AKA: Flanders Cattle Dog, Vlaamse Koehend

Description: The Bouvier des Flandres is a massive and heavily-coated dog that has a thick beard and mustache. It also has shaggy eyebrows that add to its distinctive appearance. It has a black nose, dark brown oval-shaped eyes, and teeth that form a scissors bite. Its ears stand erect, triangular in shape, and may be cropped.

The Bouvier des Flandres has a proportionately square body. It has a broad and deep chest, and the tail is docked. The legs are muscular, with the front legs perfectly straight.

Dynamics: The Bouvier des Flanders is a gentle-mannered and calm dog. It is obedient and can be trained easily. It is intelligent enough to learn commands quickly, but the training has to be consistent, balanced, and firm. The Bouvier also needs to be clear on who the master is to avoid dominance problems.

The Bouvier is excellent with children, and can get along well with other household pets is socialized at an early age. Socialization is important to prevent over-protectiveness or shyness in the breed. The Bouvier is sometimes suspicious and reserved with strangers. But generally, it is a lively, enthusiastic, and responsible dog.

Breed Group: Herding

Weight: males 75-90 lbs (34-41 kg), females 60-80 lbs (27-36 kg)

Height: males 23-28 inches (58-71 cm), females 22-27 inches (56-69 cm)

Color: The coat of the Bouvier des Flandres comes in black, fawn, blonde, gray, or brindle. Some may have a white marking on the chest.

Country of Origin: The Bouvier des Flandres comes from Belgium, where it was bred from a cross between the Griffon and the Beauceron.

Activities: The Bouvier des Flandres has an average demand for exercise. A daily walk and exercises would be sufficient for it to remain healthy and active. The Bouvier des Flandres is currently used as a watchdog and guard dog as well as a tracking dog. It is also being used as a guide for the blind, in search and rescue, police work, military work, carting, competitions, and schutzhund.

Grooming: The Bouvier des Flandres’ coat requires some attention when it comes to grooming. The coat has to be brushed regularly. Bathe or dry shampoo only when needed. Excess hair inside the ears and between the pads of the feet should be removed or trimmed. The coat needs to be trimmed at least three times a year.

Other Info: The Bouvier des Flandres has a life expectancy of 10-12 years. It is a healthy breed and is accustomed to harsh conditions. It is still prone to some health conditions though, such as hip dysplasia and eye problems. The Bouvier des Flandres will do well in an apartment as long as it is taken outdoors from time to time and sufficiently exercised.

AKA: St. Hubert Hound, Chien de Saint-Hubert

Description: The Bloodhound is a big and powerful hound that is distinctive with its drooping ears and loose, wrinkled skin. This skin and its jowls give it a rather mournful expression. The folds of the skin are said to help in holding scent particles.

The Bloodhound has a short and fairly rough coat. The hair on the skull and ears is softer than on the rest of the body. The eyes are deeply set, with the lower eyelids falling away a little. Its nose is black and it has a long muzzle.

The Bloodhound’s body is very strong, as can be seen by its powerful shoulders and muscular back. The forelegs are straight, solid, muscular. The tail is carried in a curve above the topline of its back.

Dynamics: The Bloodhound is a mild-mannered and noble dog. It is a good companion to families and is great with children. It loves the attention it receives from children, although it is not wise to let the dog take more than the usual fun and pestering of children.

This breed needs a firm but gentle training. As a puppy it is very energetic and independent. Patience is needed in its training. The Bloodhound is an intelligent breed and will sometimes make their own decisions rather than follow yours.

The Bloodhound is a gentle and shy breed, rarely vicious and dominant. It might be aggressive towards other male dogs though. It can also become protective of its territory. It can have the tendency to howl, snore, and drool a lot. Other than these, the Bloodhound is a very friendly dog, welcoming and greeting visitors.

The Bloodhound is a very talented scent hound. It can follow any scent, even that of a human (which is rare). It is said that it can successfully follow trails that are over a hundred hours old. This breed is a certified tracker, and evidence made by it is admissible in the court of law.

Breed Group: Hound, Scenthound

Weight: males 90-110 lbs (41-50 kg), females 80-100 lbs (36-45 kg)

Height: males 25-27 inches (63-69 cm), females 23-25 inches (58-63 cm)

Color: The Bloodhound comes in black & tan, liver & tan, and red & tawny.

Country of Origin: The Bloodhound was perfectly bred by the monks of St. Hubert in Belgium. It is one of the ancient dog breeds, known to be more than a thousand years old.

