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The Belgian Shepherd Dog is a medium sized dog � powerful without being heavy � an agile dog with a sparkling temperament. Highly intelligent and energetic, its alertness evident � both in its facial expression and throughout its whole body.

Physical appearance
Varieties
Size
Character
Origin & History of the Breed
Current uses
Owning a �Belgian�
Care and Maintenance
Training

Health Research
Puppy Info
Picture Gallery
Statistics

The Belgian Shepherd Dog

The Belgian Shepherd Dog is a medium sized dog � powerful without being heavy � an agile dog with a sparkling temperament. Highly intelligent and energetic, its alertness evident � both in its facial expression and throughout its whole body.

Physical appearance

The term �Elegance� is the key word to use when forming a mental picture of this breed.

An Elegant Head - long and smoothly chiseled, sufficient strength but not heavy, dry cheeks and lips, dark almond shaped eyes revealing the dog�s intelligence, small and triangular ears carried erect and set high on the head creating the characteristic alert and inquiring expression so typical of the breed.

An Elegant Body � short and athletic, with dry tight muscles and skin, distinct withers and a short strong back line, a deep oval shaped chest and gracefully curved underline, all of which providing the proud bearing and giving an impression of refined power, a good length of leg with moderate angulation as required for an agile herding dog.

There are visible differences between the sexes: Male dogs must be masculine without losing elegance and females must be athletic yet remain feminine.

Varieties

The Belgian Shepherd Dog is a breed that consist of 4 varieties. Dogs of all four the varieties are structurally similar and differ only in regards to their coat colour and texture. The 4 varieties have been named after the areas in Belgium from where dogs with these specific colours and coat types originated.

the Groenendael : Long coated - Black

the Laekenois : Rough Coated � various shades of Reddish Brown

the Malinois : Short Coated � Fawn with Black Mask

the Tervueren : Long coated � Other than Black with Black Mask

Size

The Belgian Shepherd is a medium sized breed of dog.

Height from the top of the shoulder to the ground:

            Ideal Height         Minimum         Maximum     Mass-Approx

Males             62 cm             60 cm             66 cm             25-30 kg

Females        58 cm             56 cm             62 cm             20-25 kg

Origin and History of the Breed

Hundreds of years ago farmers kept dogs and bred these to suit their own requirements. Heavier dogs were used more for pulling carts and guarding the homestead and the lighter dogs were used for herding work. During times of hardship farmers were forced to limit their numbers of dogs and became more selective � looking for more versatile dogs that could both herd the flocks and be effective as protection. The Belgian Shepherd Breed of dogs are descendants of these early herding dogs of Europe and have retained the functional construction and versatility of those dogs.

Originally little emphasis was placed on the look of the dogs and it was only during the late 1800�s that the breed was officially recognised and that standards were formulated and that the breed was classified into 4 varieties according to their coat type and colour. Over time these standards have been refined to the current breed standards of today.

Despite the bigger emphasis on �looks� since the official formation of the breed the dogs have maintained a high level of intelligence and willingness to learn.

Current Uses

The changes in farming practices has, over the years, resulted in a reduced use of working dogs. However, the natural aptitude and versatility of the Belgian Shepherd has seen the breed excel in many other working disciplines including:

                Police work in - crowd control, - sniffer dogs for explosive & drugs detection etc.

                Rescue work in snow and earthquake areas.

                Competition training including Obedience, Jumping, Carting etc.

                The dogs are also still used for herding work � although in more limited numbers than originally.

The breed�s lighter frame making them more suitable for these types of work than some other breeds that were traditionally used for these functions.

Today the majority of �Belgians� are kept in the family environment where their devotion to their owners has seen them become excellent companions and their alertness making them very good watch dogs.

Character

The Belgian Shepherd is an alert and very exuberant dog that openly expresses its own emotions and is very �tuned-in� to its owner�s moods.

It is an exceptionally intelligent breed of dog and although it is a very fast learner it is an impressionable dog when young and incorrect handling in it�s formative stages could have a negative impact on it�s future development.

As most original herding dogs the �Belgians� can be distrustful of strangers and possessive over its own pack and territory. It is a dog that thrives on the human contact with its owners and can be both a good protector of its territory and a loyal family companion.

