THE BELGIAN SHEPHERD

Groenendael (pronounced Gro-en-en-dahl).  Black long coat
Laekenois (pronounced Lak-en-wah).  Fawn curled coat
Malinois (pronounced Mal-in-wah).  Fawn short coat
Tervueren (pronounced Ter-view-ren).  Fawn long coat

The Belgian Shepherd is a highly trainable herder whose versatility and intelligence is the stuff of canine legends. This is a breed built for hard work and plenty of it. They are sensitive souls craving human companionship and abhor neglect.  The elegant, agile Belgian is a bright and self-assured herding dog,  known to be affectionate and possessive with loved ones. Lots of hard work and challenging play is heaven for this tireless, do-it-all dog.   They are intelligent and do have a high activity level that can be a challenge for the less creative individual who may not understand the breed’s need to work. The Belgian is not a mechanical worker drone. In fact, they  take real delight in their ability to master any task, and do have a mischievous sense of humour and will try to outsmart their beloved human when possible. 

The stirring silhouette of the Belgian Shepherd conveys both elegance and muscular determination.  In any sport or activity, a Belgian will always give 100 percent. In turn, owners tend to form a special bond with their eager workaholics. As one devotee puts it, Belgians “inspire such intense loyalty because they themselves live and love with such great passion.” 

LIFE SPAN 

12-14 years
The oldest noted has been just short of 19 years. 

SIZE

Height at withers:
The ideal height at withers is on average -
62 cm for males
58 cm for females
Limits: 2cm less, 4 cm more.

Weight:
Males about 25-30kg
Females about 20-25kg

Measurements: Average normal measures for an adult male Belgian Shepherd Dog of 62 cm at the withers:
Length of body (from point of shoulder to point of buttock) 62 cm
Length of head 25cm
Length of muzzle 12.5-13cm 

HISTORY

In Belgium, at the end of the 1800s, there were a great many herding dogs, whose type was varied and whose coats were extremely dissimilar. In order to rationalise this state of affairs, some enthusiastic dog fanciers formed a group and sought guidance from Prof. A. Reul of the Cureghem Veterinary Medical School, whom one must consider to have been the real pioneer and founder of the breed. The breed was officially born between 1891 and 1897. On September 29th, 1891, the Belgian Shepherd Dog Club (Club du Chien de Berger Belge) was founded in Brussels and in the same year on November 15th in Cureghem, Professor A Reul organised a gathering of 117 dogs, which allowed him to carry out a return and choose the best specimens. In the following years they began a real programme of selection, carrying out some very close interbreeding involving a few stud dogs. By April 3rd, 1892, a first detailed breed standard had been drawn up by the Belgian Shepherd Dog Club. One single breed was allowed, with three coat varieties. However, as was said at the time, the Belgian Shepherd only belonged to ordinary people and therefore the breed still lacked status. As a result, it wasn't until 1901 that the first Belgian Shepherds were registered with the Royal Saint-Hubert Society Stud Book (L.O.S.H.). During the following years, the prime movers among the Belgian Shepherd enthusiasts set to work with great determination to unify the type and correct the faults. It can be said that by 1910 the type and temperament of the Belgian Shepherd had been established. During the history of the Belgian Shepherd, the questions of differing but acceptable varieties and colours had led to many heated discussions. On the other hand, anything involving morphology, temperament and suitability for work has never caused any disagreement.