The origin of the dog breed Tervuren, the standard of the exterior, character, health, advice on care, interesting facts. Price when buying a puppy of Tervuren breed. Tervuren - probably not every dog lover knows this word. But many have heard about the Belgian shepherd dogs, the representative of the family of which is this fluffy handsome guy with smart eyes. Especially, about their amazing intelligence, extraordinary intelligence, loyalty and devotion. And also strength, endurance, excellent sense of smell and remarkably friendly, but strict and disciplined disposition, making the "Belgian" truly attractive, both as a human companion and as a formidable service shepherd.
The history of the origin of the Belgian Shepherd Tervuren breed
The history of these dogs, like almost all North European shepherd dogs, takes its origins from the yard dogs of the Middle Ages - the Hofovarts, whose main occupations in those distant times were: protecting the property and homes of their owners, and with the development of sheep breeding, grazing and protecting sheep flocks.
Gradually, Hofowarts were mixed with other breeds of dogs imported from other countries, which gradually changed their exterior depending on the climatic and landscape conditions of the region of habitation and the preferences of the owners. Over time, some shepherd dogs acquired such a unique appearance and indisputable advantages for use in a certain area that they became not only famous throughout the district, acquiring their own breed name, but were also a valuable commodity. They were bought, exchanged, taken as spoils of war, presented to ambassadors and overlords, and exported to other states.
And only from the end of the 18th century, when the trend towards universal breed standardization began to gain momentum in cynology in Western Europe, the situation began to change. Every European state and even separate territorially tiny regions of the country sought to declare the existence of their own exclusive and unique dog breed. So it happened with the Belgian Shepherd.
Whoever has owned the territory of modern Belgium during its long history of existence. Starting from ancient Gaul, a small country, by the will of fate, lying at the intersection of European roads, changed hands many times, having consistently visited the Western Roman Empire and the Burgundian Duchy, Spain and the Holy Roman Empire, as well as France and the Netherlands. And every time the new owners left their mark on the culture, life of the local population and even on the exterior of local dogs.
In 1830, the Belgian Revolution broke out, allowing Belgium to finally gain independence. From that moment on, the country began to develop independently, rapidly becoming a developed European power, restoring and reviving the lost national positions in many areas in agriculture.
The revived national animal husbandry and fine-wool sheep breeding in Belgium also required a revision of the attitude towards the Belgian shepherd dogs, which have a rather variegated appearance in the regions. Since the end of the 19th century, their planned breeding began in the country, with strict observance of certain rules, standards and requirements. Professor Adolphe Reul from the Cureghem Veterinary Medical School was headed by cynologists-enthusiasts of the breed formation of shepherd dogs in Belgium.
By that time, there were several already established, established types of the Belgian Shepherd in the country. The best specimens of all these types were brought to Brussels to resolve the issue of species standardization. All existing types of Belgian shepherd dogs with significantly different exteriors were ultimately divided into three subspecies, and over the years - into four categories (varieties): "Laekenois", "Malinois", "Groenendael" (Groenendael) and Tervuren.
Short-haired shepherds were classified as Malinois, wire-haired shepherds as Laekenois; and large long-haired "Belgians" are divided into "Groenendael" - black and "Tervurten" - all other colors (excluding black color). Since then, all these varieties of Belgian herding dogs have been repeatedly divided into separate breeds or, conversely, mixed into one (as it exists in the internationally accepted FCI standard).
Be that as it may, the modern official history of the Belgian Tervurten Shepherd Dog (like all other varieties) dates back to September 29, 1891, when the national Belgian Shepherd Dog Club (Clab du Chien de Berger Belge) under the patronage of the Royal Society of St Hubert. The national breed standard was approved at the general meeting of the Club in April 1892.
The Tervuren breed is named after the small provincial town of Tervuren, located near Brussels. The Tervurens were not the most numerous group among the Belgian Shepherd Dogs. In the 51st LOSH catalog for 1938, the number of dogs of this species does not exceed 30 individuals.
The Second World War (1939–1945) inflicted serious damage on the already small population. It was only by 1968 that the almost lost species was able to be revived. As a separate breed, these cute dogs are registered in the Studbook of the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1959 under the breed name "Belgian Tervuren". And in neighboring Canada, Tervuren dogs are considered only a variety of Belgian Shepherd Dogs (as in FCI). These are the strange things that happen to the Belgian dogs to this day.
Purpose and use of the Tervuren dog
The unique character and service qualities of the Tervuren Shepherd Dog allow it to be a wonderful universal dog, capable not only of confidently coping with the complex functions of a shepherd dog, but also being in demand in law enforcement agencies as a search, guard, search and military service dog.
