at all. The breed has never been numerous or popular, but had a brief vogue in the late 1950s, and now is generally an uncommon breed. There has been a recent increase in interest in the United States due to the appearance of a Griffon in the movie As Good as It Gets, and also because of a general increase in interest in toy dogs. Description The Griffon Bruxellois is typically a small breed with a sturdy frame. The average adult Griffon stands from tall, and weighs . They have domed heads, short noses, and an underbite. Their human-like facial features were the inspiration for the Ewok. The Griffon comes in two coat variants, wiry/rough and smooth coat. Their fur can be red, black and tan, or black and reddish in color. The short hair Griffon requires little grooming while the wiry/rough coat Griffon requires weekly grooming attention. Generally, breeders will dock tails and crop ears on puppies for sale. This practice is illegal in most of Europe and increasingly frowned on in the United States, but still practiced in some places. Temperament The Griffon Bruxellois is known to display a visible air of self-importance. A Griffon should not be shy or aggressive, but they are very emotionally sensitive, and because of this, should be socialized carefully at a young age. Griffons should also be alert, inquisitive and interested in their surroundings. Griffons tend to bond with one human more than others, and are very good with children provided they are not teased. They are not very patient but love to play. Griffons tend to get along well with other animals in the house, including cats, ferrets, and other dogs. However, because they have no concept of their own relative size and may attempt to dominate dogs much larger than themselves. Health Griffons have relatively few inherited health problems, but should still be tested for congenital defects, the most serious of which are Syringomyelia (SM) and Chiari-like malformation (CM). The typical life span of a Griffon is somewhere in the range of 10 to 15 years. Birthing Griffons usually have no trouble whelping on their own, but sometimes complications can necessitate a Caesarean section. The size of a litter is anything from 1–10 puppies (average around 4–5). The size of the litter often determines the extent of these complications. When they are born, the puppies only weigh a few ounces