The Brussalier is a new hybrid breed of dog that is becoming popular because of its size (small, cute and ideal for smaller homes) and its friendly personality. There is not a lot of data about their breeding history, but by looking at the parent breeds, a lot can be determined about the characteristics that they may inherit. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel originated from Toy Spaniel breeds less than a century ago. They immediately became favorites of royal and noble families in England. Mary Queen of Scots had one who accompanied her on her final journey to her beheading! The Queens grandson and great grandson Charles l and ll loved the little dogs so much, that they gave their name to it. While the King Charles Spaniels were bred with Pugs and other short faced breeds, a stronghold of the breed at the estate of the Duke of Marlborough at Blenheim Castle maintained a breed of red and white Toy Spaniels. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels of this color are called Blenheim today. In the 1920s, American Roswell Eldridge started to revive the old breed, and the name Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was chosen to distinguish it from the flat faced King Charles Spaniel. After many years of diligent work by breeders, the Cavalier was recognised by the American Kennel Club as a separate breed. In 1952 the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel had its true beginnings in America, becoming the popular little dog that we see today. The Brussels Griffon on the other hand, began as a working dog. It was bred to hunt and kill vermin in the stables of the city but soon grew to gain popularity with the nobles and workers. They were created from breeding with the Affenpinscher, Pug and English Toy Spaniel. Most notable was their almost human like face or expressions. 1883 the Belgium Breeders created a standard for the Brussels Griffon. Marie Henrietta (Belgium’s Queen) fell in love with the breed, and began to breed them herself. The Brussels Griffon was exported to England in the 1890s, then found its way to the United states of America in 1899 where it was registered with the AKC. It was officially recognised as a breed in 1900. Numbers of the dog shrank during the World Wars I & II due to the fact that people couldn’t afford to keep dogs. Luckily for the Brussels Griffon, the breed was kept alive by dedicated breeders in England. It is quite a rare dog today but enjoyed wide popularity in the 1950s, and had a resurgence of popularity in the 1990s when a Brussels Griffon upstaged actor Jack Nicolson in a movie called ‘It’s As Good As Its Gets’.