FCI-Standard No 15/ 19.04.2002 /GB
BELGIAN SHEPHERD DOG
(Chien
de Berger Belge)
TRANSLATION: Mrs. Jeans-Brown, revised by Dr. R. Pollet.
ORIGIN: Belgium.
DATE
OF PUBLICATION OF ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD:
22.06.2001.
UTILISATION: Originally a sheep dog, today a working dog (guarding, defence,
tracking, etc.) and an all-purpose service dog, as well as a family dog.
CLASSIFICATION
F.C.I.: Group
1 Sheepdogs and Cattle
Dogs
(except
Swiss Cattle dogs).
Section 1 Sheepdogs.
With working trial.
BRIEF
HISTORICAL SUMMARY: In Belgium, at the end of
the 1800s, there were a great many herding dogs, whose type was varied and
whose coats were extremely dissimilar. In order to rationalise this state of
affairs, some enthusiastic dog fanciers formed a group and sought guidance from
Prof. A. Reul of the Cureghem Veterinary Medical School, whom one must consider
to have been the real pioneer and founder of the breed.
The
breed was officially born between 1891 and 1897. On September 29th,
1891, the Belgian Shepherd Dog Club (Club du Chien de Berger Belge) was founded
in Brussels and in the same year on November 15th in Cureghem,
Professor A. Reul organised a gathering of 117 dogs, which allowed him to carry
out a return and choose the best specimens. In the following years they began a
real programme of selection, carrying out some very close interbreeding
involving a few stud dogs.
By
April 3rd, 1892, a first detailed breed standard had already been
drawn up by the Belgian Shepherd Dog Club. One single breed was allowed, with
three coat varieties. However, as was said at the time, the Belgian Shepherd
only belonged to ordinary people and therefore the breed still lacked status.
As a
result, it wasn’t until 1901 that the first Belgian Shepherds were registered
with the Royal Saint-Hubert Society Stud Book (L.O.S.H.).
During
the following years, the prime movers among the Belgian Shepherd enthusiasts
set to work with great determination to unify the type and correct the faults.
It can be said that by 1910 the type and temperament of the Belgian Shepherd
had been established.
During
the history of the Belgian Shepherd, the question of differing but acceptable
varieties and colours had led to many heated discussions. On the other hand,
anything involving morphology, temperament and suitability for work has never
caused any disagreement.
GENERAL
APPEARANCE: The Belgian Shepherd is a mediolineal dog,
harmoniously proportioned, combining elegance and power, of medium size, with
dry, strong muscle, fitting into a square, rustic, used to the open air life
and built to resist the frequent atmospheric variations of the Belgian climate.
Through
the harmony of its shape and its high head-carriage, the Belgian Shepherd
should give the impression of that elegant strength which has become the
heritage of the selected representatives of a working breed. The Belgian
Shepherd is to be judged in its natural stance, without physical contact with the
handler.
IMPORTANT
PROPORTIONS: The Belgian Shepherd dog can be fitted into a
square. The chest is let down to the level of the elbows. The length of the
muzzle is equal to or slightly longer than half the length of the head.
BEHAVIOUR
/ TEMPERAMENT: The Belgian Shepherd is a
watchful and active dog, bursting with energy,
and always ready to leap into action. As well as its innate skill at
guarding flocks, it also possesses the highly prized qualities of the best
guard dog of property. Without any hesitation it is the stubborn and keen
protector of its owner. It brings together all those qualities necessary for a
shepherd, guard, defence and service dog.
Its
lively, alert temperament and its confident nature, showing no fear or
aggressiveness, should be obvious in its body stance and the proud attentive
expression in its sparkling eyes.
When
judging this breed, one should take into consideration its calm and fearless
temperament.
HEAD: Carried high, long without exaggeration, rectilinear, well chiselled
and dry. Skull and muzzle are roughly equal in length, with at the most a very
slight bias in favour of the muzzle which puts the finishing touch to the whole
head.
