Groenendael dog

Groenendael (Belgian Shepherd Dog)

Other names

Groenendael shepherd, Belgian Groenendael;
AKC: Belgian Sheepdog

Origin

Traits
Weight	Male	25–30 kg (55–66 lb)
	Female	20–25 kg (44–55 lb)
Height	Male	60–66 cm (24–26 in)
	Female	56–62 cm (22–24 in)
Coat	double coat
Color	black
Life span	10-12 years

Classification / standards
FCI	Group 1, Section 1 Sheepdogs #015a	standard
AKC	Herding	standard
ANKC	Group 5 (Working Dogs)	standard
CKC	Group 7-(Herding Dogs)	standard
KC (UK)	Pastoral	standard
NZKC	Working	standard
UKC	Herding Dog	standard

Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris)

The Groenendael (in English, approximately /ˈxroʊnəndɑːl/) is a variety of dog that is included in the Belgian Shepherd breed, but sometimes treated as a distinct breed. The Groenendael is recognized, either as a breed or a variety of the larger breed, by all major kennel clubs, such as the Kennel Club of the UK.^[1] In the American Kennel Club, it is called the Belgian Sheepdog,^[2] a term otherwise synonymous with Belgian Shepherd Dog more broadly.

Description

Like all Belgian Shepherds, the Groenendael is a medium-sized, hard-working, square-proportioned dog, in the sheepdog family.^[2] The Groenendael is recognized by its distinctive black coat.

Appearance

10-year-old Groenendael

The Groenendael should be athletic, strong, imposing, rustic, and balanced in appearance. It should look natural, never as though it has been prepared just for the show ring. Its coat should be profuse, but never look as though it would inhibit the dog's working ability in any way. The colour is always black, with small white markings being allowed on the chest. When being shown, its handler should never have to force it into position; ideally the handler should not have to touch the dog at all.

Size

The Groenendael should be 60–66 centimetres (24–26 in) at the withers for males, and 56–62 centimetres (22–24 in) for females. The weight should be approximately 25–30 kilograms (55–66 lb) for males, and 20–25 kilograms (44–55 lb) for females.

Coat

The Groenendael has a thick, double coat. The texture should be hard and dense, never woolly, silky, frizzy, fine, or wiry. The undercoat should be thick and profuse. In conformation shows, dogs without an undercoat are heavily penalized.

Temperament

A Groenendael at 4 months

The Groenendael is intelligent, active, loyal and quietly affectionate. Groenendaels are not a breed for the faint of heart. However, for those who have plenty of time, energy, confidence and love, they are wonderful friends. Training and socializing is essential. They are wary of strangers and protective. They love children as long as they are introduced to them at an early age. The Groenendael bonds deeply to its people and can live outdoors or in a kennel. It needs to spend time with its family every day and may experience separation anxiety if left alone for long periods of time.

Care

The Groenendael needs a large amount of exercise as a rule. Expect to spend about two hours a day working with it. Exercise should include not only a walk, but also a training session to keep the dog mentally stimulated. These dogs have great "work ethic" and need a job to do, such as obedience, flyball, schutzhund training, dog agility or livestock work in order to be happy. They are a sensitive breed and cannot be trained using harsh training methods. They do not need much grooming, however when shedding (which happens once or twice a year) they lose massive amounts of coat and need grooming every day.

Health

Activities

Belgian Shepherds can compete in dog agility trials, obedience, showmanship, flyball, tracking, and herding events. Herding instincts and trainability can be measured at non-competitive herding tests. Groenendael exhibiting basic herding instincts can be trained to compete in herding trials.^[3] One of the basic activities of the Belgian Shepherd was guarding the flock. This make that the Belgian shepherd is extremely useful for protection purposes. The Malinois is famous for its IPO or Police-dog performance, but the Groenendael can also be used for this purpose.

References

↑ "Belgian Shepherd Dog (Groenendael)". TheKennelClub.org.uk. London: The Kennel Club. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
1 2 "Belgian Sheepdog in AKC". AKC.org. American Kennel Club. Archived from the original on 8 July 2008. Retrieved 25 June 2008.
↑ Hartnagle-Taylor, Jeanne Joy; Taylor, Ty (2010). Stockdog Savvy. Alpine Publications. ISBN 978-1-57779-106-5.

External links

Groenendael dog at DMOZ

Pastoral dogs

Herding and droving dogs	Australian Cattle Dog Australian Kelpie Australian Shepherd Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog Basque Shepherd Dog Bearded Collie Beauceron Belgian Shepherd Dog (Groenendael) Belgian Shepherd Dog (Laekenois) Belgian Shepherd Dog (Malinois) Belgian Shepherd Dog (Tervuren) Bergamasco Berger Picard Black Mouth Cur Blue Lacy Bohemian Shepherd Border Collie Bouvier des Flandres Briard Can de Chira Cão da Serra de Aires Carea Castellano Manchego Carea Leonés Catahoula Bulldog Catahoula Leopard Dog Catalan Sheepdog Collie Collie (Smooth) Croatian Sheepdog Cumberland Sheepdog Dutch Shepherd Dog English Shepherd Farm Collie Finnish Lapphund Galician Palleiro Garafian Shepherd German Shepherd Huntaway Icelandic Sheepdog King Shepherd Koolie Lancashire Heeler Lapponian Herder Magellan sheep dog McNab Miniature American Shepherd Miniature Australian Shepherd Mucuchies Mudi New Zealand Heading Dog Norwegian Buhund Old English Sheepdog Old German Herding Dogs (Altdeutsche) Polish Lowland Sheepdog Puli Pumi Pyrenean Shepherd Reindeer Herder Rough Collie Samoyed Sardinian Sheperd Dog Schapendoes Schipperke Scotch Collie Shetland Sheepdog Smithfield Spanish Water Dog Swedish Lapphund Swedish Vallhund Tibetan Terrier Welsh Corgi (Cardigan) Welsh Corgi (Pembroke) Welsh Sheepdog White Shepherd

Livestock guardian dogs	Aidi or Atlas Mountain Dog Akbash Dog or Turkish Akbash Dog Anatolian Shepherd Armenian mountain dog a/k/a Armenian wolfhound Bucovina Shepherd Dog Bernese Mountain Dog Cão de Castro Laboreiro Cão de Gado Transmontano Cão Fila de São Miguel Carpathian Shepherd Dog Caucasian Shepherd Dog Central Asian Shepherd Dog Estrela Mountain Dog Gaddi Kutta Georgian Shepherd Great Pyrenees Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Greek Shepherd Himalayan Sheepdog Hovawart Kuchi (dog) Kumaon Mastiff or Indian Sindh Mastiff Kangal Dog Karakachan Karst Shepherd Komondor Kuvasz Landseer Leonberger Majorca Shepherd Dog Maremma Sheepdog or Italian Abruzzese Sheepdog Mioritic Perro Majorero Polish Tatra Sheepdog Puli Pyrenean Mastiff Rafeiro do Alentejo Šarplaninac Slovak Cuvac South Russian Ovcharka Spanish Mastiff Tibetan Mastiff Tornjak

Dogs originating in Belgium

Extant	Belgian Shepherd Groenendael dog Laekenois dog Malinois dog Tervuren dog Bloodhound Bichon Frisé Bouvier des Flandres Bouvier des Ardennes Griffon Bruxellois Schipperke

Extinct	Talbot Bullenbeisser

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