Stable Griffon

		Stable Griffon
		He is not recognized by the F.C.I.


Origin			Belgium
Translation			Francis Vandersteen
En français, cette race se dit			Griffon d’écurie
Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar			Stallgriffon
En español, esta raza se dice			Grifón de establo
In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd			Stalgriffon

The Stable Griffon was developed to hunt rats in the stables of Belgian coachmen. It belonged to the Pinscher/Schnauzer family of dogs, which includes modern breeds such as the Affenpinscher, the Schnauzers, and the German and Austrian Pinschers. As was the case with many breeds that are now extinct, this breed was transformed through the introduction of foreign blood. Consequently, the Stable Griffon gave rise to the modern breeds known as the Brussels Griffon, the Belgian Griffon, and the Petit Brabançon.

It is believed that the Pug and the King Charles Spaniel (or English Toy Spaniel) were frequently crossed with the Stable Griffon during the late 18th and 19th centuries. These crosses resulted in dogs that were much smaller than their working ancestors. They lost their vermin-hunting instinct, and over time, the need for stable dogs declined as horse-drawn carriages were replaced by automobiles.