CRANIAL
REGION: Of medium width, in proportion with the
length of the head, with a forehead flat rather than round, frontal groove not
very pronounced; in profile, parallel to imaginary line extending muzzle line;
occipital crest little developed; brow ridges and zygomatic arches not
prominent.
Stop: Moderate.
FACIAL
REGION:
Nose: Black.
Muzzle: Medium length and well chiselled under the eyes; narrowing gradually
toward the nose, like an elongated wedge; bridge of the nose straight and
parallel to the continuation of the topline of the forehead; mouth well split,
which means that when the mouth is open the commissures of the lips are pulled
right back, the jaws being well apart.
Lips: Thin, tight and strongly pigmented.
Jaws/teeth: Strong, white teeth, regularly and strongly set in well-developed
jaws. Scissor bite; pincer bite, which is preferred by sheep and livestock
herders, is tolerated. Complete dentition according to the dental formula; the
absence of two premolars 1 (2 P1) is tolerated and the molars 3 (M3) are not
taken into consideration.
Cheeks: dry and quite flat, although muscled.
Eyes: Medium size, neither protruding nor sunken, slightly almond-shaped,
obliquely set, brownish colour, preferably dark; black rimmed eyelids; direct,
lively, intelligent and enquiring look.
Ears: Rather small, set high, distinctly triangular appearance, well-rounded
outer ear, pointed tips, stiff, carried upright and vertical when dog is alert.
NECK: Well standing out, slightly elongated, rather upright, well-muscled,
broadening gradually towards the shoulders, without dewlap, nape slightly
arched.
BODY: Powerful without being heavy; length from point of shoulder to point
of buttock approximately equal to height at withers.
Topline: upper line of back and loins
is straight.
Withers: Pronounced.
Back: firm, short and well-muscled.
Loins: Solid, short, sufficiently broad, well-muscled.
Croup: well-muscled ; only very slightly sloping ; sufficiently
broad but not excessively so.
Chest: little broad, but well let down; upper part of ribs arched; seen from
the front forechest little broad, but without being narrow.
Underline: Begins below the
chest and rises gently in a harmonious curve towards the belly, which is
neither drooping nor tucked up, but slightly raised and moderately developed.
TAIL: Well set on, strong at the base, of medium length, reaching at least to
hock, but preferably further; at rest carried down, with tip curved backwards
at level of hock; more raised when moving,
although without passing the horizontal, the curve towards the tip
becoming more accentuated, without ever at any time forming a hook or
deviation.
LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS:
General
view: Bone solid but not heavy; muscle dry and
strong; front legs upright from all sides and perfectly parallel when seen from
the front.
Shoulder: Shoulder blade long and oblique, well attached, forming a sufficient
angle with the humerus, ideally measuring 110-115 degrees.
Upper
arm: Long and sufficiently oblique.
Elbow: Firm, neither turning out nor tied in.
Forearm: Long and straight.
Wrist
(carpus): very firm and clean.
Front
pastern (metacarpus): Strong and short, as
perpendicular to the ground as possible or only very slightly sloping forward.
Feet: Round, cat feet; toes arched and well closed; pads thick and springy;
nails dark and strong.
HINDQUARTERS:
General
view: Powerful, but not heavy; in profile hindlegs
are upright and seen from behind perfectly parallel.
Upper
thigh: Medium length, broad and strongly muscled.
Stifle: approximately on the plumb line from the hip; normal stifle
angulation.
Lower
thigh: Medium length, broad and muscled.
Hock: Close to the ground, broad and muscled, moderate angulation.
Back
pastern (metatarsus): Solid and short; dewclaws
not desirable.
Feet: may be light oval; toes arched and well closed; pads thick and
springy; nails dark and strong.
