Tervuren: breed description and content

Among other subspecies of shepherd dogs, the Tervuren breed immediately catches the eye, since it has the most expressive appearance. This dog just has a magnificent rich color coat, strong body and stunningly beautiful almond-shaped and kind eyes. Like other types of shepherd dogs, the tervuren is a strong, quite hardy and very intelligent dog.

The breed was born back in 1891. It was then that a veterinarian named Adolph Riyul decided to breed an individual that was to become the national pride of Belgium. To do this, he chose dogs of almost the same size, but with a different color and special types of coat.

The very first standard appeared in 1907. According to it, the Belgian dogs were divided into 4 subspecies - each of them got the name of the city in which it was bred.

At first, these dogs were used as shepherds, during the war, the field of their use increased significantly - excellent messengers came out of dogs of this breed, they were also used as watchmen, as well as sled dogs and even draft dogs.

Tervurens are very large dogs. Their height differs depending on the specific sex - in males it is 60-65 cm, in bitches - 55-62 cm. Males weigh about 25-30 kg, females - up to 25 kg.

This dog has a proud carriage, proportionally developed, has a luxurious "fur coat". At just one glance at her, you can understand that this is a beautiful and very confident pet.

The standard contains a complete description of this breed.

• The head is very beautiful, the muzzle is refined, narrowed towards the nose, with clear outlines. The skull is of medium parameters, the nose is straight, the lobe is enlarged with dilated nostrils.
• The lips are very thin, painted black. Strong and perfectly developed jaw, with a set of large, white and even teeth.
• The eyes are not very large, most often almond-shaped, but they are also oval in shape, have a special depth and fit. The iris is dark brown. The dog always looks straight, very attentively, a lively brilliance and intelligence is visible in the eyes.
• The ears are in the shape of a triangle, are erect, set high, turned slightly forward.
• The neck is elongated, very strong, as it is covered with prominent muscles, it is significantly widened towards the body.
• The body is light, elongated, proportionally developed, with a well-visible withers and muscular back. The rib cage is of medium width and well defined.
• The belly is not very lean, while it clearly does not sag. The croup is moderately wide, there is an insignificant slope.
• The tail is long, very fluffy. It has a straight shape or curvature almost imperceptible to the eye. It does not rise high even with significant overexcitation and does not take the shape of a hook.
• The limbs are proportional and straight, not very long, but muscular. Feet are compact and oval. The pads are very firm, with strong black nails.
• The coat of Tervuren is thick, elongated, smooth, with a medium soft texture. Such an abundant coat allows to form the most striking appearance of these dogs, it gives them a rich "collar" on the neck and feathers on the chest, belly and limbs.
• Dogs have a thick and quite dense undercoat that protects them from the cold.

The standards set specific color restrictions and only recognize a few variations. The most preferable is the reddish-coal color, without an overabundance of black wool, not washed out, moderately warm.

Small whitish marks on the chest and paws in such a case are allowed, however, it is better that they are not there, because with them the breed loses its unique exterior.

Like other types of shepherd dogs, tervurens have a very high intelligence, they are able to easily make their own speed decisions and do any work they can. Previously, they more than successfully performed all kinds of functions on farms, today these dogs can even be seen in the police service.

They make excellent guides. This kind of versatility in activity is associated with a certain set of genetic characteristics of the breed and their increased ability to acquire new skills. Tervurens constantly lived next to a person, for this reason they do not show innate aggression towards people around them.

Such a dog can become quite attached to the owner. Tervuren will not be able to do without active communication and constant contact for a long time. This dog is distinguished by an extremely subtle organization of the soul, therefore he can even be jealous, sometimes prone to committing impulsive offenses and it will be hard to experience rudeness or punishment.

All dogs are perfectly trainable, attentive, instantly memorize different commands. However, they are desperately brave and prone to committing courageous deeds.

Tervuren is a reliable defender and will responsibly guard your home, he will carefully monitor the protected object. At the same time, the dog is rarely happy with strangers and in some situations will be very negative about guests in the owner's house.

Tervuren can easily be left with other pets - both dogs and cats, but only if he has successfully completed a course in socialization skills. If a dog from childhood will be taught to "communicate" with other representatives of the animal world, then, having already matured, he will begin to treat these individuals very anxiously.

Even in a city apartment, the dog will not stop performing its functions of a shepherd, he will vigilantly monitor the movements of all family members, and if necessary, he will direct those who have lost their way.

If you have long wanted to buy a puppy of this unique breed for yourself, first weigh the pros and cons well. This is necessary for you to realize that full development and correct upbringing are vital for this breed. And you will have to spend extra time and money on this.

The puppy can be taken away from the mother when he is 10-14 weeks old, at this age the baby is already quite independent and can even learn his very first skills in upbringing.

