Belgian Shepherd Tervuren: photo of the dog and description of the breed

The pride of Belgium is its own national breed of shepherd. There are four varieties: Tervuren, Groenendael, Malinois, Laekenois. Each of them has different breed characteristics. The Tervuren Shepherd Dog is rightfully recognized as the most elegant of the Belgian four, having an expressive exterior.

Breed traits

Breed traits (on a 5-point scale)

This breed is often compared to the following dog breeds: Belgian Groenendael, German Shepherd, Belgian Malinois, Australian Shepherd (Aussie), Bobtail (Old English Sheepdog).

Photos of Belgian Shepherd Tervurens:

Characteristics of the Belgian Shepherd Tervuren breed

The Tervuren is a beautiful long-haired dog. She is unpretentious and efficient. Features of appearance – beautiful thick coat, expressive eyes. The uniqueness of the Tervuren is that it took some quality from all varieties of the breed: from the Malinois - color, from the Groenendael - thick coat, from the Laekenois - explosive independent character.

Like all other shepherds, this dog is hardy and efficient. Often used for service in the police and army. The Tervuren makes a good rescuer and guard. But now representatives of this breed are more often brought in as a companion for sports, a pet or a watchman in a private home.

pros

The Tervuren is a herding dog and has all the characteristics of a shepherd dog. She retained her working qualities and independence from her ancestors. Representatives of the breed are popular because their content has many advantages:

• they are universal and efficient;
• understandable, easy to learn;
• hardy and unpretentious, withstands adverse weather conditions;
• suitable for maintenance on the site of a private house or in an apartment;
• strong, dexterous, can perform tricks and participate in sports;
• have pronounced protective qualities;
• faithful, devoted;
• are patient with children;
• look attractive;
• capable of making independent decisions in a dangerous situation.

Minuses

But like all shepherds, the Tervuren has a few downsides that can be a problem for some owners.

• They are very active and require walking for at least 3 hours a day. You need to run with them, exercise in the dog park. Therefore, the breed is not suitable for homebodies, calm, inactive people.
• These dogs are smart, quick-witted, and easily remember commands. But they tend to dominate and have an independent, independent character. They will obey only the owner, who can become a leader.
• The Tervuren requires constant communication with its owner. You need to talk to him, give him different tasks. This dog is not suitable for those who are constantly away from home.
• A thick coat requires regular grooming. The dog sheds heavily and the coat emits a specific smell. This can be a problem for allergy sufferers and those who like to keep their home clean.

Character

The Belgian Tervuren is a dog with high intelligence, which is typical for all shepherd dogs. She has the ability to make independent decisions, which is related to her work functions. The Tervuren is a deeply feeling dog, capable of jealousy and impulsive actions. Emotionally endures punishment and bad attitude, as he is very attached to his owner. Only one person in the family is recognized as the head.

To preserve your pet’s psyche, you should not leave him alone for a long time, without communication. Considering the dog’s sociability, the Tervuren experiences loneliness as a misfortune.

Character virtue - we are excellent at teaching. He is able to quickly remember commands during training. But the learning process must be firm, and in no case rude. Problems may arise with obedience if the owner does not earn unconditional authority from the Tervuren. Simple rules established for the dog in the house are enough. They will clearly show the shepherd that people still have a dominant position.

Tervuren Shepherd Dogs are highly territorial. This should be taken into account and your friends should be warned about the pet’s peculiarities. Tervurens will not be happy with strangers, but an aggressive reaction is quite likely. The Belgian Shepherd should be socialized as early as possible.

Origin story

Belgian Shepherds are a popular breed with an unusual history. Herding dogs lived in Belgium for many centuries and helped people. They herded and guarded livestock, guarded the owner's property and territory. These dogs were mainly kept by farmers. No one was specifically breeding them, although in each region they were slightly different from each other.

At the end of the 19th century, breeders became interested in herding dogs. A group of enthusiasts led by veterinarian Adolf Riyul decided to create a national Belgian dog breed. Exhibitions began to be held, and a Belgian Shepherd Club was created. The breeders noticed that they were different, but did not carry out selection to create a single breed, but divided it into 4 varieties:

• Tervuren;
• Groenendael;
• Malinois;
• Laekenois.

The birth of the Tervuren breed was in 1891. The following year a standard was created. The varieties of Belgian Shepherds were finally recognized at the beginning of the 20th century. Due to two world wars, their numbers were greatly reduced. Dogs were used as draft force, in the delivery of mail and shells.

The restoration of this variety was slow, and the Tervuren is still a rare breed. All over the world it is classified as a Belgian Shepherd. Only the American Kennel Club identified the Tervuren as a separate breed.

The photographs show the characteristics of all four representatives of the Belgian Shepherd breed:

Application

When deciding to purchase a Belgian Shepherd, you must take into account that this is a working breed. This means that standard walking is not enough for its development. Just like a regular workout. A trained Tervuren successfully competes in dog competitions, in almost all sports, especially in agility.

