The Belgian Tervuren is one of the four categories of the Belgium Sheepdog and is used for herding and police work. The dog has highest versatility and intelligence level among all its cousins.
Physical Traits
Area of Origin: Belgium
Used for: Herding, Police work
Average Life Span: 10-12 years
Color: Black and brown
Coat: A dense undercoat and a long outer coat with black tips
Average Height: 22-26 inches
Average Weight: 65-75 pounds
Group: Herding
History and Domestication
The dog is named after the Belgian village of Tervuren. It is one of the four categories of Belgian Sheepdogs.
This is the most versatile and intelligent of all four breeds and has a variety of talents.
The dog was bred for herding and guarding but later was used for police work due to its agility and intelligence.
They make excellent work dogs for narcotics, protection and bomb detection.
Standard Physical Characteristics
The Belgian Tervuren’s body appears in a square manner. The stop is moderate and it has tight black lips. From sideways, it has a moderately pointed muzzle which appears parallel to the skull’s topline. It has mediums-sized brown eyes which are almond shaped. The ears are triangular in shape which are equal in both height and width. It has deep chest which reaches up to its elbows. The straight legs are parallel to each other and vertical to the ground. They are cat-like in shape.
Care, Grooming and Health
The Belgian Tervuren has a straight, long and medium-length outer coat with a dense undercoat that requires brushing on a regular basis. The breed is a moderate shedder with females shedding twice a year and males only once. The coat needs to be brushed thoroughly once or twice a week. The dog is accustomed to an active outdoors life. It needs daily exercise like long daily walks. They also love being off-leash as much as possible but do it only in a safe area.
The breed suffers from health problems like skin allergies, excessive shyness or aggressiveness, eye problems and occasional hip dyslexia. Overfeeding the dog must be avoided as it becomes lazy and obese.
Living Conditions
The dog does well with an apartment if it gets daily exercise. The dog is only moderately active indoors but can do well with average sized yard. The breed prefers cooler climates but can adjust to other climates too. The dog can live outdoors but would prefer living indoors with his human family.
Temperament
This is very bright and intelligent breed and displays determination with strong perspective along with its territorial instincts. The dog needs a firm trainer but he shouldn’t be heavy handed. The breed needs to be socialized well in order to prevent shyness or aggressiveness. The breed is very protective hence needs socialization and training at an early age. The dogs are good for working and competitive obedience and so act as excellent guard and police dogs. They also make excellent pets.