GAIT
/ MOVEMENT: Lively and free movement at all gaits; the
Belgian Shepherd is a good galloper but its normal gaits are the walk and
especially the trot; limbs move parallel to the median plane of the body. At
high speed the feet come nearer to the median plane; at the trot the reach is
medium,
the movement even and easy, with good rear drive, and the topline remains tight
while the front legs are not lifted too high. Always on the move, the Belgian
Shepherd seems tireless; its gait is fast, springy and lively. It is capable of
suddenly changing direction at full speed. Due to its exuberant character and
its desire to guard and protect, it has a definite tendency to move in circles.
SKIN: Elastic but taut over all the body; edges of lips and eyelids strongly
pigmented.
COATS
AND VARIETIES: Since the coat varies in
length, direction, appearance and colour among Belgian Shepherds, this
particular point has been adopted as the criterion for distinguishing between
the four varieties of the breed: the Groenendael, the Tervueren, the Malinois
and the Laekenois.
These
four varieties are judged separately and can each be awarded a C.A.C., a
C.A.C.A.B. or a reserve title.
HAIR: In all the varieties the hair must always be dense, close-fitting and
of good texture, with the woolly undercoat forming an excellent protective
covering.
- LONG HAIR: The hair is
short on the head, the outer side of the ears and the lower part of the
legs, except on the rear side of the forearm which is covered from elbow
to wrist by long hairs called fringes. The hair is long and smooth on the
rest of the body and longer and more abundant around the neck and on the
forechest, where it forms a collarette or ruff and a jabot or apron. The
opening of the ear is protected by thick tufts of hair. From the base of
the ear the hair is upright and frames the head. The back of the thighs is
covered with very long abundant hair forming the culottes or breeches. The
tail is furnished with long, abundant hair forming a plume.
The Groenendael and the Tervueren are the long-haired.
- SHORT HAIR: The hair is
very short on the head, the outer sides of the ears and the lower part of
the legs. It is short over the rest of the body and fuller at the tail and
around the neck where it forms a collarette or ruff which begins at the base
of the ear, stretching as far as the throat. As well, the back of the
thighs is fringed with longer hair. The tail is ear of corn shaped, but
does not form a plume.
The Malinois is the short-haired.
- ROUGH HAIR: What
especially characterises the rough hair variety is the roughness and
dryness of the hair, which, moreover, is rasping and tousled. About 6 cm
long over the whole body, the hair is shorter on the top of the muzzle,
the forehead and the legs. The hair around the eyes and those furnishing the
muzzle should not be so long as to disguise the shape of the head.
However, it is essential to have furnishings on the muzzle. The tail
should not form a plume.
The Laekenois is the rough-haired.
COLOUR:
Mask: For Tervueren and Malinois the mask must be very pronounced and tend
to encompass the top and bottom lip, the corners of the lips and the eyelids in
one single black zone. A strict minimum of six points of skin pigmentation is
called for: the two ears, the two upper eyelids and the two lips, upper and
lower, which must be black.
Black
overlay: In Tervueren and Malinois, the black overlay
means that the hairs have a black tip which shades the base colour. This
blackening is in any case “flamed” and must not be present in great patches nor
in real stripes (brindled). In the Laekenois the black shading is more
discreetly expressed.
Groenendael: Only uniform black.
Tervueren: Only fawn with black overlay or grey with black overlay, with black
mask; however, the fawn with black overlay is still preferred. The fawn must be
rich, neither light nor washed-out. Any dog whose coat colour is anything but
fawn with black overlay or does not match the desired intensity of colour
cannot be considered an elite specimen.
Malinois: Only fawn with black overlay and with black mask.
Laekenois: Only fawn with
traces of black overlay, mainly on the muzzle and the tail.
For
all varieties: a small amount of white is tolerated on forechest and toes.
SIZE,
WEIGHT AND MEASUREMENTS:
Height
at withers:
The ideal weight at withers is on average - 62 cm for
males
- 58 cm for females.
Limits:
2 cm less, 4 cm more.
Weight:
Males about 25-30 kg.
Females
about 20-25 kg.
Measurements: Average normal measures for an adult male Belgian Shepherd of 62 cm at
the withers:
- Length of body (from
point of shoulder to point of buttock): 62 cm.
