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Belgian
Sheepdog Puppies for Sale
Belgian Groenendael
(Belgian Sheepdog) (Belgian Shepherd) (Chien de Berger Belge)
This is Glenda at 2 years old. Photo courtesy of Maria. Kennel Markazits Groenendael.
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Description |
The elegant Groenendael is a muscular black dog,
solid but not heavy, and very agile, with a proud carriage. The body is squarely
proportioned. The triangular ears stand erect and the muzzle is long and
tapering. The coat is very full, moderately long, with a ruff around the neck
and extra feathering on the underside, legs and tail. There is a dense
undercoat. The face and lower legs are covered with short hair. A little white
on the chest, chin or toes is permitted in the standard. The long feathered tail
reaches at least to the hocks. The brown eyes are almond shaped and the nose is
black. The chest is neither broad nor narrow, but is deep, reaching to the
elbow. The hindquarters are muscular, without looking heavy. The front legs are
very straight and parallel to each other, with round cat-feet. Dewclaws may be
removed from the front legs and should be removed from the back legs. The muzzle
tapers, but is not excessively pointy. The skull is flat and parallel to
the plain of the muzzle. The lips should be tight. The teeth should meet in
a scissors or level bite. |
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Temperament |
The Belgian Shepherd/Groenendael is the most
popular of the four Belgian Sheepdogs. It is a very smart and obedient dog.
Serious and watchful with strong protective and territorial instincts. This breed needs extensive socialization, preferably from an early
age, to prevent them from becoming shy or sensitive. Belgian Shepherds need firm, but not harsh, training from an experienced master. If you are
harsh or overbearing they will become uncooperative. Owners need to display a confident, natural authority over the dog. Consistent rules must be set and made clear. This breed is instinctively
protective so it should be trained and socialized very well from an early age.
Breeders should socialize puppies right from birth. Good for working and
competition obedience. These dogs make excellent police and guard dogs. This
type of work is currently their main occupation. They do however, make excellent
pets if they have owners who can challenge their minds with an air of leadership. They are ever watchful, alert and loyal. Belgian Sheepdogs are good with children if socialized well with
them. This breed needs to be part of the family and not locked up in a kennel.
It does best when given leadership and daily exercise along with ample time, attention, training and companionship. If this
breed is ignored, it will find ways to entertain itself, often at the owner's
expense. The Belgian Shepherd has a lot of energy and needs a job to do. Working
lines can have particularly high drive. It tends to bond strongly with one or
two people. Take care when introducing this dog with small non-canine pets.
They can be rather
dominant toward other dogs and need an owner who can communicate to the dog that dominance is an unwanted behavior. Provided they are correctly socialized with cats and
other pets, they should not present any problems. This Belgian Sheepdog may
instinctively display herding behavior such as chasing and circling, moving
effortlessly for hours and nipping at people's heels. They must be taught not to do this to people. This is a very demanding
dog that is becoming more and more popular. It needs an experienced owner for it
can easily be difficult to control unless the owner knows how to handle him.
The way the owner handles the dog can produce wide differences in temperament and aggressiveness. Talk to someone
experienced with the breed before you buy your dog. These dogs are often
impressive; don't base your purchase solely on achievement records and
appearances. Only adopt this type of dog if you fully understand what it means to be alpha. |
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Height, Weight |
Height: Dogs 24-26 inches (61-66 cm.) Bitches
22-24 inches (56-61 cm.)
Weight: Dogs 65-75 pounds (29-34 kg.) Bitches 60-70 pounds (27-32 kg.) |
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Health Problems |
This hardy, healthy breed has no major health
concerns. Some minor concerns that have been seen are epilepsy, skin allergies,
eye problems, excessive shyness, excessive aggressiveness and occasionally seen
hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia. Do not overfeed this breed, for it has
a tendency to become obese and lazy. |
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Living Conditions |
The Belgian Shepherd/Groenendael will do okay in
an apartment if it is sufficiently exercised. It is moderately active indoors
and will do best with at least an average-sized yard. The Groenendael can sleep
outdoors, although he prefers to be with his people. |
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Exercise |
This is a working dog that is accustomed to an
active outdoor life. As such it needs a lot of exercise, including a
long daily walk. In addition,
they will greatly benefit being off the
leash as much as possible in a safe area. |
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Life Expectancy |
About 13-14 years |
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Litter Size |
Average 6 - 10 puppies |
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Grooming |
The Belgian Shepherd/Groenendael has a long,
straight, medium length, heavy outer coat and a dense under coat that requires
daily combing and brushing. Extra care should be given when the dog is shedding.
Clip out mats that form, particularly in the ruff and on the legs, and clip hair
from between the toes and on the outer ears. This breed is a seasonal, heavy
shedder, shedding twice a year with some additional shedding throughout the
year. |
| Origin |
The Belgian Shepherd, known as the Groenendael
worldwide, and named for this village in Belgium, is one of the four varieties
of Belgian Sheepdogs. In most parts of the world the four varieties: the
Groenendael (black, long coat, pronounced Grow-en-en-doll), the Laekenois
(fawn, rough coat, pronounced Lak-in-wah), Malinois
(fawn-mahogany, short coat with black marks and overlay, pronounced Mal-in-wah),
and the Tervuren (fawn-mahogany, shades of
gray are acceptable in some registries, long coat with black mask and overlay,
pronounced Terv-yer-en) are all considered one breed. However in America, since
1959, the AKC has recognized the Groenendael, Malinois and Tervuren as separate
breeds, but has not recognized the Laekenois at all. A less well-known, but
growing U.S. registry, the UKC, does recognize all four varieties as one breed.
All the Belgian Sheepdogs developed from hardy working dogs, which ensures that
the modern breeds are compatibly gifted on the field. The Groenendael was
developed by Nicholas Rose, a breeder form Groenendael, Belgium who established
the first Belgian Sheepdog kennel with a pair of black sheepdogs, Petite and
Picard d'Uccle. Their progeny became the foundation stock for the breed. The
highly intelligent and protective Belgian Sheepdog/Groenendael has been used in
herding, as a police and war dog in both World Wars, in drug detection, search
and rescue, schutzhund, and as a family companion and guardian. Although the
Belgian Shepherd is not for everyone, this high energy dog makes an excellent
family companion if properly socialized and trained. Today the Belgian
Groenendael and Tervuren are most often used as companion dogs while the
Laekenois and Malinois are used as guard dogs. |
| Group |
Herding, AKC Herding |
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Recognition |
CKC, FCI, AKC, UKC, KCGB, CKC, ANKC, NKC, NZKC,
APRI, ACR |
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CKC = Continental
Kennel Club
FCI = Fédération
Cynologique Internationale
AKC = American
Kennel Club
UKC = United Kennel
Club
KCGB = Kennel
Club of Great Britain
CKC = Canadian
Kennel Club
ANKC = Australian
National Kennel Club
NKC = National
Kennel Club
NZKC = New Zealand
Kennel Club
APRI = American Pet Registry Inc.
ACR = American Canine Registry |
This is Glenda at 2 years old. Photo courtesy of Maria. Kennel Markazits Groenendael.
Belgian
Groenendael Pictures 1
Belgian
Groenendael Pictures 2
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