Belgian Shepherd: Characteristics and Personality

Intelligent and energetic, elegant and robust, the Belgian Shepherd loves the outdoors and simply cannot live without it. Its ancestors, not surprisingly, were herding dogs. The breed was officially established between 1891 and 1897 thanks to Professor A. Reul. Today it is considered an excellent dog as a guard but also as a companion.

His ancestors were dogs herders of flocks of heterogeneous types and coats. This is why it was decided to bring some order by creating the breed itself, which was officially born between 1891 and 1897, as The website "Belgian Shepherd Dog: Health" explains.

The Belgian Berger Dog Club was founded in Brussels in 1891, and that same year a census was conducted to identify the best specimens. In the following years, efforts were made to unify the type and define its specific characteristics, under the guidance of Professor A. Reul, the breed's founder.

Index of topics

Origins

Before the 20th century, this dog was bred and used primarily in Belgium, but then spread worldwide due to its remarkable intelligence. It is a defense dog, a guard dog, an auxiliary dog for the police and army, a rescue dog for the Civil Defense, and a guide dog for the blind.

Appearance

Dog medium-sized with a well-proportioned, elegant and strong body, robust and resistant even to harsh temperatures.

The tail is of medium length, the neck is slightly elongated, the ears are small. As for the average height, it ranges from 58 to 62 cm, the weight is usually between 20 and 30 kg, and the dog has an average lifespan of 10 to 14 years.

Variety

There are four main varieties of Belgian Shepherd, divided by coat characteristics and color. Here is the complete list and their respective characteristics described by Italian Federation of Canine Sports:

groenendael
Tervuren
Malinois
laekenois

groenendael

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The Groenendael is a Belgian Shepherd with long, smooth, black hair. It has shorter hair only on the muzzle and near the legs. It is an excellent guard dog, but also a companion dog, very active and lively.

Tervuren

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The Tervueren has long fur that is a dark tan in color, then a light brown in color. Its temperament is somewhat restless.

Malinois

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The Malinois is a short-haired Belgian Shepherd, the only one of the four varieties. Its coat color is a tan-fawn, a light brown with a hint of brown. It is a very alert and active dog, proud and attentive, with a more docile disposition than other varieties such as the Tervueren and Groenendael.

laekenois

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The Laekenois variety is about the same height as the Groenendael, but its coat is not smooth at all, but rather rough and shaggy. Its colors range from brownish to reddish, and sometimes white spots appear.

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Belgian Shepherd with long hair

The Groenendael and the Tervueren are both long-haired varieties. In this case the dog It has short hair on its head, the outer part of its ears, and the lower part of its limbs. The rest of its body is characterized by long, smooth hair.

Belgian Shepherd with short hair

The Malinois variety has short hair on its head, the outer edges of its ears, and the lower parts of its legs, explains "Belgian Shepherd Dog: Health." The rest of its body also has short hair, except for the back of its thighs, where it is slightly longer.

Belgian Shepherd with wire hair

The Belgian Shepherd of the Laekenois variety is characterised by its hard, rough coat, which tends to be shaggy but is always long.

Black Belgian Shepherd

The long, smooth, black coat characterizes the Groenendael variety of Belgian Shepherd, while the others have coats that tend to be fawn-colored with a carbonate hue.

Character

Energetic, lively, and alert, the Belgian Shepherd makes an excellent guard dog, confident, courageous, but not aggressive. Being accustomed to living outdoors, it is not suited to apartment living, which tends to be quite cramped. Intuitive and quick, highly intelligent, and requiring daily exercise.

How much

The maintenance costs of the Belgian Shepherd of any variety are within the average since, in any case, it does not require any particular care, apart from a power supply healthy and balanced and regular physical activity. The price depends on the pedigree and other characteristics but usually ranges from 500-700 euros for a puppy of Malinois at costs above 1000 euros for other varieties.

Adoption

While serious and reliable breeders should be preferred when purchasing, there is another, much better way to bring home a Belgian Shepherd, namely adoptionIn this case, rely on rescues specializing in purebred dogs, which you can find with a simple online search.

Belgian Shepherd: Character, Qualities, and How to Adopt It