Fuzzy belgians

[AdrianneIsabel]

I loooove the black belgians, they're down right majestic looking.

[Laurelin]

Yeah the black belgians are pretty but I can't turn down a sable dog with a mask.

[Shai]

Originally Posted by Laurelin

Yeah the black belgians are pretty but I can't turn down a sable dog with a mask.

Yeah I like the Tervs a bit better too. Those shaded sable coats are just lovely.

Also, the only dog I've ever had attack mine was a Groenendael so I tend to regard them with suspicion now, especially since no one could figure out the trigger...dog just went nuts. Not condemning the breed, just a kneejerk reaction after a bad experience.

We had attempts-to-attack by both a Lab and a Mal but in both case they were vs. Webster who tended to illicit such responses for a while there, for some reason, and they were male dog on male dog and before the attack Webby was darting and jumping around like a loon which we think set them off (even though he was 80' away and on leash and facing the other direction...) and I saw them coming and could throw the tiny tot on top of a cabinet.

The Groenendael was a different ball of wax and just downright bizarre.

[Red.Apricot]

Oh yeah, the quirky behavior can throw people. Elsie sorts things, steals things, and is constantly trying new and bizarre things. "Oh the human threw the ball? Jumping from one coffee table to the other and over the sofa sounds reasonable. Steal all the forks out of the dish washer one at a time and hide them all over the house? Why not. Put all of Zobby's things in his bed and then put his bed behind the sofa? That'll learn him."

[Aleron]

Originally Posted by Laurelin

Thanks for all that! Is there anything specific someone should look into or know when considering a belgian? I am sure it won't be the next dog if it happens but I'm intrigued.

This site has a good "puppy shopping info" section. It's for Black Dogs but the info would be the same for Tervs.

My suggestion is to look for a breeder who does stuff with their dogs or at least comes from a background of training and competing in things other than conformation. There are exceptions to every rule of course. Also if you aren't interested in AKC conformation, you can look at Terv and Black Dog breeders since Tervs can and do pop up in Black Dog litters.


http://www.kristen.nelson.us/

Originally Posted by Laurelin

I do work full time but lately have been able to start coming home over lunch which is nice. But my dogs right now won't let me have a relaxing evening on work days. Those are only for the weekends.

I definitely was not saying that people who work full time can't or shouldn't have the breed, so I hope that didn't come out that way. If you're ok with devoting your evenings after work to training, exercising and socialization then it can work out just fine. It's just sometimes I talk to people who complain they have a Belgian who is absolutely crazy and will not settle down, only to find that the dog is crated 8+ hours while the person is at work and the person is excepting the dogs to not be crazy and wanting to go-go-o when they get home.

As for color, Black goes with everything

Originally Posted by Red.Apricot

Oh yeah, the quirky behavior can throw people. Elsie sorts things, steals things, and is constantly trying new and bizarre things. "Oh the human threw the ball? Jumping from one coffee table to the other and over the sofa sounds reasonable. Steal all the forks out of the dish washer one at a time and hide them all over the house? Why not. Put all of Zobby's things in his bed and then put his bed behind the sofa? That'll learn him."

LOL they are strange dogs aren't they? I have one who collects stuff. She will pull anything she can onto the couch (toys, leashes, dishes, silverware, shoes, coats, purses...) then lay on it and guard it from the other dogs. Sometimes if one of the dogs has a leash on, she'll grab the leash and try to take it onto the couch, dragging the attached dog with her. And the attached dog believes he is going to be killed because he's getting too close to the couch while the Queen Dog is on it with stuff. Sad but too funny not to laugh.

[BlackPuppy]

I have only met a few Groenendaels, one who is kind of a brat. But I have a friend who breeds Tervurans and they are active/show dogs. She has a hard time placing them because they can be pushy. And also finding an active show home is difficult.

Here are 2 of her puppies from her Adventure litter playing with my Laekenois.



One of those dogs in the photo, grown now, just entered his first show and won a 3-point major! http://www.genesisbelgians.com/

[monkeys23]

The trainer I do clicker stuff with has a Terv and a black dog.
http://www.dogsaflying.com/

Dani has her MACH and stuff and she's looking to title her out in freestyle next. She's 8yrs old. Really awesome girl.

Nick is her young black boy. I totally love him, he is so super sweet and gorgeous! He prefers to play with small dogs over big dogs. I've seen him do some weaves and jumps out at her place and he looks fantastic for how young he is. Granted I know nothing about agility, lol.

[Laurelin]

I'm so sad the terv in Summer's class dropped. She was such a NEAT dog.

I just wish belgians weren't so big.

[BlackPuppy]

Originally Posted by Laurelin

I'm so sad the terv in Summer's class dropped. She was such a NEAT dog.

I just wish belgians weren't so big.

How big is too big? This breed tops out at 24". I call it medium size.

Yes, I'm promoting Dutch Shepherds again. The purebreds are not like the mixes that are bred for dog sport and law enforcement.

This is a long hair Dutch Shepherd male. There are currently 33 purebred long hair in the country. I am showing at an AKC Open show next weekend with some of the long-hairs. The ones I met are sweet, but like Belgians, a little mischevious. They make awesome agility dogs.

But beware! Somebody recently imported a long-hair from France without knowing about pedigrees. The dog has totally unknown parentage on half of it's pedigree and the new owner is really angry.

Oops! Sorry, I have to find another photo that I have permission to use.

Here's a link that should work.

http://home.wanadoo.nl/oscarli/Oscar.htm

[AdrianneIsabel]

You wouldn't want her but my girlfriends malinois is only 30 some lbs.

If you want small they do exist.