The Belgian Shepherd is a medium-sized dog with a strong, muscular and agile body.

Poil : dense and tight for the four varieties. Long hair for the Groenendael and the Tervueren, short hair for the Malinois, hard hair for the Laekenois.

Size (height at the withers): 62 cm on average for males and 58 cm for females.

Weight : 25-30 kg for males and 20-25 kg for females.

Classification FCI : N°15.

The Belgian Shepherd breed was born at the end of the 1910th century, with the foundation in Brussels of the “Belgian Shepherd Dog Club”, under the leadership of the professor of veterinary medicine Adolphe Reul. He wanted to make the most of the great diversity of herding dogs which then coexisted on the territory of present-day Belgium. A single breed was defined, with three types of hair and by 1912 the standardized breed had emerged. In XNUMX, it was already officially recognized in the United States by the American kennel club. Today, its morphology, its temperament and its aptitudes for work are unanimous, but the existence of its various varieties has long given rise to controversy, some preferring to consider them as distinct breeds.

His innate abilities and drastic selections throughout history have made the Belgian Shepherd a lively, alert, and vigilant animal. Proper training will make this dog obedient and always ready to defend its master. Thus, he is one of the favorite dogs for police and guarding work. The Malinois, for example, is in great demand by protection / security companies.

Pathologies and diseases of the dog

A study conducted in 2004 by The UK Kennel Club showed a life expectancy of 12,5 years for the Belgian Shepherd. According to the same study (involving less than three hundred dogs), the main cause of death is cancer (23%), stroke and old age (13,3% each). (1)

Veterinary studies conducted with Belgian Shepherds tend to show that this breed does not face major health problems. However, several conditions are quite frequently observed: hypothyroidism, epilepsy, cataracts and progressive atrophy of the retina and dysplasia of the hip and elbow.

Epilepsy: It is the ailment that causes the most concern for this breed. the Danish Kennel Club conducted a study on 1248 Belgian Shepherds (Groenendael and Tervueren) registered in Denmark between January 1995 and December 2004. The prevalence of epilepsy was estimated at 9,5% and the average age of onset of seizures was 3,3, 2 years. (XNUMX)

Hip dysplasia: the studies The Orthopedic Foundation of America (OFA) seem to indicate that this condition is less common in the Belgian Shepherd than in other dog breeds of this size. Only 6% of the nearly 1 Malinois tested were affected, and the other varieties were even less affected. The OFA considers, however, that the reality is undoubtedly more mixed.

Cancers the most common in Belgian Shepherds are lymphosarcoma (tumors of lymphoid tissue – lymphomas – which can affect various organs), hemangiosarcoma (tumors growing from vascular cells), and osteosarcoma (bone cancer) .

The Belgian Shepherd – and especially the Malinois – reacts with intensity to the slightest stimulus, being able to show nervousness and aggressiveness towards a stranger. Its education must therefore be precocious and strict, but without violence or injustice, which would frustrate this hypersensitive animal. Is it useful to point out that this working dog, always ready to help, is not made for the idle life of an apartment?