Belgian Sheepdog : Temperament, Size, Health Issues, Training

Belgian Sheepdog is also known as Belgian Groenendael is among the four types of shepherd dogs from Belgium. This beautiful and with proud carriage is not for average person. If you love to be highly active or athletic and enjoy to involve your dog in heavy physical activity everyday then this breed is for you. As a shepherd breed Belgian Sheepdog is highly active and can be active all day long. This breed is boon for those who love to involve their dogs in agility and obviously for those who have livestock to be herded. Belgian Sheepdog is a good companion with a good playmate for an active person. This black beauty is a perfect companion for a very active person and family.

Belgian Sheepdog Origin

From very long time Balgae tribe used to keep herding dogs to maintain their livestock. This Balgae tribe later gave their country name Belgium. There are records of shepherd dogs in writing of Caesar. As time passed through Medieval period into the Renaissance age, the need of more capable and intelligent stockdogs lead to production of more refined herding dogs. They became important part of the community.

They were used by shepherds in droving, herding and protecting their livestock. Description of Belgian Sheepdog can be found around 17th century. In 29 September 1891, Belgian Shepherd Dog Club was formed in Brussels after independence of Belgium. Professor Adolph Reul of the Curegham Veterinary Medical School, collected 117 dogs which were used for herding later that year to find a specific breed.

There were many similarities in the specimen but, there was variation in coat type, texture and colour in dogs according to region where dogs developed. These dogs were then categorised into four types as Groenendael, Malinois, Tervuren and Laekenois according to physical variation and place of origin. Societe Royale Saint-Hubert of Belgium recognised Belgian Sheepdog in 1901 after further development of the breed to be more uniform which is credited to Nicolas Rose, of Groenendael, who layed the foundation stone of the breed in his kennel.

Belgian Sheepdog Temperament

Your Belgian Sheepdog is loyal, affectionate and attached to owners. They can’t do good in kennels. They need to be with you inside home. They get attached to children very fast. They are protective towards owners so, are wary about strangers. To keep your dog happy you need a big and safe fenced yard with giving them good amount of physical exercise and mental engagement with puzzles for dogs and other interactive games. Low activity of your Belgian Sheepdog can lead to behavioural issues including seperation anxiety. Please always keep in mind to keep them on leash outside for their safety because of their herding instinct. They are not quite good with small pets so, be careful about introducing small pets to your dog. Because of their high intelligence they are highly trainable.

Belgian Sheepdog Physical Appearance

Belgian Sheepdog is balanced and athletic medium sized dog. Their body is well proportioned. Abundant hair around neck known as collarette is prominent in males. The coat is thick and hard and double coated. They should have thick undercoat. Outer coat has long hair. The coat colour should be solid black with small white markings on chest, chin and feet sometimes. They have erect triangular ears. Head is long with tapering towards muzzle. Tail is long and bushy.

Belgian Sheepdog size

Height

• Male – 24 to 26 inches
• Female – 22 to 24 inches

Weight

• Male – 55 to 75 pounds
• Female – 40 to 60 pounds

FCI classification

• Section – Section 1, Sheepdogs
• Group no 1
• Date of acceptance – 1/1/1956
• Country of origin – Belgium
• FCI standard no 015a

Belgian Sheepdog Grooming

They are little bit high maintenance due to their thick coat. You will need to brush their coat with pin brush at least once a week to keep their coat healthy and tangle free. To make weekly elaborate brushing session easy it is advisable to give a short quick brushing session to your pooch everyday. Few months in a year they shade heavily. For those times it is best to first give your Sheepdog first a warm bath and then do brushing session. You can get rid of those enormous amount of hair by vaccume cleaning regularly.

• Don’t give a bath to your dog regularly because they have that thick coat. Give them bath only when they either get dirty or give that awful doggie odor.
• Brush teeth of your Sheepdog three times a week at least.
• See for build ups or infections in ears of your dog weekly and clean if required. Otherwise, general cleaning should be done monthly.
• Nails should be trimmed once a month.

Belgian Sheepdog Nutrition

Your Belgian Sheepdog should be offered high quality dog food specific for active breeds. They should be offered food twice a day. They do not require any special diet. You can include fruits, veggies, eggs etc as 10% of amount of total food intake. You can also opt for raw feeding or home made food. Clean drinking water should always be available for your Sheepdog to quench it’s thirst.

Belgian Sheepdog Training

As Belgian Sheepdogs are very intelligent and learn very quickly, you can train your pup basic commands very early. They need your 5 minutes, patience and treats as reward. You can also enroll your pup in puppy classes for obedience training. As they are eager to learn and please, they learn quickly. You should be careful about training your pup with positive reinforcement as Belgian Sheepdogs are sensitive.

Early socialisation is must to curb wariness about strangers. Early training should also be given to curb herding instinct to some extent if you keep your dog only at home and do not use it for herding. Crate training can be given to your dog from early for their safety and ease of traveling. Crate training is also helpful in easy housebreaking.

Belgian Sheepdog Health Challenges

They are mostly suffering from genetic diseases like other dogs. They are prone to hip dysplasia, eye issues, elbow dysplasia, epilepsy, and allergies. They are quite prone to bloating. They are sensitive to some anaesthesia.

• Litter size of Belgian Sheepdog is 6 to 10 puppies.
• Life expectancy is around is quite good of 13 to 14 years.