Throughout the existence of the breed, the dogs were first used as shepherds, then the qualities of an excellent guard were revealed. And later they even began to use it as a guide dog.

Given their good-natured nature and ability to quickly acquire skills with adequate training, Tervuren training goes well.

Appearance Standard

Outwardly, like all shepherd dogs, the Tervuren looks a little like a wolf. He has a strong, muscular, harmoniously built body of average height.

Head

The head is wedge-shaped, proportional to the body. The muzzle tapers towards the nose, the stop is clearly visible. The occipital protuberance and brow ridges are not pronounced. Lips fit tightly, cheekbones are flat. The bridge of the nose is straight, the nose is always black. The eyes are almond-shaped, dark. The look is smart, attentive. The ears are erect and triangular. Set high, turned forward.

Body type

The case is square format, elegantly folded. Strong withers, slightly curved nape. The neck is set high, long, without dewlap. The chest is deep, but not wide. The back is short, the loin is strong, the stomach is moderately tucked. The tail is set low and crescent-shaped. It never rises high, does not curl into a ring, and does not fall to one side.

Limbs

The limbs are large, straight, muscular. The shoulders and shoulder blades are long, the thighs are muscular, the knees are almost vertical. The paws are collected in a ball, the toes are arched. Movements are light and free. Trots, quickly, and can change direction abruptly.

Coat and color

The coat is thick, heavy, straight, up to 10 cm long. It looks luxurious and forms a lush collar on the neck. There are feathers on the limbs, and the tail is also very pubescent. The hair on the head is short. The undercoat is thick and dense, providing good thermoregulation. The color is bright: red and tan. The muzzle should be black.

Photos complement the description of the appearance:

Characteristics of the Tervuren

The Tervuren is a working dog. In terms of service qualities and endurance, it surpasses all other shepherd dogs. Can work in the police, at customs. These dogs become good guides, rescuers, and companions. They respond quickly to commands, but only obey an authoritative person. They have a more active and unbalanced temperament than other shepherd dogs.

Tervuren is very loyal, cheerful, playful. At any age he behaves like a puppy. This dog requires constant attention from the owner and regular exercise. Boredom can cause her behavior to become destructive. He is strongly attached to his owner, but treats all family members kindly. Sometimes she can be jealous and touchy. He reacts very emotionally to punishment and is very worried about rude treatment.

These dogs love children, take them under their wing, and protect them. They are patient and support any game. They treat other pets well, especially if they grew up together. They get along with cats, rodents, and other dogs, but only with proper upbringing. Otherwise they might get jealous.

The following features of the character and behavior of Tervurens can be noted:

• smart;
• smart;
• vigilant;
• balanced;
• easy to train;
• friendly;
• devotees;
• polite;
• emotional;
• independent.

Education and training

Tervurens, like other shepherd dogs, are easy to train. They remember commands easily and enjoy learning different tricks. The main condition for successful training is to gain authority from the dog. The leader of the Tervuren will obey his owner unquestioningly, understand gestures and even glances.

It is better to build classes with your puppy in the form of a game. He needs to be interested. It is desirable that the training be varied. You need to behave calmly, give commands in a firm, but not rude voice. These dogs are sensitive and do not tolerate disrespect. Therefore, it is better to use the method of encouragement, there is no need to punish.

This shepherd dog must be socialized and taught rules of behavior from an early age. Without this, the Tervuren may become aggressive towards strangers. He has a strong instinct to protect his territory, so guard qualities need not be trained.

This is a working dog. She requires constant physical training and tasks. If it is not used for guarding, it should be engaged in dog sports. Tervurens are great for agility, canicross, frisbee, and freestyle.

Socialization

The Belgian Shepherd Tervuren is a dog with a lot of patience. Therefore, he is quite loyal to the owner’s children. Whether a dog becomes a “nanny” for children or not depends on the temperament of the particular dog. Although all representatives of this breed tend to be friendly towards all the younger ones in the family. One must be prepared for the fact that children he does not know will not inspire confidence in him.

Tervuren is able to get along with other animals. He can even be quite loyal to cats. But only if the animal has undergone socialization and has interacted with other dogs, cats and other pets since puppyhood. If for some reason socialization was not successful, manifestations of jealousy or excessive interest are possible.

From a very early age, in order for the Tervuren to behave calmly towards people, the dog must be taken to crowded places. And monitor the behavior of others. Intimidation or teasing of a puppy is unacceptable. This can cause the pet to behave inappropriately.

The development of the ability to communicate with other dogs takes place through walks at dog parks, where other pets are also walked. The shepherd dog should not be allowed to show anger without reason or be afraid of other dogs.

To raise an animal to be calm and not prone to panic attacks, it is necessary to make efforts so that the sound of a vacuum cleaner and other loud noises are familiar to him and not scary. But you need to get used to this gradually and not abruptly.

