The Brussels Griffon - 'As Good As It Gets' [L/M3]
Written: Dec 11 '04
Product Rating:
Pros: Extensive breed-specific information.
Well organized chapters.
Cons: You may find out this breed is not your kind of dog.
The Bottom Line: The Brussels Griffon offers a lot of breed-specific information that would be hard to find elsewhere. A great book if you are thinking about getting a Brussels Griffon.
trailhound's Full Review: Lorene Vickers-Smith - The Brussels Griffon: An Ow...
In the 1997 hit movie As Good As It Gets one of the supporting actors was a feisty little dog named "Verdell". As the movie progressed, Verdell got the best of the crabby character played by Jack Nicholson, and had him wrapped around his little paws. If you remember that dog, then you are familiar with the dog breed known as the Brussels Griffon.
Lorene Vickers-Smith authors this book entitled The Brussels Griffon (griffon rhymes with chiffon) and has extensive credentials to be an authority on this dog. She has bred, raised, and judged this dog and other toy-sized breeds. The author is also active in dog rescue and dog educational organizations.
This book is divided into four parts comprised of thirteen chapters. The four parts are as follows: Welcome to the World of the Brussels Griffon, Living with a Brussels Griffon, Enjoying your dog, and Beyond the Basics. The individual chapters are simply more specific breakdowns of the topic covered in each part. There are a variety of color pictures and a few illustrations throughout all the chapters, which are all of very good quality.
Vickers-Smith starts the book with an extensive explanation of dog breed and carefully points out that caring for a Brussels Griffon is not for everyone. She makes it clear, in kind language, that this dog needs a lot of attention and, although delightful, is a finicky breed that can be a handful. Note the following quote:
If you have enough of a sense of humor to laugh rather than cry when he does a "catch me if you can" dance just out of your reach…then this breed could be just for you.
The author also makes it clear that the Brussels Griffon may not be a good breed if you have children or have the patience to groom and care for them as much as is needed. I was glad to see so many cautionary warnings in the book about selecting this breed. My impression is that the author is more concerned about each dog having a good owner rather than promoting the popularity of the breed.
In Part 2 of this book, Living with a Brussels Griffon, there is more extensive information about what it is like to have a Brussels Griffon in your home. The author provides a considerable amount of information on puppy training and maintaining a healthy dog in particular. I was surprised to learn that this breed is rather long-lived, and can often reach 14 or 15 years of age if they are cared for.
The most impressive aspect of this book is the extensive amount of breed-specific information that the author addresses. The Brussels Griffon is not a very common breed (Popularity ranked #70 in 2003 by the American Kennel Club) so I was glad to see all the unusual aspects of this dog pointed out and explained in plain language. Although she is promoting the breed by writing this book, Vickers-Smith has thrown in enough cautionary language about owning a Brussels Griffon that those who are uncertain will find a more suitable breed.
The remaining two parts of the book, Enjoying your dog, and Beyond the Basics, contain less breed-specific information. For the most part, the chapters in these two parts focus on training, daily life with a dog, what to do with your dog when you travel, and a variety of additional reading recommendations and other dog organizations. I found that all of this information was helpful for dog owners of any breed.
I do not plan to own a Brussels Griffon although I think they are an interesting breed. However, I still enjoyed reading this book and I recommend it for anyone who is a dog lover in general or is considering owning a Brussels Griffon. The Brussels Griffon by Lorene Vickers-Smith is one of the best books about a specific dog breed that I have ever read.
This introductory guide to the breed includes tips on grooming both rough and smooth-coated dogs and complete information on training and health care....More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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