This is an energetic breed that is slow maturing and will remain active for most of it�s life.

 

Owning a �Belgian�

The Belgian Shepherd is an excellent �all-round� dog. The breed�s medium size and natural build make it suitable for a wide range of functions.

The breed�s responsiveness and tendency to form a strong bond with its owner makes this the perfect breed for people who thrive on close interaction with their animals. People who can not cope with an enthousiastic dog are advised to rather look for a more placid breed. 

In the working environment this close bond is very useful in training the dog to perform the required tasks which he does with speed and enthousiasm.

In the family environment the dog will be devoted to it�s pack - both a loyal friend and protector � provided that the owners are willing to nurture and develop this behaviour.They need mental stimulation to develop to their full potential and training is therefore highly recommended.

The Belgian Shepherd is an alert dog with a great deal of presence and many people who also own other breeds openly admit that there is something �special� in the type of �feedback� that they get from their �Belgian�.

Last but not least � the 'Belgian' is a strikingly beautiful dog. Its alert inquiring expression and proud bearing reveals its vigilant nature and combined with its sparkling temperament makes owning this breed an uplifting experience.

Care and Maintenance

The Belgian Shepherd is generally a healthy breed that has retained the natural �wolf-like� body construction of the early dogs, is quite hardy and does not need any extraordinary care. It is a fun loving dog that remains youthful for many years and has an average life expectancy of 12 to 14 years.

The dog�s coat consists of a coarser outer �guard� coat and a softer �wooly� undercoat which ensures that the dog is well protected against the elements and the dogs can therefore live outdoors quite comfortably ( obviously with suitable shelter )

�Belgians� are however, equally at home inside the house. They are �clean� dogs in that their coats are not smelly nor oily and they also do not drool continually.

The coat is relatively easy to maintain (even the long coated varieties) and shedding is limited to one or two periods during the year. Belgians do not have to be brushed on a daily basis.

The Belgian Shepherd Dog is light framed, medium sized dog which, coupled with its responsiveness, makes it light to handle.

Training

The Belgian Shepherd is a very intelligent dog that responds better to being �taught� rather than being  �trained�.

A �Belgian� is a �fun� dog and training must remain pleasurable - training methods that are based on excessive repetition will quickly bore a �Belgian�. Short active training sessions will give better results than long repetitive ones. These dogs are not robots and it much nicer to see a �Belgian� really enjoying the training session and respond to its owner than just going through the motions.

This is a slow maturing breed and due to it�s capacity to learn quickly there may be a tendency to advance too quickly - care must be taken not to put excessive pressure on the young dog - incorrect handling can prove difficult to correct.

As is the case for many herding breeds the 'Belgian' can be distrustful of strangers and will require some socialization with humans and other dogs to allow it to develop fully. Even if no further training is planned this socialization is very important.

History of the club

The Club was founded in 1983 under the name of The Belgian Shepherd Dog Club of the Transvaal and in 1999 the Club was renamed the Highveld Belgian Shepherd Dog Club as a result of the name change of the province. (Name change is still subject to KUSA approval)

(Name change is still subject to KUSA approval)

 

Enquiries:

The Highveld Belgian Shepherd Dog Club, P.O.Box 15372, Hurleyvale, 1611, South Africa.

Aims and Objectives

The HBSDC is a �Specialist Club� affiliated to the Kennel Union of Southern Africa and the Club�s

main function is to promote the Belgian Shepherd Dog breed.

This is done by means of :

• Continued contact with KUSA regarding the regulations that affect the BSD breed.
• Holding a Working show that promotes the working abilities of this breed.
• Holding Breed selection shows where the physical appearance of the dogs are evaluated in relation to the ideal type of BSD.
• Running a Rescue Scheme for all 4 varieties of BSD
• Providing Education in the form of: Breed clinics, etc from time to time.
• Advising on Training

The Committee meets on a monthly basis to manage the day-to-day running of the Club and to arrange the shows and events. Anyone wishing to participate in this is welcome to contact the Club or to contribute ideas.

Office Bearers & Committee 2000

President : Dr R.Pollet (Belgium)

Vice Presidents : Mr BJ Keating, Mrs H.Kallerhoff

Patron : HE the Belgian Consul (SA)