It is best to buy a dog from an official kennel or from a breeder with good references. This will give you a 100% guarantee that you have bought a thoroughbred and healthy pet.

When buying, you should familiarize yourself with all the documents provided for the puppy: he must have a pedigree, a puppy card, a card with information about vaccines. You may also be offered to see the parents of your future four-legged friend, or at least one of them, so that you can imagine what your tervuren will look like as an adult.

The more titles the puppy's parents have and the larger the nursery, where you get it from, the higher the cost of the pet will be. The price can be made up of the individual characteristics of the puppy, and its future prospects will also be taken into account.

Puppies of the Belgian breed are distinguished by increased mobility, activity and curiosity, therefore you will need to remove all dangerous things even before the pet begins to live in your house.

This breed is just great for keeping in an aviary, with frequent walks in the yard and outside. But sometimes the owners decide to have such a dog in an ordinary city apartment. In this case, they should be ready for constant intense shedding of the dog and frequent walks, which can take more than one hour, as well as exercises on a specially designated area for dogs.

This type of shepherd dog is awarded by the nature of a stunning-looking wool coat - long and smooth, very voluminous, and in order for the dog to retain its beautiful appearance, its owner will have to try very hard. Tervurens actively molt twice a year. During these periods of time, the pet will have to be constantly combed out - up to 7 times a week. The rest of the time, the combing procedure can be carried out about 2-3 times in the same period of time.

Tervurenins are not clipped, but the hair that grows between their toes will have to be removed. Dogs are rarely bathed, only when there is a special need. Excessively frequent washing can badly affect the appearance of thick hair and the condition of the skin.

Dogs' eyes and lips should be examined carefully every week. But the teeth will require special attention, since this breed often exhibits plaque and calculus on the teeth. The pet's teeth will have to be cleaned every other day, in addition, it is worth treating the dog with dental treats and buying special toys.

Driving a dog is a must for preventive examinations at the veterinary clinic, make vaccines on time and regularly remove worms, which will avoid all kinds of diseases in your pet.

The Belgian Shepherd is a fairly powerful and large animal. In order for a healthy dog ​​to grow out of a puppy, you need to pay special attention to the nutrition of your pet. It is imperative that your dog gets the right amount of animal proteinso you will have to feed him raw beef that is boneless and has no veins. At the same time, the product is cut into small pieces.

The dog's diet should include ocean fish. It is better to give beef together with vegetables - carrots, zucchini or pumpkin, as well as cabbage. Cereals, by the way, will not be considered an obligatory food for this dog. But if he likes you can cook for your dog buckwheat porridge seasoned with oil.

Fermented milk products - cottage cheese, yogurt, kefir - all without harmful additives will also be useful for pet's digestion. You will also need to take vitamin and mineral complexes.

Alternative dry food can also be used. It must be chosen based on the age of the pet and the state of health. It is best to purchase premium food as it is made for large and active dog breeds.

Tervurens are quite capable of learning, differ in intelligence, and sometimes in independence. Because of this, they sometimes have problems with training. That is why it is so important to start teaching your pet early, while showing the firmness of your character, but without influencing the dog with rude shouts.

Quite often, people who do not yet know the temperament of this shepherd are unforgivably mistaken, constantly punishing their pet. In this case, you will quickly turn the dog into a cowardly animal, because of your ineptitude, it will lose its innate courage and exceptional fearlessness.

Before you start practicing with your four-legged friend, it is best to first have a good frolic, give your pet plenty of running and jumping. Training should not be of the same type, otherwise your pet will quickly lose all interest in the training process... It is necessary to diversify these activities to the maximum, to warm up the pet's interest in training every day.

All "Belgians" are also considered working breeds, which means that standard walking and regular training may not be enough for them for leisure. If your tervuren is not busy with work, you should consider actively participating with him in some prestigious dog competition. These individuals can be successful in many sports, and in agility they have no equal at all.

It is important to properly socialize your dog and you need to do this early.

• A grown-up pet should calmly react to people, and for this you can often take the puppy for a walk in places where there are a lot of people, while it is forbidden for others to tease or frighten your dog, thereby provoking him to aggressive behavior.
• The pet should be taught to communicate with other dogs - in no case should he be afraid of them or show unmotivated anger towards them. Experts advise taking the Tervuren out for a walk on dog walking grounds as often as possible.

It is necessary from childhood to teach the dog to various hygienic measures - to combing, neat clipping of nails, to bathing. All these procedures should not cause a violent protest from him. Even if your dog does not like any of these procedures, he must obey you unquestioningly.

Belgian breeds are excellent aports and can be taught to perform even very complex trick elements. If you practice with your dog regularly, you will soon be able to achieve truly amazing results from him.

For the characteristics of the breed, see the video below.