10 Belgian Sheepdog Facts You Didn't Know!

[@rimantepurvinyte8316]

Mine is turning 9 years old this November yet she's still so energetic and active! Running and jumping around, has a spirit of a puppy!

[@gupsdhamrait]

Just got my first puppy. They are so elegant and charming. Very underrated dog breed

[@kmdionis]

Hey that's my floppy-eared Belgian! 🤣 He's a great dog. His name is Junior. His one ear started to flop when he was 9 months old. The breeder then had him neutered and adopted to us as a pet, lucky for Us . This dog is really smart, and emotionally intelligent too. He's got a paw on the pulse of the house. He goes where love is needed. A few times, after I had back surgery, he overheard me cursing and moaning, and he went and got help. I couldn't believe it, I had Lassie in the house! I recommend the floppy-eared Belgian. ❤️🐺

[@singatune]

Yes they are emphatic. One alerted me like in a Lassie movie. I finally followed her and neighbor's dog head was wedged between corner posts for fences. And fun. One would get my slippers. She brought me one and I gave her treat. She got other slipper and another treat. I sat with leg crossed. Then she removed my slipper and gave it to me expecting another treat. 😊

[@kmdionis]

@@singatune I love that your dog saved his neighbor! These dogs amaze me. Junior passed away last spring, and I'll likely always miss him. We adopted his great-nephew a couple months later, and we still have his niece. They're both characters!

[@verusesse5394]

En 2010 sin saber de su inteligencia y sencibilidad adopte un Belga Groenendael, los amo (todos los perros son especiales) pero los belgas son tan entendidos. En 2021 saliendo de pandemia en Buenos Aires llego otro Belga a casa Keanu. Hermosos. Prince tenia 11 años y en Marzo 2024 llego a los 14 años 💜se extraña mucho💜

[@deepthought9070]

I have this dog and I'm happy to this kind of dog

[@kalikale3969]

We've owned Groenendaels for quite some time now and there's one thing I believe you have wrong. They may shed twice a year but it's 6 months at a time! LOL

[@MalinoisLovers]

🤐

[@peggynulsen1365]

Amen to that!!

[@Stahpbeingaidiot101]

We're just going to skip over the freight train tackles when they decide it's time to cuddle? Ok 🤣🤣🤣

[@latonyagreen-warner7402]

FLOOPY EAR DOG'S LIVES MATTER!!! I think I will protest outside The Westminster this year. Floppy ear Groenendaels are just as important!🤣🤣🐶🐶 just playin, I think all dogs are beautiful .

[@Stahpbeingaidiot101]

My Athena is Groenendael & Newfoundland 😂 She's got floppies 😂 She's also perfect in every way.

[@singatune]

I agree. I take issue with restrictions on white. Judges tend to go for pure black. White on chest is not a fault. But how many with white on chest are best in breed??? These are animals for herding. How does white on chest or floppy ears affect herding? These dogs were lighter weight and smaller decades ago.

[@dillonmazcrenhanzers7534]

The most elegant breed.. I have three of them

[@dillonmazcrenhanzers7534]

GatorFan 21 No. my mom suffers from wheezing since her teenage , but neither she nor we we have experienced any allergic reaction due to them.. my three groenendaels are 9yrs, 6yrs and 3yrs old respectively. Since they have a thick volumed coat, you can experience fur falling daily (like human experiences hair falling), also their coat gets renewed by itself twice a year (as I know). During coat renewal period (1-2 weeks) you have to expect more fur falling than usual.

[@dillonmazcrenhanzers7534]

GatorFan 21 if you are willing to have a Groenendael, I’m sure you won’t get disappointed 😉 however every dog is adorable, royal and intelligent. Best of luck 👍

[@dillonmazcrenhanzers7534]

GatorFan 21 I think you better consult a veterinary surgeon and your family doctor who treats your mom and get their advices before you make a decision. Having a dog is similar to having kid in the family. You have to be ready in and every way and have to think every possibilities of advantages and disadvantages... 👍 For an example, Groenendael is not the first breed I’m having. I had 4 or 5 breeds before them. Every time before I get a new breed, I search a lot about it, get experts suggestions and consider about my family members and their opinions as well. Because once you get a pet, you both naturally attach to each other and as you experience issues of having it later, you will have to give it to someone else to take care of. It definitely breaks you and doggies both down and suffer psychologically.