Maintenance and care

The Tervuren is an unpretentious dog and can be kept in an apartment. But she will feel better on a large plot of a private house, where she has the opportunity to run. She will guard the house, but you can’t put her on a chain or keep her in an enclosure all the time. If there is no contact with a person, the dog can become aggressive and nervous.

With any method of keeping, the Tervuren requires 2-3 hours a day of active walking. During a walk, the dog should run, jump, play, and perform various tasks.

Caring for this pet is easy. He requires normal hygiene procedures. Bathing often is not recommended; if kept in an apartment, once every 1-2 months is sufficient. But after every walk you need to wash your paws and belly. If the dog is kept in an enclosure, bathing 2-3 times a year is enough for him.

Once a week you need to clean your pet's eyes and ears. To prevent tartar, you can simply give chewing bones regularly. The nails of these dogs grind down on their own, but if the dog doesn’t walk on asphalt a lot, they are trimmed with a nail clipper as they grow back.

Grooming is more complex than that of other shepherds. It needs to be combed 2-3 times a week with a comb and a stiff brush. This will help avoid the formation of tangles. During shedding, you need to brush more often. A show dog can be taken to a professional groomer.

Nutrition

It is better to feed the Tervuren with ready-made super-premium or holistic food. You need to choose brands designed for active large breed dogs. They contain enough protein and microelements.

If the owner chooses natural food, it should consist of lean meat, sea fish, cereals, and vegetables. It is useful to give fermented milk products, a little vegetable oil, and an egg yolk once a week. Sweets, baked goods, fatty and spicy foods are prohibited.

Health

This is a working dog, so it is in fairly good health. Although it is not a long-livers, it lives on average 12 years. If all vaccinations and deworming are done on time, she will remain healthy throughout her life. But some dogs may have the following diseases:

• retinal atrophy;
• cataract;
• joint dysplasia;
• disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract;
• epilepsy;
• cancer.

Health

The Tervuren is not a sickly dog, and not at all weak. However, her health requires some attention from the owner.

Diseases

Tervurens have the most commonly diagnosed diseases:

• obesity;
• oncology;
• epileptic seizures;
• ophthalmological diseases (retinal atrophy, often of a progressive type);
• thyroid diseases;
• joint dysplasia.

Vaccinations

Vaccinations are given to Belgian Shepherds according to a calendar common to all. It is not recommended to vaccinate puppies before they reach two months of age. For weak individuals from the litter, vaccinations are given one to two weeks later than for other puppies.

The very first vaccination (8 weeks) – parvovirus enteritis, distemper, hepatitis. The second vaccination, at 11-13 weeks of age, is a booster vaccination and the first rabies vaccination.

Mating

In large breeds, the favorable period for reproduction is the age of two years. The owner must closely monitor the health of the female and organize mating only of a healthy animal. From the first heat, it is necessary to keep a calendar, noting the start and end times of the process. These are actions to prepare for future mating.

Activities before the start of the planned mating:

1. A month and a half before estrus - conduct a bacterial analysis to detect the presence of infections. The male dog goes through the same procedure.
2. A month before the start of estrus, treat the bitch for parasites (fleas, ticks, etc.).
3. A few days after treatment for parasites - a course of deworming.

This preparation is necessary for the health of the animal. It should not be overfed, but also not exhausted, full of strength. Good health of the mother will have a positive effect on the quality of the litter and the condition of the bitch after giving birth.

How to buy a Belgian Shepherd Tervuren puppy

A purebred Tervuren puppy can only be purchased at a nursery. This breed is rare, so they are expensive. In Moscow the price is 30-60 thousand rubles. Show class pets with excellent pedigree are more expensive.

A healthy puppy will be active, curious, and playful. He shows no cowardice or aggression. He has shiny thick fur, clear eyes, and a confident gait. There must be a black mask on the face - this is a sign of the breed. It is also advisable to get to know your mother and her behavior. The breeder must provide all documents, pedigrees, and veterinary certificates.

The photo shows what the puppies look like:

The video complements the characteristics of these Belgian Shepherds:

Video: Belgian Shepherd Tervuren. Peculiarities. Care

Video: Tervuren is a long-haired Belgian Shepherd of any color. Description of the dog breed

The Tervuren is an amazing dog. Her luxurious appearance alone attracts attention. But her character and high intelligence also make her popular. This dog will become a devoted friend, an obedient companion and a brave defender, but only with timely socialization and proper upbringing. It is very important to become an authority for the dog, give it a lot of attention and give affection.

Price of puppies

Tervuren is not very common in Russia, but small nurseries operate. Private breeders also breed Belgian Shepherds. The price of a puppy depends on where the dog is purchased and for what purpose.

A pet that is healthy but has deviations from the established standard will cost from 25 to 35 thousand rubles (pet class). If the puppy is approved for breeding, but does not receive high marks at exhibitions, then the cost will be 40-45 thousand rubles (breeding class). Show-class pets are expensive, they not only have an impeccable pedigree and a magnificent exterior. The price of such a puppy is from 60 thousand.