Laekenois dog

Laekenois (Belgian Shepherd Dog)
Other names Belgian Laekenois
Belgian Shepherd Dog (Laeken)
Chien de Berger Belge
Origin Belgium
Traits
Weight Male 25–30 kg (55–66 lb)
Female 20–25 kg (44–55 lb)
Height Male 61–66 cm (24–26 in)
Female 56–61 cm (22–24 in)
Coat rough. medium length
Colour light fawn to red brown with black shading
Life span 10-12 years
Classification / standards
FCI Group 1, Section 1 Sheepdogs #015b standard
AKC Miscellaneous standard
The AKC Foundation Stock Service (FSS) is an optional recording service for purebred dogs that are not yet eligible for AKC registration.
The AKC Miscellaneous class is for breeds working towards full AKC recognition.
ANKC Group 5 (Working Dogs) standard
CKC Group 7 - Herding Dogs standard
KC (UK) Pastoral standard
NZKC Working standard
UKC Herding Dogs standard
Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris)

The Laekenois is a breed of dog, sometimes classified as a variety of the Belgian Shepherd rather than as a separate breed. "Laekenois" is pronounced /ˈlækᵻnwɑː/ LAK-in-wah.[1] This breed is not fully recognized in the United States. However, they can be shown in Britain, Canada, Australia, and throughout Europe, along with all three of the closely related breeds which share a heritage with the Laekenois: the Tervuren, the Malinois, and the Groenendael, the last being shown in the U.S. as the Belgian Sheepdog.

Appearance

Like all Belgian Shepherds, the Laekenois is a medium-sized, hard-working, square-proportioned dog in the sheepdog family with sharply triangular ears. The Laekenois is recognized by its woolly brown and white coat, intermixed so as to give a tweedy appearance. Most kennel clubs' standards allow for black shading, principally in muzzle and tail, indicating the presence of the melanistic mask gene.

History

The Belgian Laekenois originated as a dog for herding sheep at the Royal Castle of Laeken.[2] Besides its role as a herding dog, this breed is also used to guard linen that is placed in fields to dry. In the First and Second World War, the Laekenois was used a messenger dog .[3]

The Laekenois is considered both the oldest and the most rare of the Belgian Shepherd Dogs. Until the advent of dog shows in the early 1900s, the four varieties were freely intermixed, in fact, there are only three genes (short/long coat, smooth/wire coat, fawn/black coat) that separate the varieties genetically. Purebred Laekenois occasionally give birth to smooth-coated puppies, which, depending on the pure-bred registry, can be registered as Malinois.

The Laekenois is currently in the American Kennel Club's Miscellaneous Class and is assigned the Herding Group.[4]

Health

See Health section of Belgian Shepherd for more information.

Activities

Laekenois can compete in dog agility trials, obedience, showmanship, flyball, tracking, and herding events. Herding instincts and trainability can be measured at noncompetitive herding tests. Belgian Shepherds exhibiting basic herding instincts can be trained to compete in herding trials.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "AKC MEET THE BREEDS®: Belgian Laekenois". Retrieved 11 September 2011.
  2. ↑ "Belgian Shepherd Dog". Archived from the original on 8 October 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-23.
  3. ↑ "American Belgian Laekenois Association History". Retrieved 11 September 2011.
  4. ↑ "Belgian Laekenois Did You Know?". Retrieved 11 September 2011.
  5. ↑ Hartnagle-Taylor, Jeanne Joy; Taylor, Ty (2010). Stockdog Savvy. Alpine Publications. ISBN 978-1-57779-106-5.

See also

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