- Length of head: 25 cm.
- Length of muzzle: 12,5
– 13 cm.
FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault
and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact
proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.
- General appearance: Cloddy, lacking elegance; too light or too slender; longer than
high; fitting into a rectangle.
- Head: heavy, too strong, lacking parallelism, not sufficiently
chiselled or dry; forehead too rounded; stop too accentuated or too flat;
muzzle too short or pinched; Roman nose; brow ridges or zygomatic arches
too prominent.
- Nose, lips and eyelids: traces of depigmentation.
- Dentition: badly aligned incisors. Serious fault: lack of one incisor (1 I),
one premolar 2 (1 P2), one premolar 3 (1 P3) or three premolars 1 (3 P1).
- Eyes: light, round.
- Ears: large, long, too broad at the base, set low, carried outward or
inward.
- Neck: slender; short or deep set.
- Body: too long; thoracic cage too broad (cylindrical).
- Withers: flat, low.
- Topline: back and/or loins long, weak, sagging or arched.
- Croup: too sloping, overbuilt.
- Underline: too much or too little let down; too much belly.
- Tail: set too low; carried too high, forming a hook, deviated.
- Limbs: bone too light or too heavy; bad upright stance in profile (e.g.
front pasterns too sloping or weak wrists), from the front (feet turning
in or out, out at elbow, etc.), or from behind (hindlegs too close, too
wide apart or barrel shaped, hocks close or open, etc.); too little or
exaggeratedly angulated.
- Feet: spreading.
- Gait: moving close, too short a stride, too little drive, poor back transmission,
high stepping action.
- Coat: all four varieties: insufficient undercoat.
Groenendael and Tervueren: woolly, wavy, curly
hair; hair not long enough.
Malinois: hair half-long where it should be short;
smooth-haired; harsh hairs scattered in the short coat; wavy coat.
Laekenois: hair too long, silky, wavy, crisp-haired or
short; filled with fine hairs scattered in tufts in the rough hair; hairs too
long around the eye or the lower end of the head (the chin); bushy tail.
- Colour: for all four varieties: white marking on chest forming tie; white
on the feet going beyond toes.
Groenendael:
reddish tinges in the coat; grey breeches.
Tervueren: grey.
Tervuren and
Malinois: brindle; tints not warm enough; not enough or too much black overlay or
set in patches over the body; not enough mask.
Tervueren, Malinois and Laekenois: too light a fawn; a base
colour
which is very diluted, named washed-out, is considered a serious fault.
- Temperament: specimens lacking in self-confidence or overly nervous.
DISQUALIFYING
FAULTS:
- Temperament: aggressive or timid specimens.
- General appearance: lack of breed type.
- Dentition: overshot; undershot, even if contact is not lost (reverse scissor
bite); crossbite; absence of one canine (1 C), one upper carnassial (1 P4)
or lower carnassial (1 M1), one molar (1 M1 -upper jaw- or 1 M2; M3 are
not taken into account), one premolar 3 (1 P3) plus one other tooth or a
total of three teeth (excluding the premolars 1) or more.
- Nose, lips, eyelids: strong depigmentation.
- Ears: drooping or artificially kept erect.
- Tail: missing or shortened, at birth or by docking; carried too high
and ringed or curled.
- Coat: lack of undercoat.
- Colour: any colours which do not correspond with those of the described varieties;
too widespread white markings on forechest, especially if they reach as
far as the neck; white on feet going more than halfway up the front or the
back pasterns and forming socks; white markings anywhere other than
forechest and toes; lack of mask, including a muzzle of lighter colour
than the rest of the coat in Tervueren and Malinois.
- Size: outside the limits laid down.
Any dog clearly showing
physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.
N.B.: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully
descended into the scrotum.
CROSSBREEDING
– MATINGS BETWEEN VARIETIES:
Any
matings between varieties are forbidden, except in exceptional circumstances,
when this ban can be lifted by the appropriate and official breed councils
(Text 1974, drawn up in Paris).