Belgian shepherd dog: Dog Breed Information, Facts and Pictures

Lifespan: 10 – 14 years
Origin: Belgium
Scientific name: Canis lupus familiaris
Higher classification: Dog
Height: Male: 61 – 66 cm, Female: 56 – 61 cm
Mass: Male: 25 – 30 kg, Female: 20 – 25 kg

The active, always attentive Belgian Shepherd Dog is on the one hand persistent, uncompromising and fearless as well as impulsive, but on the other hand he is able to moderate himself. He is prone to neither aggressive behavior nor exaggerated reactions. However, he shows a slight tendency towards jealousy and mistrust of strangers, but this is hardly problematic in a corresponding training and treatment of the dog. In addition, the Belgian Shepherd dog, though brave and disciplined spirited, is also sensitive.

Of course, he needs a strong, but by no means hard, hand to teach him. If the sensitive dog is treated too severely, especially at puppy age, it may not be able to cope with this over a long period of time and may lead to behavioral problems. For a Belgian Shepherd, therefore, only experienced owners come into question who can affectionately but unmistakably show him what is expected of him. Once the dog has undergone such training and deep trust, it will develop a close, inseparable owner-dog relationship as well as a strong and reliable character.

The origin of the Belgian Shepherd Dog as a docile herding dog, who can independently recognize situations, correctly assess them and act accordingly, predestines him naturally to use as a working dog. Here he is suitable for all tasks that correspond to his size and his urge to move. In the eventing test, the Belgian Shepherd Dog is often superior to other breeds. Thus, he can do his duty as a guard dog, but also be used by security and rescue forces as a disaster, detection or avalanche dog. Due to his balanced, not aggressive character, he is also suitable as a family dog, insofar as the owners know how to handle a Belgian shepherd dog and provide sufficient employment and utilization.

The Belgian Shepherd Dog, although known since the 15th century, was not born until the end of the 19th century. Professor Adolphe Reul (1849-1907) played a major role in this, since in 1891 he first cataloged the hitherto mostly used by simple shepherds and less interesting for breeding societies. Only a year later, a detailed standard was defined, which already allowed three varieties, from which today's Groenendael with long black hair, the Malinois with short hair and black mask, and the shaggy-haired Laekenois emerged. The long-haired, but red-brown variety Tervueren defined Reul in the following years.

The medium-sized Belgian Shepherd dog as male achieves optimally a withers height of 62 cm and as a bitch 58 cm with 2 to 4 cm deviation. 

The appearance of the dog looks larger, as it carries his head relatively high, which is not overly long and consists of equal parts of skull and catch. The skin is tight there. The neck, like the whole body of the Belgian Shepherd Dog, is well muscled and strong, without being too lavish. Rather, the dog appears elegant and harmonious. Its body length is oriented approximately at the withers, so that he, in contrast to the more rectangular acting German shepherd, square anmutet The shoulders are well trained and forwards, slightly sloping straight back line, which leads to the hanging carried tail of medium length. The rib cage is elliptical and goes much deeper in depth than in width.

The coat of the varieties Groenendael with monochrome black hair and occasional white spot on the chest and Belgian Tervuren, which has a red-brown fur with individual darker hair, is particularly long in the neck and chest area. The thighs are covered with long hair at the back and the hairy tail forms a tail. Especially on the head, except the pinnae, and in the lower part of the limbs, there is only a short hair. The variety Malinois is like the Tervueren through her black mask, but is essentially short-haired. The hair is yellowish brown and has a dark Kohlestrichelung. As redroot representatives of the Belgian Shepherd of the Laekenois has a yellow-gray-brown hair that may appear in many different shades.