|
Belgian Shepherd Dog (also know as the Belgian Sheepdog or Chien de Berger Belge) can refer to any of four breeds of dog: the Groenendael, the Laekenois, the Tervueren, or the Malinois. In some regions, these are considered four different varieties of a single breed; in other regions, they are considered a single breed.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) recognizes only the Groenendael under the name "Belgian Shepherd", but also recognizes the Tervueren (with the alternative spelling "Tervuren") and the Malinois as individual breeds. The Laekenois can be registered as part of the AKC foundation stock service and should eventually be recognised fully by the AKC.
The Australian National Kennel Council, the Kennel Club (UK) and the New Zealand Kennel Club recognize all four as separate breeds. The Canadian Kennel Club follows the FCI classification scheme and recognises all four as varieties of the same breed.
All four breeds are hard-working, intelligent dogs of the same general size and temperament. They differ mostly in their coats and superficial appearance. The Malinois is often mistaken for a German Shepherd Dog.
They are so closely related that, when breeding any two dogs of the same "breed", it is possible for puppies of different "breeds" to be in the same litter. For example, a Groenendale litter could contain a brown_coated long_haired puppy; in countries that consider them the same breed, this is fine and the puppy would be a valid Tervueren, but AKC considers it to be an aberration of the all_black Belgian Shepherd and disqualifies it. Likewise, a Tervueren could have a short_coated puppy; in some countries, this is merely a Malinois coat variation but the AKC again considers it to be an invalid aberration.
Characteristics All the Belgian Shepherd breeds need a lot of activity and close interaction with people. Like most herding breeds, they need a job to do (be it frisbee in the park, herding, learning tricks, dog agility). Throwing a toy endlessly for the dog to fetch works to tire out some breeds, but the Belgian breeds become easily bored with such simple repetition. They are intelligent dogs who can easily become bored. They can also behave as if they think that they are smarter than their owners, so it is important for the owner to know how to train dogs or to enroll in training classes.
See also
| 
Feeds |
Contact