Belgian Shepherd Laekenois – Sharp, Affectionate and Brave

Beligian Shepherd Laekenois is simply Laekenois is an elegant, medium-sized, square shaped, well-proportioned dog. He has an elegant robustness and can resist inclement weather and atmospheric changes. He is known for his elegance and great expression which denotes its strength of character.

History

The dog owes its name from the place where it is originated (Royal Castle of Laeken). It was basically a herding dog and it was also used to guard the linen placed outdoors on in open fields. It is considered as the rarest and the oldest species. Till the time of the dog shows in the early 1900s, the four different varieties of this dog were freely intermixed. They are distinguished on the basis of only three genes (Fawn/black coat, smooth/wire coat, short/long coat). Purebred lines give birth to the smooth-coated puppies which can be registered as Malinois.

Appearance

Laekenois is a medium-sized, square-proportioned and hard-working dog in the sheepdog family and have erect sharp, triangular ears. It is recognized by its white and wholly brown coat that is intermixed to give a casual appearance to the breed. It is little-known but it has long lean head with prick ears and a square shaped body with a rough coat. It has fawn, red, grayish tones that make him look fantastic. He has intelligent and sharp express and remains ready for the action always.

Activities

The breed is considered to be an agile, very active, obedient and good at herding and tracking events. They have basic herding instincts and can be trained for the same. They are medium sized and a defensive personality.

Health Issues

It is a strong and robust breed and maintains a good health throughout their lives. They tend to gain weight as they age and hence you should be careful with their diet at the growing age. As with the other breeds, a Belgian Laekenois’s ears should be checked on a regular basis for the signs of infection and their teeth should be brushed regularly.

Overview

It is an elegant, well-proportioned, medium-sized dog that is square in shape. It is robust and can withstand extreme weather conditions and changes in the atmosphere frequently. His elegance and expression denotes a well-defined strength of character and remains highly active all the time. His energy should be utilized. This is a strong and robust dog which is recognized by its grayish tones. The black muzzle of the dog points out the keen expression of the dog. It has intelligent, dark, almond shaped eyes and proves to be a good guide for the property of his master. They are very affectionate towards the people that they know well. Their coat needs to be brushed on a regular basis and they need occasional bathing.

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Behaviour

It is a smart, alert, brave and devoted breed of the dog which is protective towards its family and property. The dog is affectionate, friendly and warm towards their family members. They are highly attentive and keep a vigilant eye for the strangers. They cannot be fearful, shy or vicious.

Grooming

The occasional bath of the Beligian Laekenois keeps it clean and makes it looking best however, you need to keep in mind that they have fast growing nails which need to be trimmed regularly with nail clippers or grinders to avoid cracking and splitting. Their ears should also be checked on a regular basis to check for the wax deposition and debris. Teeth should be brushed on a regular basis.

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Belgian Shepherd Laekenois Quick Facts

1. The dog has a squarish and muscular body that he carries proudly. He has deep dark, brown and intelligent eyes, wiry coat and has erect triangular ears.
2. They never seem to exhaust or tire and move with a smooth gait. They have herding instincts and move in circles generally.

Exercise

You should understand that these dog would not going to be happy if they need to sit down for long hours as it is not in their genes. They are brimming with energy and have a very active lifestyle. So, you need to train them in a right way and need to indulge them in active lifestyle. The more work they have the more they will be happy. You need to make them socialize in the early days of their lives and utilize their energy in a positive way. They are reserved to the strangers but very playful with the people they know well. It needs exercise or certain type of activities daily.

Training

As mentioned that they are to be taught socialization in early days of their life. Puppy training classes are hence very important for them to make them teach good habits and behavior. The early training of the dog also helps establish a bond between the master and the owner. Once they are trained well, they can turn out to be perfectly obedient and lovable dogs. They are very intelligent and quick to grab the things they are made to learn.