[@singatune]

Yes they are elegant. And they know it! Shedding is an issue but the results is a truly magnificent dog. I bred and showed this Breed for several decades. They hate Alaskan Malamutes. Each has their own personality. All are intelligent. As for training, some are difficult to train for CD obedience but then they tend to score the highest in competition. They tend to run in circles from their herding instinct. They have a straight on bite which is nipping of sheep not tearing. They have small feet called cat like paws. They stand square which I believe makes hip dysplasia less of a problem. Their coat is so soft. The undercoat is sometimes saved by owners and made into yarn. They have their own scent and good noses, too. One was a mouser! Remember most Groenendaels share similar range of teaits but there are some Belgians that can be aggressive and some can be pretty dumb. Oxygen deprivation during a complicated birth is an example. Just like the floppy ears which is rather rare, they can have kinked tails but they still are excellent pets. They do need to have room to run. Obedience classes are highly recommended. Many breeders have application forms. Well you should be ready to also have questions to ask of the breeder. Just having champions with photos of dogs with ribbons and trophies is not enough. Buying a dog that you may have over a decade is a serious step. It is both a financial investment and an emotion investment. This dog will be a member of your family. I ❤Groenendaels. Though I do have trouble spelling it right! 😅😊 So some are great at killing groundhogs and mice. Others bring home stray baby animals like raccoons. 😂 I saw a short video on youtube of a young child training a Belgian Sheepdog. They love to swim.

[@peggyrichter9279]

pleased to see my boy Kris among those demonstrating the herding.

[@josyjosy7495]

I love mine so much . He s so intelligent. I love him so much.

[@singatune]

❤😊

[@stefanjones2637]

Thank you for the video! I had a Groenendael mix. She was great but a lot of work. If I could find another mix I would adopt him or her in a second.

[@sharonmccomas4173]

That is truly a stunning beautiful dog wow. I didn't know there even was a Belgian sheep dog. Thank you so much for your work

[@apecrasherlolz9887]

There are 4 Belgian shepards actually - The Groenendaeler (this one) - The Malinois or Mechelse herder - The Tervuerense herder - Laekense herder

[@sharonmccomas4173]

@@apecrasherlolz9887 thank you I truly had no idea but they are absolutely beautiful dogs and smart too.

[@elixirplacentabyrachel]

Thank you formation I have 3month old Belgian Groenendael, too

[@sarasyrankothrankoth9444]

Thanks for videos ❤

[@tone8111]

Lets hope we get this dog today🤞

[@masteryoflife5133]

I came here thinking that my dog I used to have was part Belgium sheepdog, part because she looked slightly more like a black wolf and really liked to chase rabbits, she was very shy, and was indifferent to other dogs. She looked similar to that but with curly fur.

[@kiaraurriola]

Awesome video

[@Filipx87page]

3:46 Another variant, although rather rare, may be coal black malinois.

[@singatune]

Malinois are a little more of a challenge. Their black coat is short.

[@vernallongthaw9295]

Yes,only sheds twice a year, but each shedding season lasts about 5 months. So important to socialize and desensitize! And keep those ears clean - allergies + ears = yeast farm. I love my Tervs and want a G next!

[@jessmynott5867]

Aw I think they look cute with floppy ears

[@singatune]

I like patch of white on chest is great. I liked scratching it. Called her STAR. It's not a fault but tell that to AKC judges. Collies and Flat coated Retrievers have floppy tips on ears. They are adorable when they perk up their ears.

[@verusesse5394]

Hermosos resaltam sus ojos acaramelados.

[@practicalphilosophy9031]

Well done thank you!

[@singatune]

Our bitch had a complicated birth which required a caesarean delivery. I was all night with puppies. I put bottles with warm water between them in a row. I messaged them, used eye dropper with formula. The largest one which had worse part of it did not make it. I would also give a puff of breath if they stopped breathing. Only one died. The vet hadn't given any of them a chance to live. He was amazrd. But one dog i resuscitated had oxygen deprivated and was not very bright. My husband would get upset and say GDIt inky stop whatever he was up to. One day he hurt himself and said GDit and the dog came running. Even mentally challenged Belgians are good pets but at times challenging. My husband finally broke himself of GDit. Otherwise Inky would come running. 😅😊 😂

[@jogianni100]

