Belgian Sheepdog

Moderate Maintenance: The Belgian Sheepdog shouldn’t need a bath very often (unless he rolls in something stinky), but frequent warm baths followed by thorough blow drying can help remove dead hair during shedding season. Try not to be too shocked by how your Belgian looks after he goes through a shed: his hair will grow back soon enough.

Hypoallergenic: NoThis hardy, healthy breed has no major health concerns. Some minor concerns that have been seen are epilepsy, skin allergies, eye problems, excessive shyness, excessive aggressiveness and occasionally hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia. Do not overfeed this breed, for it has a tendency to become obese and lazy.

Moderate Shedding: Belgian Sheepdogs shed once or twice a year and will need more frequent brushing during those times to control the amount of loose hair floating around (there will be bags full!). Lucky you if your Belgian lives in a warm climate: he won’t shed quite as much as his kin in colder climes.

Moderately Easy Training: The Groenendael Belgian Shepherd should be trained gently, but with determination. Groenendael Belgian Shepherds are highly adverse to harsh treatment; hitting or yelling at them will only have negative effects. Best results are achieved through awards-based training methods. Groenendael Belgian Shepherds require mental stimulation, so training should not be overly repetitive. Obedience and sport-specific training (such as tracking or dog agility) will reap great benefits and allow the Groenendael Belgian Shepherd to realize its full potential.

The Belgian Sheepdog is an elegant, square-proportioned dog that is alert and agile with proud carriage. Its bone is moderately heavy. As a dog expected to herd for long hours, its gait is smooth, tireless and effortless rather than driving. It has a tendency to move in a circle rather than a straight line. It has an extremely dense undercoat along with an outer coat of abundant guard hairs that are long, well-fitting and straight. Its expression is intelligent and questioning; its black coloration is striking.

The Belgian Shepherd Dog was developed in Belgium as a herding dog to work sheep. He is enthusiastic and remarkably quick. He shows a natural tendency to be in motion. The Belgian was developed for endurance. He must be able to move and tend the flock all day and to guard it from all invaders. In addition to his inborn ability as guardian of the flocks, he is an exceptional watchdog and a tenacious and brave defender of his master and family. He is vigilant, and highly responsive to his owner's direction. He is alert, intelligent and inquisitive. While he is firmly loyal to those he knows and loves, he typically exhibits reserve with strangers.

There are four closely related breeds of Belgian Shepherd collectively referred to as ‘Chien de Berger Belge’, which were classified as independent breeds in 1891. All are herding and guard dogs, and are primarily distinguished by their appearances: the Belgian Malinois has short hair, the Belgian Laekenois (not currently recognized by the American Kennel Club) has wiry hair, the Groenendael (also known simply as the ‘Belgian Shepherd’) has long, black hair, and the Tervuren has long hair of any other color. The Groenendael is most popular. The Groenendael Belgian Shepherd was named in 1910 for the kennel which had created the breed. It became a popular messenger and sentry dog in World War I, and is a popular pet today which draws attention by its remarkable coat.