Race Portrait
For a long time, Belgian sheepdogs accompanied Belgian shepherds. In contrast to herd protection dogs, something like the Hungarian Kuvacz, Belgian sheepdogs protect themselves and not the herd, passing the shepherd�s command on to the herd protection dogs. If the latter are not available, then the Belgian sheepdog also takes on this task itself. This background explains the following
- its intelligence
- the search for eye contact to its master
- the hunt (own pack, but also cows, horses, etc.)
- its sensitivity
- its alertness
- its hesitance with respect to strangers
The “Belgian Sheepdog Club” was founded in 1891 in Brussels. In the following years, four varieties of Belgian sheepdog were defined:
| Groenendael | Tervueren | Laekenois | Malinois |
|---|---|---|---|
| black long-haired |
brown (with mask) long-haired |
grey-yellow hirsute |
brown short-haired |
Through the breeding of different varieties, the breed lines are separated from each other, not only in appearance but also in character. Therefore, the Malinois and the Laekenois are especially active in protection dog sport and police work, while the Groenendael has made a name for itself as an avalanche rescue dog.
In Germany, Belgian sheepdogs are considered to be a rare race – nevertheless, there are portraits of the different races. For this reason, the internationally-recognised expert, Eric Desschans, President of the Breeding Committee for Belgian Sheepdogs in Belgium, who has been active as a special judge worldwide for more than 20 years, has a word to say here.