Did not know anything about this breed ! Thx

[@craigwilliam6771]

Bro I learned all these facts the first page before I got one.. cool

[@tzurtex6336]

People keep thinking my border collie puppy is a Belgian shepherd... he is all black with white hands and tip of his tail has white and white chest

[@apecrasherlolz9887]

Love the video! I have one myself, Ela. One thing though the breed is called a Groenendaeler not a Groenendael, in Flemish the "er" at the end is very important as Groenendael is the village near Brussels they originate from, Groenendaeler is the breed name. Maybe it is different in English but here the "er" is very important if you don't want to be laughed at 😅

[@peggyrichter9279]

in US it's groenedael if it isn't "Belgian sheepdog" (have had them since 1984)

[@AnyThing-tn2mh]

Love from sri lanka

[@brawlerthethief41]

Are these guys as active as the Tervuren breed? I’m really considering getting one, or at least a mutt with a base of this type and I just want to be prepared for how much activity the dog will need.

[@Nilu637]

They are very active and playful. I have one you only need , at least give 1 hour walking or running exercise everyday. Very cute friendly intelligent beautiful do breed

[@enenenergp]

Tervuren and groenendael are probably about as active, but they say groenendael might be a bit ”softer” in personality. Ofc that really depends on the individual dog and the dog’s line and stuff. Malinois, especially from a working line will be even more active.

[@MellyRealTalk]

Tervuren & Groenendael are actually the same breed dog.. the colors are what decides if it is a Tervuren or a Groenendael. My parent’s Groenendael came from a litter with two Tervuren in it. Parents were both Groenendael.

[@dustylong]

@@MellyRealTalk Yes 👍

[@hansstrouf]

No in Belgium it is a luxury dog

[@wholesome122]

I don’t call them the Belgian Sheepdog. They’re a Belgian Shepherd. I don’t play into the AKC’s garbage classification of the breed.

[@singatune]

That was decided by the Belgian Sheepdog Club of America. I just called them Belgians because the other 3 breeds rare or not in USA. Groenendael is such a long word. And the minute you utter sheepdog people think of Old English Sheepdog.

[@taraantic9033]

my groenendael Sky had an epileptic attack around a year or two ago, it was pretty scary.

[@hansstrouf]

Bad breeder, your dog was suffering from inbreeding, he had no pedigree or the pedigree was tampering, the best is to buy one of the Belgian shepherds in Belgium.

[@singatune]

This is from the standard for AKC. White is permitted on chest but the judges go for all black dogs. So many breeders started to breed for all black dogs. This limited the gene pool. I also think that xraying for hip dysplasia messes up DNA. Seizures and hip dysplasia were not a problem in this breed before 1980s. I refused to xray dog so I was unable to breed my bitch. I got in argument about xraying hips at a dog show. None of my multiple Belgians ever had it. I am thinking of buying a Belgian from Europe.

[@ciemnota8000]

Hi! Could I ask you for some advice? I´d love to get started with shepherds in some time (after I finish school) , but I´m not sure which breed to choose. I do have currently a dog , but I´d describe her as a perfect beginer dog: a little schnaucer/terrier mutt from the shelter with quite a few health problems but not much behavioral wise. I have fallen in love with groenendael and dutch shepherds aswell as, czechoslovakian wolfdogs even if they aren´t really shepherds. I would love to get some advice which one would be more suited for a person with some, but not much dog training experience but with a willingness to learn and invest lots of time to proper trainig Another question: are groenendaelrs different mentally from malinois'?

[@hansstrouf]

Groenendael , Tervueren, Malinois

[@hansstrouf]

The Groenendael is noticeably less nephews and aggressive than the Malinois but it is also protective, the groenendael is my favorite, the Tervueren is also a great dog, it is the ideal family dog, beware the nice dog can become a ferocious beast if you are assaulted or a member of your family, all Belgian shepherds ask for the exercise of 2 hours a day, the owner must be young and sporty, the electric all-terrain bike is a very useful auxiliary (Malinois shepherds have been timed at 60 km/h , Czech wolf dog is certainly beautiful but completely useless it has no quality, never he will defend you, for him you are pack leader and in a pack the leader is continually attacked , another problem it screams at night, you're going to get in trouble with your neighbors, some kills medium-sized dogs, the Saarloos Wolf Dog is even more beautiful but with the same flaws, rare there are hybrids Malinois x Wolf? In short my choice is the Groenendael, Tervueren and all the others, I would leave the Fantastic Shepherd Malinois to the police, Civil Army very competent, in Belgium the Malinois is considered a weapon, you know maybe that in Belgium there are 25 breeds of dog, I remind you the standard of the Groenendael Race Height at withers 66 cm, 30 to 35 KG , fully black a tiny white spot on the torso is tolerated, the ideal is to buy directly a dog in Belgium, you are certain that your puppy is purebred, you receive a pedigree with the whole lineage - a guarantee of 2 years, and of course all dogs are fascinated