Grooming: Grooming the Bloodhound is easy due to its short hair. A hand glove is preferred in grooming. Bathe only when necessary. Rubbing the coat with a rough towel or chamois is enough to make the coat shiny. Check and clean the ears regularly.

Activities: The Bloodhound needs a lot of exercises. It loves to run and has a very curious nose. When it comes to walking, running, or tracking, it seems to have an endless stamina.

Other Info: The Bloodhound has a life expectancy of 10-12 years. Like all dogs, it is prone to hip dysplasia and ear infections. This breed is known to bloat, so make sure to feed it two or three small meals a day instead of a large one. The Bloodhound is also susceptible to stomach cramps and entropion. The Bloodhound will do fine in an apartment as long as it is taken outdoors occasionally and regularly exercised.

AKA: Tervuren, Chien de Berger Belge

Description: The Belgian Tervuren is a muscular and squarely proportioned breed, with a flat skull and a tapered muzzle. It has almond-shaped eyes that are small and dark. The ears stand erect and stand like equilateral triangles on its head. Its nose is black and the teeth meet in a scissors bite.

The chest is deep and reaches down to the elbow. The front legs are straight and parallel to each other. The hindquarters are muscular and looks light. The feet is round and cat-like. The tail is long, feathered, and reaches at least to the hock.

The Belgian Tervuren has a medium- to long-length coat, with a dense undercoat and a straight, black-tipped outercoat. Extra feathering is found on the rump, and on the back of its legs. There is also a ruff around its neck that goes down to the chest.

Dynamics: The Belgian Tervuren is one of the four popular Belgian Sheepdogs. It is an intellegent breed, serious, obedient, and protective. Training it has to be firm, but not harsh, else the dog will be uncooperative. The Belgian Tervuren has to be socialized at an early age because of their strong protective and territorial instincts. It will be able to get along well with children and other household pets. It can be dominant among the other dogs, however.

The Belgian Tervuren is used as police and guard dog but they also make excellent pets. This breed actually thrive on loving companionship. They are alert, watchful, and loyal. This is a very demanding dog, though, and needs a owner who knows how to handle it.

Given time, training, and affection, the Belgian Tervuren will not present any problems. However, when left too long on its own and ignored, it might become restless and destructive. This breed may also display herding behavior such as chasing and running around and nipping at their heels.

Breed Group: Herding

Weight: males 65-75 lbs (29-34 kg), females 60-70 lbs (27-32 kg)

Height: males 24-26 inches (61-66 cm), females 22-24 inches (56-61 cm)

Color: The base color of the Belgian Tervuren ranges from fawn to mahogany. Shades of gray are also accepted by some registries. White markings on the chest, toes, and chin are also common. The breed’s color generally darkens as it grows older.

Country of Origin: The Belgian Tervuren originated in Belgium, named after the Belgian village of Tervuren. It was Brewer M. Corbeel who founded the Belgian Tervuren after his fawn dog was crossed with a black longhaired dog owned by M. Donhieux.

Grooming: Daily combing and brushing is needed in grooming the Belgian Tervuren. Check and clip out mats that form. Cut the hair from between the toes and on the outer ears.

Activities: With its great stack of energy and stamina, the Belgian needs a lot of exercise and regular outdoor activities. This breed excels in herding, police and law enforcement work, drug busts, bomb and gas detection, search and rescue, tracking, obedience, sledding, agility, therapy, guide to the disabled or elderly, and naturally as a companion dog.

Other Info: The Belgian Tervuren has a life expectancy of 12-14 years. It is a generally healthy breed but is prone to minor health concerns such as epilepsy, skin allergies, eye problems, and hip and elbow dysplasia. Excessive shyness and excessive aggressiveness should also be carefully avoided through socialization and training.

The Belgian Tervuren will be fine in an apartment but it has to have its daily exercises and outdoor activities. This breed likes cool climates, but it does well with others.

AKA: Belgian Malinois, Chien de Berger Belge, Belgian Shepherd Malinois, Mechelaar, Mechelse Herder (Mechelse Schelper)

Description: The Belgian Malinois is one of the four Belgian shepherd dogs that originated in Belgium. It is a squarely muscular dog that is well-proportioned and agile. The chest is deep and reaches to the elbow. The front legs are straight and dewclaws may be removed. As for the hind legs, dewclaws has to be removed.

