Belgian Shepherd

Malinois, Groenendael, Laekenois, Tervuren

The Belgian Shepherd, regardless of the variety, can have a wonderful or very difficult relationship with his owner. The basics of the perfect master do not really exist, the dog and the handler will have to get to know each other well, but at all times the master must remain the master and never let the dog become the leader. Even though he has all the skills necessary to become an excellent guard dog, he is very unhappy when left alone in a garage or warehouse to stand guard. Loneliness makes him aggressive and greatly harms the breed. This excellent dog was born to be and remain man's best friend at all times as he has all the qualities and potential.

Height 56 to 66 cm
Weight 20 to 30 kg
Life expectancy 12 to 14 years
Hair Loss High
Excercise Need High
Home country Belgium

Index

Personality Appearance Characteristics Price Breeders Tips Health History

Quick Overview of the Belgian Shepherd

Temperament

  • Intelligent
  • Spirited and active
  • Nice and very resistant
  • A tad jealous and susceptible

Appearance

  • Very well proportioned
  • Harmonious silhouette
  • Strong muscles
  • Hardy look

Health

  • Hardy, robust and very strong
  • No particular pathology
  • Rarely ill

Temperament of the Belgian Shepherd

Intelligent, quick, spirited, active, kind and very resilient, the Belgian Shepherd is also impulsive, excited and even a tad jealous and susceptible.

This dog with a big heart will be an exceptional companion who requires a lot of affection and presence from his family. He constantly needs human contact from his family. He is very loyal and usually a one master dog.

His excellent pedigree makes him an exceptional dog that is easy to train. He can adapt to all situations, types of work and kinds of owners. His education should be precocious, firm but very gentle and marked with respect. Once adjusted, he will be loyal to his family forever.

Breed Appearance

berger belge

Very well proportioned, the Belgian Shepherd is a dog with a harmonious silhouette combining elegance and power. Of average height, his musculature is strong giving him a hardy appearance which is not unlike that of his cousin the German Shepherd.

Height

Between 61 and 66 cm (24.02 to 25.98 inches) for the male
Between 56 and 61 cm (22.05 to 24.02 inches) for the female

Weight

Between 25 and 30 kg (55.12 to 66.14 pounds) for the male
Between 20 and 25 kg (44.09 to 55.12 pounds) for the female

Color

The Belgian Shepherd now includes four varieties of coat and hair. Although the appearance suggests four different breeds, these are four varieties of one and same breed. All other characteristics are the same.

Groenendael
His coat is black and hair is long.

Tervuren
His coat is a tawny color with gray smudges and hair is long.

Malinois
His coat is a tawny color and charcoal with a black mask and hair is short.

Laekenois
His coat is a tawny color with slight charcoal marks and hair is hard.

Hair

Morphology

His long head is well chiseled and of a well-proportioned average width. His dark colored eyes are medium size. His triangular ears are straight and stiff. His nose is black. His tail is also medium length and raised in action but hanging down at rest.

According to the FCI breeds nomenclature, this breed belongs to group 1, section 1 and is #15

Characteristics of the Belgian Shepherd

Does this dog suit your lifestyle?

Every dog breed has its own characteristics. However, the actual character of a dog can vary from one to another within the same breed.

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Life in an apartment
Good first dog
Tolerates solitude
Tolerates cold weather
Tolerates hot weather
Affectionate
Friendly with children
Friendly with strangers
Friendly with other animals
Hair loss
Drooling level
Easy to care for
Robust health
Easy to train
Intelligent
Tendency to bark
Tendency to nibble
Protective
Instinct to hunt
Adventurous spirit
Energy level
Level of intensity
Need for exercise
Playful

Price and monthly budget

Price you can expect to pay for a Belgian Shepherd puppy: between 500 € / $ 1 / £1 and 1000 € / $ 1 / £1
These prices are indicative and may vary from breeder to breeder
Average monthly budget for a Belgian Shepherd: 110 € / $ 1 / £1
The monthly budget includes the average expenses for food and hygiene products (grooming, anti-parasite...)

Belgian Shepherd puppies near me

Tips About this breed

Firmness, composure, calm and a lot of love are the essential care to be given to this beautiful large dog. This dog with a big heart needs to be loved and respected. His spirited character needs to be controlled but he does not tolerate brutality or violence.

Gentle, playful, cheerful, affectionate, lively and very loyal, this superb specimen will not survive being abandoned by his master. Once adopted, he remains faithful to him for life and has great difficulty in parting with him. He may even become jealous and possessive from time to time.

He's a great guardian who can easily get aggressive if left on his own at the end of a chain. His attitude towards strangers will depend on his education and behavior of the teacher. If the dog is well educated, his behaviour will be modeled on that of the owner. If his education has been neglected, he might do as he pleases.

Health of the Belgian Shepherd

Hardy, robust and very solid, this superb dog has no particular pathology and is rarely sick. The Belgian Shepherd, all categories combined, generally enjoys excellent health and a good life expectancy.

GROOMING

His beautiful fur requires a good weekly brushing. Depending on the variety of hair and coat, maintenance may vary but in general, regular brushing is more than enough. No other particular maintenance is necessary for the Belgian Shepherd.

History of this breed

In Belgium, towards the end of the 1800s, there was a great variety of dogs leading herds, whose coats were totally diverse.

In order to specify the breeds a little and put some order in this whole pack of diversified dogs, some dog enthusiasts were guided at the time by A. Reul, professor of the School of Veterinary Medicine of Cureghem who is today considered to be the true founder and pioneer of the Belgian Shepherd.

The breed was therefore officially born between 1891 and 1897. The Belgian Shepherd Dog Club was born in September 1891 and Professor Reul organized, towards the end of the same year, a huge gathering in order to carry out a census of the specimens of this new breed. The Club drew up a first standard in 1892 and only one breed was admitted, comprising three varieties of coat.

As the Belgian Shepherd remained a peasant dog, it was not until 1901 that the breed was registered in the LOSH, Livre des Origines de la Société Royale Saint-Hubert (Book of the Origins of the Royal Society of Saint-Hubert). The selection and improvement of the breed was carried out continuously until about 1910 when the character and type were fixed.

The Belgian Shepherd has excellent skills and very good qualities to be as much a companion dog as a search, police, protection or herding dog. These functions are easily acquired and he can perform them wonderfully.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Caline,_femelle_Berger_Belge_Tervueren.jpg?uselang=fr
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Berger-belge-Groenendael-beauté.jpg?uselang=fr
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Belgian_Groenendael_600.jpg

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Last Updated: 12/10/2020

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