Mary Allen
The elegant and demanding Belgian Shepherd Dog comes in four different varieties, which differ greatly in appearance. What they have in common is their enormous urge to move and be busy. This article summarizes what this means for keeping our four-legged friends.
#1 Today’s breed standard of the FCI defines the breed in four different varieties. These four variations essentially differ in length, direction of growth and color of their fur:
The Malinois: The best-known type of this breed and visually the closest to the German Shepherd Dog. Apart from the black mask, its short fur is fawn (pale yellow to light grey-brown) with black overlays. The tips of the hair are dyed black and give the light base color a slightly darker shade.
The Laekenois: The most original, but today the rarest representative of the breed. He is also short-haired and fawn like the Malinois, but rough-haired. The fur feels harsh and dry and appears disheveled. This somewhat "bold" appearance is expressly desired by the standard.
The Tervueren: The coat coloring of the Tervueren is reminiscent of that of the Malinois: fawn-black with a black mask. However, his hair is longer and so he belongs to the long-haired subspecies of this breed alongside the Groenendael.
The Groenendael: The Groenendael, which also has long hair, is the only one of the four varieties whose fur is solid black. As with all other types, the breed standard also tolerates a small white spot on the chest and white markings on the toes.
#2 A former herding dog responsible for protecting the flock and the farmer, the Belgian Shepherd still possesses all the valuable qualities of an excellent guardian today.
#3 Alert, lively and quick to react, he is always ready to defend his pack. Due to his pronounced protective instinct, he instinctively takes responsibility for everything that belongs to his home.
As the owner of a Belgian, you don't need to be afraid of burglars. The Belgian Shepherd is therefore the perfect guard dog.