The neck has longer hair compared to the rest of the body, forming a collar around it. Th Malinois also has small dark almond-shaped eyes and triangular ears that stand erect. The skull is flat, the nose black, and the teeth meets in a scissors or level bite.

Dynamics: The Belgian Malinois is a very smart and obedient dog. Like the other Belgian Sheepdogs, it is watchful and has serious and strong protective and territorial instincts. It needs patient and extensive training. The training should not be harsh because the Malinois will become uncooperative in this case.

The Malinois has to be socialized from puppyhood to get along well with children and other animals. Take special care in introducing it with noncanine animals. They are loyal, alert, and instinctively protective, which can make it dominant over other dogs. If left alone, the Malinois will find some ways to amuse itself. It has a lot of energy and may sometimes show herding behavior by chasing and circling around.

Breed Group: Herding

Weight: 55-65 lbs (24-29 kg)

Height: males 24-26 inches (61-66 cm), females 22-24 inches (56-61 cm)

Color: The Malinois’ coat ranges from fawn, red, mahogany, and black, and has black tips, mask, and ears. Some white can sometimes be seen on the chest and feet.

Country of Origin: The Belgian Malinois originated from Belgium and is named after the Belgian city of Malines.

Grooming: Grooming the Malinois is easy because its hair is short. Brush regularly with a bristle brush and bathe only when necessary.

Activities: The Malinois is a working dog with lots of energy. It is used to an activ outdoor life so it needs to have plenty of exercise. It also prefers to be off a leash and run free. Presently, the Belgian Malinois is used at tracking, guarding and protection, narcotics and bomb detection, search and rescue, herding, and pulling sleds or carts.

Other Info: The Malinois has a life expectancy of 12-14 years. It has no major health concerns although it is still prone to skin allergies, eye problems, hip dysplasia, and elbow dysplasia. Excessive shyness or excessive aggressiveness is not good for the Malinois too.

The Belgian Malinois will do okay in an apartment but it has to be sufficiently exercised and taken outdoors from time to time. This breed prefers cool climates but can adapt to others.

AKA: Chien de Berger Belge, Belgian Shepherd Laekenois

Description: One of the four Belgian shepherd dogs, the Laekenois has a unique wire coat that distinguishes it from the other breeds. It has a shaggy and woolly look because its coat can grow up to 2 inches long. The hair is dense and bushy on the tail.

Its body is sturdy, well proportioned, and muscular. The ears look small and set high on the head and the eyes are dark in contrast to the light hair color. The front legs are straight and the feet are round and cat-like. Dewclaws may be removed from the front legs and has to be removed from the hind legs. The skull is flat, the nose black, and the teeth meets in a scissors or level bite.

Dynamics: The Laekenois is the rarest among the four Belgian shepherd dogs. Like the other three, it is serious, smart, and obedient. It also has strong protective and territorial instincts. It needs patient and extensive training. It does not pay to be harsh to the Laekenois because it will only be uncooperative in this case.

The Laekenois has to be socialized from its puppyhood to socialize well with children and people. Take extra care when introducing it to noncanine animals. They are instinctively protective and can be dominant with other dogs.

It is best for a Laekenois if it is given time, attention, and companionship. If left alone, this breed will find ways to amuse itself. It has lots of energy and needs to have something to do most of the time.

Breed Group: Herding

Weight: 55-65 lbs (24-29 kg)

Height: males 24-26 inches (61-66 cm), females 22-24 inches (56-61 cm)

Color: The Laekenois comes in a range from fawn to mahogany with black overlay.

Country of Origin: The Laekenois originated from Belgium. It was once the favored sheep tender and the “dog to have” but is now the rarest among the four Belgian Sheepdogs.

Activities: The Laekenois has lots of energy to dispose of and needs a lot of exercise. It is accustomed to an active outdoor life and prefer to be off a leash and kennel.

Grooming: Grooming the Laekenois takes special attention. The rough, wiry coat has to be trimmed about twice a year. Excess hair should be removed and do not trim to closely to the skin. Use a coarse-toothed comb for grooming. Bathe only when necessary.

Other Info: The Laekenois has a life expectancy of 12-14 years. It has no major health concerns but it is still prone to skin allergies, eye problems, hip dysplasia, and elbow dysplasia. Excessive shyness or excessive aggressiveness is not also good for the Laekenois to have. The Laekenois will do fine in an apartment but it has to be taken out on exercises and daily walks. It is only moderately active indoors and will sometimes sleep outdoors. This breed prefers cool climates, but will be okay to other conditions.