[@TheLookylook]

I have a Tervueren, who are very similar to the groenendael. What you absolutely have to keep in mind is that they where bred to guard and herd sheep! They can not be compared to a Labrador, they are not everybody's friends! Don't expect them to say hello to everybody. They are loyal to the family they live in and protective of that family. Everybody that comes in to my house gets a warning growl when they come in and my dog won't stop until I say so. She also ignores my guests afterwards. And i never taught her that! The first year it's litterly your job, meaning you HAVE to put a lot of time in training them, but afterwards you have a dreamdog. They are easy to train because they are smart and want to please you. You have to exercise them FISICALLY and MENTALLY a least 3 hours a day (they are a working breed!).

[@dustylong]

A Malinois definitly needs an experienced owner, so I wouldn't go for one yet. If you are willing to learn and do the work a Groenendaeler could work for you, but you better start educating yourself before you get the dog. Then you'll be prepared, which is better for you and certainly for the dog. Good luck!

[@peggyrichter9279]

they NEED A JOB. but yes, Belgian sheepdogs are different from the Malinois in general, although you'll find overlap. Pretty similar to the Tervuren, but possibly a bit more independent minded (at least in my experience in having them since 1984)

[@dominicniemeijer2948]

"facts you didn't know" "they need socialization" Even People without dogs know that lmao Edit: It's not a sheepdog it's a shepherd (yes i'm aware that the USA kennels calls this herding dog a sheepdog, don't know why they made this mistake though)

[@peggyrichter9279]

because when joining the AKC, the German shepherd club made a fuss about calling them Belgian shepherds. (yes, attitudes have changed since)

[@blackcaiman9512]

I am planning to get one , just was concerned if the breed will do fine in a warm climate like India

[@plavilacookhouse9337]

If you live in India I would suggest you to buy indigenous breeds. People call them stray/useless dogs, fact is, they are best suited for our climate and have better health and immunity than imported breeds. Or you can even go for more common breeds that have adapted to the Indian climate. Afterall, if you are a true dog lover the breed will really not matter to you. Wish you best of luck

[@dustylong]

It has a double coat and it's a black dog, don't get one 😔

[@blackcaiman9512]

@@dustylong But Huskies seem to do fine here though

[@singatune]

In warmer climate like Florida, they do not develope the heavy coat. My dad had one in Florida. We visited at Christmas and our dogs had full winter coats. I wish I had taken photo of difference.

[@weslleyraimundo6554]

Top lindo

[@elroyfudbucker6806]

How can a dog produce so much fur from a skinny tail?

[@singatune]

Once had a breeder who had a champion and joked about never having his tailed combed. Seriously. 😊

[@weslleyraimundo6554]

Top lindoa

[@gofios]

Flappydogs are cute

[@vaisakhraveendran]

I have one

[@Anna-nr3up]

Do *all* Belgian Shepherds need a job or can they just be a companion?

[@violetbitch9492]

They can be normal pets, you'll just have to provide them a lot of movement or deal with destructive behaviour out of boredom.

[@Anna-nr3up]

Violet Bitch Ok thanks

[@peggyrichter9279]

they need a job. They also need to be your companion. "job" can be quite varied. trick dog, tracking, herding, obedience, agility.... They will come UP with a job if you try treating them like decorative hearth rugs (some breeds like that). this can include excavating your yard to install a 4' x 8' den -- in a matter of one day.

[@verusesse5394]

Pir un lado es importante q no esten solos... y si es importante que gasten energias ya sea saliendo a correr andar y jugar tambien con otros perros...son territoriales pero buenos. Importante les hace mal ser entrenados de forma violenta. Son super sencibles. Desde Argentina BsAs. ❤ a los pastores Belgas