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Belgian Sheepdog breed guide
The American Kennel Club calls the Belgian Sheepdog a highly trainable herder whose versatility and intelligence are the stuff of canine legend, built for hard work and plenty of it.
A proudly carried head and neck, a black coat with a thick ruff at the neck and thick hair on the hindquarters give it an elegant, muscular silhouette.
Temperament
These sensitive souls crave human companionship and abhor neglect. A Belgian Sheepdog is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. It will always give any sport or activity its all.
Intelligent and eager to make owners happy, it takes to training well and early classes that nip bad habits in the bud are especially important.
Lifespan
Belgian Sheepdogs live 12 to 14 years. They are robust. Breeders screen for epilepsy, elbow and hip dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, cataracts and certain cancers.
Belgians are particularly sensitive to anesthesia, so mention the breed before any surgery.
Care
The double coat of dense undercoat and harder outer coat is quite easy to care for outside shedding season, needing only a weekly brushing for most of the year. Baths may be infrequent unless the dog gets into something messy.
Like most herders it needs a good amount of daily exercise. Letting it out in the backyard for a couple of hours is not enough. Owners should expect to join in daily exercise sessions.
History
Belgium's climate and terrain suit livestock and dairy farming and old-time Belgian farmers were preoccupied with cattle herding, including breeding herding dogs. There were once eight types of shepherd dog unique to Belgium.
By the 1890s, when they were first classified officially, four remained.
AKC trait ratings
| Trait | AKC rating | Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Level | 4 of 5 | Couch Potato to High Energy |
| Trainability Level | 5 of 5 | Self-Willed to Eager to Please |
| Shedding Level | 3 of 5 | No Shedding to Hair Everywhere |
| Barking Level | 3 of 5 | Only To Alert to Very Vocal |
| Adaptability Level | 3 of 5 | Lives For Routine to Highly Adaptable |
| Good With Young Children | 3 of 5 | Not Recommended to Good With Children |
| Good With Other Dogs | 3 of 5 | Not Recommended to Good With Other Dogs |
| Watchdog/Protective Nature | 4 of 5 | What's Mine Is Yours to Vigilant |