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two English clubs to look after the interests of these quaint foreigners. Then, to further increase their reputation, a charming brochure has been written, which, although bearing a title more concerning "toy dogs" generally, is in fact the life of a griffon Bruxellois. In Holland, France, and Belgium they are likewise favourites with the ladies, and it is only a comparatively inferior specimen that can be purchased for from £10 to £20, and double or treble the latter sum is not an unusual price to pay for a dog of rich red colour less than 6lb. in weight.

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This red colour is a most important consideration, and M. T. Van der Snickt, a Belgian judge of the breed, in allusion thereto, says: "The right colour should be roux zain,' translated whole-coloured red.' Now, red means rouge, and not 'rouz.' A griffon must not be 'rouz carroty,' but 'old mahogany red,' 'vieil acajou,' that is, red mixed with black. 'Rouz' means in Flemish 'ros' and 'vos.' 'Rouz' can vary from fawn to buff or cinnamon, but a griffon cannot naturally be 'carroty red.' 'Vos' means a fox-foxy. Many of the best griffons are red on the back, but pale buff or fawn, nearly white on the underparts. It is admitted that the least white patch disqualifies a griffon Bruxellois, but entitles it to compete in the 'any other colour.' The rule also applies to a brown nose; but I, personally, would

disqualify a griffon with a brown nose from competing in the classes for 'any other colour.' These classes have been instituted because we absolutely require sires and dams with black on the coat for keeping up the deep red colour. A black mask is allowed on a griffon Bruxellois, but it becomes.

difficult to define how much black is allowed on the breast or the back, and how much grey is allowed on the back for the dog still to be admitted 'Bruxellois.' The same difficulty exists for determining whether an exhibit may be classed in the 'any other colour' or admitted amongst the 'whole coloured red'; it is advisable to admit dark red and black in preference to grey and light fawn, because the red colour always tends to become lighter. A griffon must have wiry open hair, well furnished with hair on the legs, head, round the eyes, nose, on the cheeks, lips, chin, and forehead. It is preferable to have smooth hair on the forehead than a pale silky top-knot.

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'As much as we require the black for keeping up the red colour, so do we require the short coat for keeping up the hard one. The short-coated griffons are pure Bruxellois as much as the open-haired ones, but they cannot bear the name of griffon Bruxellois. For this reason the club offered them classes under the name of Brabançons, Brabant being the province, the capital of which is Brussels. These little dogs

have exactly the same colour, form, and head as the griffon Bruxellois, it happening sometimes that they are found in the same litter as the griffon Bruxellois; the Société Royale St. Hubert accepts classes for griffons any other colour' not answering to the standard of the griffon Bruxellois, and also for the petits Brabançons, but does not allow either of them to be entered in the Belgian Stud Book. As well as the smooth-haired Brabançons (Brabants, as I should suggest your calling them in England), there are the long silky-haired ones. We are not aware that these can be in any way used for the improvement of the breed, but they are very much appreciated by dog dealers, therefore the club has not yet allowed classes for these dogs; they are generally silver fawn in colour. The uncropped griffons lose very much of their expression, because the ears enlarge the head exactly where it should not be broad, so as to give the human expression. I am against the cruel practice of cropping; for this reason we proposed, but in vain, before the prohibition of cropping by the Kennel Club took place, to round the lobe of the ear simply, as it is still allowed for the foxhounds in England. Instead of making the griffon appear as a man with horns, it would give him the required monkeyish look. As the matter now stands we think the low prick ear would be best.”

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In a later communication Mr. Van der Snickt writes: "If a really strict judge was officiating, show promoters did not expect to have more than two or three entries a class. The success of a breed depends largely on the number of entries. Success in breeding and frequency of shows go hand in hand. It was thus necessary to devise a scheme by which only the correct type of griffon Bruxellois should win, yet at the same time to attract to the show the little dogs bred "up the ladders" Brussels for usually they are bred in garrets and lofts inaccessible by means of a proper staircase. These little griffons are not the correct type, but are sought for by strangers, and some business is done in them. We have often proposed to form classes for little Bruxellois with long and, therefore, silky hair; but we could not say griffons, for griffon means hard, harsh, rough coat. We designed a new breed, equal to the Yorkshire in beauty of coat, superior to him in strength, intelligence, and expression of face. We also asked for classes for little smooth-haired Bruxellois, to be judged as would be griffon Bruxellois, newly clipped. race, which, however, exists in fair numbers, and is indispensable for the purpose of hardening and shortening the coat of the little griffon, is surely superior to the heavy pug, the little

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Viennese terrier, or the black and tan, of which the English have made an abortion."

We in this country have so far stuck to the chief type which the club in Belgium has popularised, although quite recently there has been an idea of forming classes for so-called smooth-coated griffons. The latter would certainly be a misnomer, as a griffon, be he hound or terrier, French, German, or Belgian, must be wire-haired, and, I believe, to provide classes for smooth griffon Bruxellois would be wrong. The suggestion was made because it is considered that the best coats on the real Belgian griffon can be obtained through a smooth cross. Many varieties of prize poultry are produced from parents of such markings that would quite preclude their winning at shows; but although such are indispensable in breeding what is correct, no one ever heard of poultry fanciers introducing classes for such ill-marked birds; and what applies to poultry in this respect surely applies also to dogs. It will be seen from the contribution of Count de Bylandt, printed below, that in Belgium both smooth-coated and silky-coated griffons, as well as other colours than red, including black and tan, are not inelegible to compete under club rules. Then griffons of a much larger size than the toys which are with us are in request in their native country. Their

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