Traits, Personality and Behavior
The Belgian Sheepdog has an intense desire to be with his people and will follow them around. He is alert and watchful, but he also has a playful side. He should never be fearful, shy or aggressive. He is an excellent watchdog and has the size and ability to be protective if needed.
The ideal Belgian Sheepdog has parents with good temperaments and has been socialized from an early age to be accepting of people to whom he is introduced. Those elements, combined with companion dog training, will help him to become a discriminating dog who can make appropriate decisions about when to escalate to protective status.
When the Belgian Sheepdog is raised with children, he can be good with them. He is best suited to a home with older children who understand how to handle him respectfully. Don't forget that he is a herding breed and may have the tendency to chase or nip at children. This should never be permitted.
The Belgian Shepherd may or may not get along with cats. He has a strong prey drive and will likely chase cats or other small furry animals outdoors, but some Belgian Shepherds get along well with indoor cats if they have been raised with them.
The Belgian Sheepdog has high energy levels and needs much more activity than a simple walk around the block. Choose this breed only if you are a high-energy person yourself who enjoys active daily exercise such as running, bicycling and hiking and can take your dog with you. He's also well suited to just about any dog sport or activity you can teach, including agility, flyball, herding, obedience, rally, search and rescue, and tracking.
Begin socialization and training early to make the most of the Belgian Sheepdog's intelligence, rapid learning ability and drive. He is sensitive to harsh corrections. Be firm, fair and consistent, and use positive reinforcement techniques such as praise, play and food rewards.
If your home has a yard, it should be securely fenced to prevent the dog from leaving the premises as well as to prevent strange dogs and other animals from coming onto the property and causing trouble. That doesn't mean an underground electronic fence. If the Belgian Sheepdog wants to leave the yard, a shock isn't going to stop him. Nor does this type of fence prevent other dogs from coming onto your property.
The Belgian Sheepdog's double coat sheds dirt, but he will need at least a weekly brushing to remove dead hair. Grooming tools to have on hand are a medium-size pin brush, slicker brush, undercoat rake and a mat comb. He does shed once or twice a year and will need more frequent brushing during those times to control the amount of loose hair floating around your house. There will be lots of it!
He shouldn't need a bath very often unless he rolls in something stinky, but warm baths during shedding season can help remove dead hair. Trim his nails as needed--weekly for puppies and monthly in most cases for adults--trim the hair between the paw pads, and keep the ears clean and dry to prevent infections. Good dental hygiene is also important.
This is an indoor/outdoor dog. While the Belgian Sheepdog should certainly have access to a securely fenced yard where he can run in large, sweeping circles as if he were herding a flock, he should be with his family when they are home.
Health Issues Common to Belgian Sheepdog
All purebred dogs have the potential to develop genetic health problems, just as all people have the potential to inherit a particular disease. Run, don't walk, from any breeder who does not offer a health guarantee on puppies, who tells you that the breed is 100 percent healthy and has no known problems, or who tells you that her puppies are isolated from the main part of the household for health reasons. A reputable breeder will be honest and open about health problems in the breed and the incidence with which they occur in her lines.
Belgian Sheepdog have some health conditions that can be a concern, especially if you aren't cautious about whom you buy from. They include hip and elbow dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, cataracts, cancer, epilepsy, autoimmune thyroiditis and retained testicles.
The Belgian Sheepdog Club of America, which is the American Kennel Club parent organization for the breed in the United States, participates in the Canine Health Information Center Program. For a Belgian Sheepdog to achieve CHIC certification, he must have OFA or PennHIP certification for hips, an OFA clearance for elbows and an eye clearance from the Canine Eye Registry Foundation. Breeders must agree to have all test results, positive or negative, published in the CHIC database.
You can check CHIC's website to see if a breeder's dogs have these certifications. The BSCA's Code of Ethics also recommends that breeders obtain an OFA thyroid clearance and says that Belgian Sheepdogs who have had seizures or who have a retained testicle must not be used for breeding.
Do not purchase a puppy from a breeder who cannot provide you with written documentation that the parents were cleared of health problems that affect the breed. Having the dogs "vet checked" is not a substitute for genetic health testing.
| Condition | Risk Profile | Cost to Diagnose and Treat |
|---|---|---|
| Hip Dysplasia | Medium | $1,500-$6,000 |
| Elbow Dysplasia | Medium | $1,500-$4,000 |
| Cataracts | Medium | $1,500-$5,000 |
| Cryptorchidism | Medium | $200-$500 |
| Sebaceous Adenitis | Medium | $200-$600 |
5 Tips to Bring Home a Healthy Belgian Sheepdog Puppy
Finding a good breeder is more important than finding the right puppy. A good breeder will match you with the right puppy, and will without question have done all the health certifications necessary to screen out health problems as much as possible. A list of breeders, can be found on the website of the Belgian Sheepdog Club of America.
Consider an adult dog from a shelter or a rescue group. Many of the health problems in Belgian Sheepdog aren't apparent in puppyhood, but by adopting an adult dog, most of them can be ruled out. Since a Belgian Sheepdog can live to be 12 to 14 years old, even an adult dog will be with your family for a long time.
Puppy or adult, take your Belgian Sheepdog to your veterinarian soon after adoption. Your veterinarian will be able to spot visible problems and will work with you to set up a preventive regimen that will help you avoid many health issues.
Don't ever, ever, ever buy a puppy from a pet store or Internet site that offers many breeds and popular mixes, or that ships with no questions asked. If you buy a puppy from these sources, you'll be more likely to get an unhealthy, unsocialized and difficult to house-train puppy and will be supporting the cruelty of high-volume puppy mills.
Make sure you have a good contract with the seller, shelter or rescue group that spells out responsibilities on both sides. In states with "puppy lemon laws," be sure you and the person you get the dog from both understand your rights and recourses.
Pet Insurance for Belgian Sheepdog
Pet insurance for Belgian Sheepdogs costs more than for mixed breed dogs. This is because Belgian Sheepdogs are more likely than mixed breed dogs to require claims for genetic conditions that are expensive to treat.
Embrace dog insurance plans offer full coverage for all breed-specific conditions (excluding those that are pre-existing) to which Belgian Sheepdogs are susceptible. The best time to get pet insurance for your Belgian Sheepdog is when he's a healthy puppy. You can't predict what will happen in the future, and pet insurance is the one thing you can't get when you need it the most.