GENERAL APPEARANCE
Shoulder height: 56-66cm (27”- 26”)
Colour and Coats:
Groenendael - always black. Frosting on the muzzle and a small patch of white on the chest and toes is permitted. Outer coat is long and abundant but smooth on the muzzle.
Tervueren - red, fawn or grey with black overlay and double pigmented hairs. Coat as for Groenendael.
Malinois - (Colour as for Tervueren. The double coat is much shorter than the other three varieties.
Laekenois - Reddish fawn and shading on muzzle and tail permitted. Coat — unlike the other three — is harsh, dry, and about
6cm (2’½”) covering the head and body.
Gait: Brisk, free and even with fore and hindlegs moving straight and with good hind propulsion.
The first impression one has of Belgian Sheepdogs, is that they resemble a shorter backed German Shepherd Dog with a high head carriage. The slightly almond shaped eyes are set midway in a nicely chiselled head. The highset triangular ears are carried stiffly erect and the slightly arched neck runs into a powerful muscled back. In action the lowset tail is carried level with the topline with a slight curve up at the tip.
CHARACTERISTICS
With their proud head carriage conveying an impression of grace and strength, these dogs’ duties are sheep herding and guarding. Being extremely amenable, they readily adapt themselves to most situations and as they are active dogs, they do require plenty of exercise. Only periodic grooming is required to remove dead hair.
HISTORY
Prior to the Industrial Revolution in the late 1700s, Belgian Sheepdogs were already established as a necessary part of farm life in Belgium. It was not until the latter part of the 1800s that a group of dedicated breeders, in conjunction with a veterinary school in the Brussels area, studied the variations found in these local sheepherders. This resulted in the division of the breed into four varieties - the classifications being dependent on their colour and coat.