Belgian Shepherd Tervueren

In my own words

 

Oh hi there! Don’t mind me – I’m just standing watch for my family. I like to make sure they’re safe and secure. Nobody can hurt them when I’m around – just call me super dog! Lots of my brothers and sisters actually work for the police you know. That’s because we’re really good at sniffing out trouble and catching bad guys.

Don’t be nervous around me though, I really love my family! They take me everywhere and I like to join in with everything they do. I especially enjoy taking them out for really long walks, sometimes even twice a day! I’ve got a whole load of energy to burn up you see and if I can’t use it up on a run or walk then I have been known to find my own entertainment. I had great fun destroying the contents of the wardrobe in the bedroom once. You should have seen the mess I made! My humans didn’t seem too pleased though, I wonder why..?

Information essential about the Belgian Shepherd Tervueren

 

Kennel Club Group:

Pastoral

Size:

Medium: Weight Male 65 – 75 lb (29 – 34 kg) Female 60 – 70 lb (27 – 32 kg)

Height Male 24 – 26” (61-66 cm) Female 22 – 24” (56 – 61 cm

Popularity:

 

Belgian Tervueren’s are popular in Belgium, where they originated from. Though they are well establish in the United States of America, they are still considered to be a rare breed and are not well known.

Breed History:

 

Originating in 19th century Belgium, the Belgian Tervueren was bred to be a herding dog. It is one of four varieties of Belgian sheepdog and while the Tervueren is anatomically the same to its Belgian sheepdog cousins, it has its own type of coat which is long haired and comes in fawn, red or grey. Though Belgian sheepdogs are thought to have been around since the Middle Ages, it wasn’t until the 1890s when a professor of the Belgian School of Veterinary Sciences recorded breed standards for the various types of Belgian sheepdogs, including the Tervueren. Since then, the Tervueren has been bred as a breed in its own right. Originally a working dog, the Belgian Tervueren has since been bred to include a graceful and elegant gait in addition to its original attributes, making them more suitable for the show ring though they still make wonderful working dogs.

Character:

 

The Belgian Tervueren makes an excellent working dog as an aptitude for hard work has been bred into them. As natural herding dogs, they have a strong instinct to protect and herd, which makes them well suited to becoming police and guard dogs. Their natural drive to protect people and their watchful, attentive and loyal demeanour also makes Tervueren’s great family pets for people who want a dog that can make them feel safe and secure. However, their inbred herding skill creates a natural tendency to want to herd people, other animals and children and if they aren’t trained not to do so they might nip at heels, chase or circle you. In order to prevent this behaviour, you must train and socialise your Belgian Tervueren from a young age.

Temperament:

 

Your Belgian Tervueren is hopelessly devoted to you! The Tervueren breed is deeply loyal to its owners and usually forms attachments to just one or two of its human family. He thrives on the company of humans; don’t leave this dog outside on his own if you want a happy pooch, he should be made to feel like a part of the family and be included in all your activities. If your Tervueren doesn’t get enough attention and affection then watch out – he’s likely to become destructive as a way of entertaining himself and getting some attention. For Tervuerens even negative attention is better than none at all. Your Tervueren may have a tendency to shyness, so socialise him well with other dogs in order to avoid this. They may show dominance over other dogs and they need careful supervision when introduced to other animals.  At around nine months old the Tervueren enters a juvenile delinquent stage where they seem to want to act out, much like a moody teenager! It may seem as though your Belgian Tervueren has forgotten his training, but be patient and start from the beginning. For this reason, Tervuerens are best suited to experienced dog owners.

Conformation:

 

A medium sized, long haired dog, the Tervueren has a squarely shaped body and long, straight legs with cat like feet. From a side profile, the top line of the Tervueren’s moderately pointed muzzle should be parallel to the top line of the skull, and both the muzzle and skull should be approximately the same length. A scissor bite, medium sized dark brown eyes and small, triangular ears which are highly set, should all be prevalent. The nose should be black, as should the lips which are tight. The long haired, double coat is weather resistant thanks to dense, closely fitting hairs, while the hair on the head, legs and ears is shorter than elsewhere on the body and the tail is abundant in extra hair. Males can be spotted by their extra mane of fur around the neck.

Colour:

 

Your Belgian Tervueren might have a coat in fawn, mahogany or a tone of grey with black tips. He may even have hints of white on his chest, toes and chin. As Tervueren’s age, their coat may change and become darker.

Training:

 

It is very important to train your Tervueren from an early age in order to prevent them trying to herd people and children as they grow up. They should also be socialised with other people and dogs as soon as possible, otherwise shyness or aggressiveness can set in. Never encourage your Tervueren’s guarding behaviour as it can lead to overprotectiveness and guarding in inappropriate situations; let it come naturally and their instinct will dictate when to protect you from danger. Use positive reinforcement to train your Tervueren, as harsh or heavy handed methods will render him uncooperative. Always treat your Tervueren with fairness, respect and firmness in order to get the best out of his training.

Care:

 

If you are looking for a dog which needs very little grooming… keep looking! The Tervueren isn’t for you. Thanks to its long, dense coat which has a thick undercoat and heavy outer coat, daily brushing is an absolute necessity for your Tervueren. You’ll also need to pay attention to any matted clumps on the ears, legs and between the toes as they’ll need to be clipped out. A monthly bath is also a good idea to keep your Tervueren clean and odour free. Light shedding takes place all year around for the Tervueren and heavy shedding takes place once per year for males and twice for females when they blow their undercoat. You need to be prepared to make friends with the vacuum cleaner!

Health:

 

Tervuerens are generally considered to be healthy dogs with no major health concerns, however, they are prone to some minor health worries. Skin allergies, eye problems, excessive shyness or aggressiveness and the occasional occurrence of hip and elbow dysplasia have all been seen within the breed. Epilepsy was a concern for the Belgian Tervueren breed, however thanks to good breeding this is now much less common than it used to be. Tervuerens should be kept on a low fat diet as some breeders have noted thyroid and pancreatic problems, as well as a tendency to become obese when overfed and not exercised enough. Make sure you give your Belgian Tervueren plenty of daily exercise to avoid excessive weight gain.

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