Belgian Shepherd Tervuren

The Belgian Shepherd Tervuren belongs to the Belgian Shepherd Dog family; it gets its name from the Belgian village of Tervuren It is widely accepted to be one of the four Belgian Sheepdogs. It has a slender build, with muscular hindquarters. Some of them share a strong physical likeness to the German shepherd. They are generally very smart and obedient by nature. Their watchfulness and alertness make them good watchdogs. They also exhibit a territorial nature. An adult male should weigh between 65 and 75 pounds, while the female weighs around 60-70 pounds.

Training the Belgian Shepherd Tervuren is not particularly difficult, but requires some amount of dedication. They have a tendency to turn shy and therefore a good deal of socializing is recommended. On the other hand, extremely tough and severe training can render them uncooperative. Training is best imparted from childhood, and should be undertaken with concern and thought. They make great contestants at dog shows and contests. They are also largely employed as police dogs, for law enforcement purposes.

The Tervuren requires to be kept engaged in some kind of work in order to stay active. Their high level of trainability and obedience make them excellent pets. These versatile dogs can be used for a wide array of purposes- anything from herding to assisting the blind/elderly people fits into the job description for these dogs. One thing about the Tervuren that should be borne in mind is that the dog develops very differently in terms of temperament depending upon the owner/trainer and hence care should be exercised in this regard.

Although the breed is mostly healthy and robust, it does have some major health problems- epilepsy, skin allergies and certain eye disorders are frequent. Like a few other breeds, the Tervuren has a tendency to put on weight and grow dull when overfed. Relatively cool climates are best suited to the Tervuren but it learns to do well in higher temperatures too. The Tervuren must be left unleashed through the day for best results; leashing it or having it confined to a kennel does not do it much good. It has a heavy outer coat and a thick under coat. Regular brushing or combing is needed- at least one or two times a week. The dogs are built for heavy physical activity but moderate exercise will keep them fit, so long as it is regular. A long daily walk should suffice.

The average size of each litter is between 6 and 10 pups. The dogs grow to live for 12 to 14 years on an average. The dogs are light shedders and do not qualify as hypoallergenic. Heavy shedding in males is observed about once every year. In the case of females, the frequency of heavy shedding is twice as much. The Tervuren has an instinctive tendency to bond strongly with one or two people, or a family at most; it displays a sense of strangeness to new faces. Therefore, owner-training done with care is the best option.