The Basics

There are 4 breeds or varieties of the Belgian Shepherd or Belgian Sheepdog.

Belgian Tervuren - the long-coated fawn and black
Belgian Groenendael aka Belgian Sheepdog - the long-coated black
Belgian Malinios - the short-coated fawn
Belgian Laekenios- the wire-coated fawn

The Belgian Shepherd breeds began in the 1890's and were named for the towns/areas of origination. The American Kennel Club defines them as separate breeds. The AKC is just beginning to recognize the Belgian Laekenios as a breed. Most other countries and breed associations define the four as varieties of the Belgian Shepherd.

Belgians are known to be a "do it all" dog. They are used for Search and Rescue, herding, law enforcement, performance sports and even a sled dog team.

This is not a breed for everyone. Belgians are smart, athletic, challenging, need lots of mental and physical exercise, bond tightly with their humans, must be socialized a lot as a pup, respond best when treated with respect and are known to have a sense of humor.

Additional Information is available at http://www.akc.org/ or the individual breed club sites.

American Belgian Tervuren Club - http://www.abtc.org/

American Belgian Malinios Club - http://malinoisclub.com/

Belgian Sheepdog Club of America - http://www.bsca.info/

American Belgian Laekenois Association - http://www.belgianlaekenoisclub.us/