The Belgian

01

The Belgian Shepherd Dog

A breed with 4 varieties

More than 100 years ago, more precisely in 1891, the systematic breeding of the Belgian Shepherd Dog began in Belgium from the herding and driving dogs that had long been working on the sheep herds there.

The origin of this breed says a lot about them, because as herding dogs, the Belgians had to be agile and fast, have great intelligence and quick comprehension as well as quick reactions, they had to be persistent and frugal and, on top of that, they had to be able to deal with the to cope with changing weather conditions in their country of origin.


Standard lt. FCI

02

Groenendal & Tervueren

The long-haired representatives.

Groenendael and Tervueren are the long-haired representatives of the Belgian Shepherd Dog. They have a lush, shiny coat with a thick undercoat. The guard hair is long on the body, short on the face and on the front of the legs and longer in the neck area, where it forms an opulent collar, especially in male dogs.

The Groenendael is completely black, only a small white spot on the chest is tolerated and small white markings on the toes. (According to the standard, this applies to all four varieties.) The Tervueren is reddish-brown in color with a black mask and black charbonnage. Charbonnage refers to the hint of black in the fur that is caused by the tips of the hair being black - which gives the impression that someone has stroked the dog's fur with a sooty hand.

In addition to reddish brown, which is the preferred color according to the standard, the Tervueren also comes in all shades of brown up to beige or gray - but here too with a black mask and charbonnage.


03

MALINOIS

A shorthair.

Especially as a sporting dog, the short-haired variety of the Belgian, the Malinois, has been particularly popular in recent years. With his short, thick coat, athletic, toned body, black mask and charbonnage, he is an extremely elegant appearance.

The Malinois has all the characteristics of the Belgian Shepherd Dog described above. It is only because many breeders have paid greater attention to performance for generations that his drive and hardness are sometimes more pronounced, which enables him to achieve great achievements in the sporting field.

The Malinois is indeed a spirited dog that loves to be challenged in sports, but is also a wonderful family dog, just like the Groenendael and Tervueren. He has the same great character traits as the long-haired Belgians and demands the same amount of attention and a great deal of mental and physical activity from his people.


04

LAEKENOIS

The curly-haired representative.

The coat of the rough-haired variety, the Laekenois, requires slightly different care: once or twice a year, the coat is brought into shape by plucking out the dead hair. With its wiry, rough hair, the Laekenois appears more down-to-earth and robust than elegant. This is probably why it is the rarest of the four varieties. Laekenois breeders are rare in Germany and abroad, making the rough-haired Belgian a real rarity.

The Laekenois can be a very self-confident dog, but also has a fair amount of stubbornness. Just as spirited and intelligent as the other varieties, it is more likely to try to get its way if you don't know how to counteract such efforts with consistency and steadfastness right from the start. Good socialization with people and other animals is also very important for this variety.

A conclusion

The Belgian has great character traits and demands attention and a great deal of mental and physical activity from his people.

It is also easy to care for because the coat of all Belgians is dirt-repellent and has no smell of its own, which is very convenient for keeping dogs in the house. For long-haired (!) and short-haired dogs, brushing is only recommended during coat change: regular brushing would only ensure that the dog loses hair all year round.

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