energetic nature, they are well known for requiring a lot of exercises. At least 30 minutes of daily exercise is recommended, and this might include walks to playing around your house.

Because of their size, they don’t require as much food, but you will need to pay attention to their diet to avoid them from getting overweight. Exercise is also needed to avoid this particular problem. On the flipside, if you intend to lead an active lifestyle with your dog you may need to consider switching to a high calorie dog food in order to meet their calorie requirements.

They require grooming on a weekly or bi-weekly basis and only require being bathed every now and then. If you can, buy grooming supplies and learn how to groom to avoid spending too much money on professional grooming services!

Because of their social nature, they might get extremely anxious if left alone for long periods of time, so it is recommended to have another dog around to help them cope with loneliness in case you are not at home most of the time.

Before adopting a Brussels Griffon, make sure to keep in mind these needs ask yourself whether you are up to the challenge or not!

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