Belgian Sheepdog
Herding Group
Height at Shoulders
Females 22-24 in, Males 24-26 in
Weight
Females 45-60 lbs, Males 55-75 lbs
Life Expectancy
12-14 yrs
History
The Belgian Sheepdog, otherwise known as the Groenendael, originated in Belgium in the 1800's. It is one of four AKC-registered shepherd breeds from Belgium. While originally bred for herding, today they make good search and rescue dogs, guide dogs, and therapy dogs. Belgian Sheepdogs were used in WWI as message carriers, ambulance dogs, and machine gun pullers.
Breed Characteristics
While not all Belgian Sheepdogs will display the exact characteristics typical of the breed, most share a personality and temperament can be generalized by the characteristic rankings below.
Intelligence
Affection Towards Family
Friendliness Towards Strangers
Friendliness Towards Other Dogs
Exercise Needs
★★★★★
★★★★☆
★★★★☆
★★★★★
★★★★★
Energy Level
Sensitivity
Noise Level
Prey Drive
Shedding
★★★★★
★★★★★
★☆☆☆☆
★★★★★
★★★★★
Intelligence
★★★★★
Affection Towards Family
★★★★☆
Friendliness Towards Strangers
★★★★☆
Friendliness Towards Other Dogs
★★★★★
Exercise Needs
★★★★★
Energy Level
★★★★★
Sensitivity
★★★★★
Noise Level
★☆☆☆☆
Prey Drive
★★★★★
Shedding
★★★★★
Common Traits
Intelligent and play-oriented, generally responding best to fun training
Extremely protective of their family and make great guard dogs
Shed year-round
May become destructive or develop separation anxiety if bored or left alone for long periods of time
Chasers that will go after anything that moves, including cars, bicycles, and joggers