Belgian Sheepdog

Overview

Overview of Belgian Sheepdog

In 1892, Belgium achieved independence and like many other countries, it wanted symbols of national pride, so the Belgian Shepherd became their national herding dog. Later, the Belgian Sheepdog a.k.a the Groenendael became their first police dog. There are four varieties of Belgian Shepherd dogs that are considered separate breeds in the U.S. These include the Belgian Malinois (tan with black mask and shorthair), the Belgian Tervuren (tan with black mask and longhair), the Belgian Laekenois (tan with rough coat), and the Belgian Sheepdog (black with longhair). Belgian Shepherds predate German Shepherds with written accounts dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries and remain unchanged from their original breed standard. The city of Ghent in the 1890s was the first place to have a professional police dog that was a majestic Belgian Sheepdog. By the early 1900s, they were the premier police dog in Europe and the U.S., later to be eclipsed by their cousins, the Malinois, and their distant relatives, the German Shepherd. Despite the popularity of Mals, Belgian Sheepdogs are similarly versatile. They excel in military and police roles, as seeing-eye dogs, service dogs, search and rescue dogs, herding dogs, and even as sled dogs! Just like the first Model T Fords, these medium-large (30-80 lbs) pooches come in any color as long as it's black!