Belgian Tervuren Dog Breed | Top 10 Amazing Facts About Belgian Shepherd - Belgian Tervuren
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Belgian Tervuren - Dog Breed
The Breed History
This is one of four coat types of the Belgian Shepherd type dog. This breed originated in the town of Tervuren, Belgium. The other haircoat types are Malinois, Groenendael, and Laekenois. Their common ancestor is the Belgian Sheepdog. The Tervuren are the longhaired, colored other than black variety, though hairs are black tipped. The Tervuren is considered a later variety that the Malinois, and may be derived from the Groenendaels since matings of the latter can produce the Tervuren coat type. Though these coat types share a single breed standard outside the AKC and America, the types are split into separate breeds here, with minor distinguishing characteristics. The first breed standard for the Tervuren was drawn up in 1893. The AKC registered these dogs first in 1959.
Breeding for Function
Very high intelligence and trainability are a breed hallmark. Obedience, herding, tracking, sledding, drug detection, and Schutzhund represent some of their talents. Historically, herding was their primary purpose, with farm protection running second. Currently, they serve as service dogs, police and security dogs, and are widely used in agility trials. Many are also companion dogs.
Physical Characteristics
Height at Withers: female 22-24" (56-61 cm), male 24-26" (61-66 cm).
Weight: Average 62 lb (28 kg).
Coat: The outer coat is long, dense and straight. Hairs are hard but not wiry. The undercoat is dense and soft. Furnishings are more developed in males. Facial hair is short. A non-black longhaired Belgian Shepherd-type dog is the distinguishing characteristic of a Tervuren. Black masking and a fawn to mahogany base color with black tipping is the preferred combination, but other non-black colors are accepted. The dogs tend to get darker with age. A small white chest patch is accepted.
Longevity: 12-14 years
Points of Conformation: These dogs have a strong constitution, square in conformation (females may be a bit longer), lithe and well balanced. Tervurens are solid without being coarse, the head is long, well chiseled, and the eyes are medium sized, almond-shaped, and dark brown in color. The ears are stiff, erect and triangular, the muzzle is pointed, the stop is moderately well defined, and the nose is black. The neck is long, well muscled, and not throaty. The topline is level, the thorax deep, and the abdomen moderately tucked up. The tail is high set and reaches to the tarsus at rest; in action it may be held horizontal to the topline. Limbs are straight boned, and the bone is oval in cross section. Dewclaws may be removed in front, and are usually removed in the rear. Feet are small, compact and well knuckled up with strong nails. The gait is springy and ground covering. As for the Malinois, the standard stipulates a preference to move in a circle over a straight line. This may reflect the herding heritage of this breed.
Recognized Behavior Issues and Traits
Reported breed characteristics include: Defensive-protective, devoted (even possessive), courageous, may be snappy, and has high exercise needs and a high base activity level. Grooming needs are low, and moderate shedding occurs. They are generally good with other dogs in the household, and have variable tolerance to other smaller pets. Not the best choice of dog for a household with a child; they do best with experienced owners.
Normal Physiologic Variations
Leukopenia: Physiologic leukopenia, resulting from low numbers of neutrophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes, may be a typical finding in a large percentage of healthy Belgian Tervuren and is not of clinical importance in otherwise healthy dogs. Healthy Belgian Tervuren may also have RBC counts and hematocrits higher than expected for healthy dogs. In one study of 180 healthy Belgian Tervuren in the United States, total WBC counts ranged from 2,610 to 16,900. All dogs were otherwise clinically normal. In a study in Belgium, only 1 of 94 Tervuren was identified with the condition. Reported at a frequency of 1.3% in the 2003 American Belgian Tervuren Club Health Survey.
Drug Sensitivities
None reported