Tervurens are excellent as sporting dogs competing in dog agility, obedience training or rally obedience.
More and more often a dog of this breed is brought up to guard country houses or as a dog "for the soul", as a companion and friend.
Description of the Tervuren Shepherd Dog Exterior Standard
This animal belongs to the category of the Belgian shepherd dogs of a fairly large size, although against the background of other giants of the canine world it looks like a dog of only medium height. The height at the withers of this "Belgian" is in the range of 60–66 centimeters (for a dog) and 56–63 centimeters (for bitches). The body weight of tervuren is 20–25 kg (in females) and 25–30 kg (in males).
Dog-"Belgian" looks unusually proportional and harmonious, with a proud posture and luxurious fur. She all gives the impression of elegant confidence and graceful strength.
- Head the Tervuren has a beautiful, refined shape, characteristic of most North European Shepherd Dogs. The skull (medium width) and muzzle are harmonious and equal in length (sometimes the dog's muzzle is slightly longer). The muzzle is refined, well-defined, tapering towards the nose. The bridge of the nose is flat, straight, refined, and the nose has wide nostrils. The color of the nose is black. The stop is moderate but noticeable. The lips are dense, thin, without flews, black pigmentation. The jaws are strong with a number of large white teeth (42 teeth). The canines are large. The bite of the jaws resembles the alignment of scissor blades.
- Eyes medium in size, oval to almond shape, normally set in depth and medium set in width. Eye color - dark brown or black. The look is direct, intelligent, attentive, lively and energetic.
- Ears with a high seating position, triangular (almost equilateral triangle) shape, erect, rigid and oriented forward.
- Neck elongated, distinctly muscular, widening conically towards the body, without dewlap.
- Torso Tervuren is strong, muscular (but does not have severity), somewhat elongated in proportion. The withers are well defined. The back is broad, muscular and straight. The ribcage is pronounced, but not too wide. The belly continues the smooth line of the chest, not lean, but not sagging either. The croup is moderately wide and slightly sloping.
- Tail has an average set. Long enough and richly covered with long fur. Its shape is straight with a slightly curved tip (at the level of the hock). Even when the dog is aroused, the tail is never raised or bent.
- Limbs parallel and straight, of medium length, well muscled with strong bone. Feet are rather compact, oval, arched and “tightly knit”, with dense elastic pads and black nails.
- Wool very thick, long, smooth to the touch, excellent structure (not too hard and not too soft). The abundance of wool forms the unique look of the shepherd dog with a rich "collar" around the neck, the presence of beautiful long wool feathers in the chest, underbelly and limbs. There is a thick and fluffy undercoat that allows the dog to easily cope with the cold winter temperatures.
- Color Tervuren wool has several varieties recognized by the standards. First of all, it is a reddish-coal color scheme (the most preferable one), without an excess of black, not washed out and warm. The most valuable is the red-red "with coal" color, gray and brindle are also found. The presence of white spot marks on the chest and limbs (in the lower part) is allowed, but not particularly desirable. White spots lead to a loss of the uniqueness of the exterior. There must be a unique black "mask" located on the face, ears, area of both eyes and lips (8 points in total) and combining all point marks into a single whole.
Belgian Shepherd personality traits
A handsome tervuren is a dog with a rather independent character, energetically balanced temperament and genetically inherent aristocratic behavior. Not a dog, but a real dog-aristocrat in the flesh, with a regal bearing and the same effortlessly graceful manner.
The Belgian Shepherd is a very affectionate and friendly animal to its owners, playful, cheerful and cheerful. But in relation to strangers, she is attentive and vigilant and will never allow them to stroke or pat her ears. How else. After all, a modern tervuren is no longer that provincial shepherd's shepherd dog, but a real service guard dog, successfully coping with its duties both in the army and in the police. Therefore, he is always on the alert and it is not at all easy to earn his friendship.
Tervuren, like all shepherd dogs of the Belgian family, in addition to the overall elegance of the exterior, has a remarkable intellect, quickly navigates in a difficult environment and, in exceptional cases, the dog is capable of making independent decisions. However, when performing his official functions, he relies more on his partner - a person, showing excellent discipline and accuracy in executing commands. Diligence, reliability, responsibility and unquestioning obedience are the main and well-known traits of the Tervuren Shepherd Dog, for which it is loved by both professional dog handlers and ordinary owners.
The Belgian Tervuren is much easier to train than any other breed. Natural resourcefulness and lively curiosity makes him extremely receptive to learning. Therefore, if you are looking for a reliable and loyal dog-friend, with excellent guarding qualities, elegant and intelligent, well-mannered and affectionate, energetic and disciplined, then there can be only one choice here - the Belgian tervuren.
Health of the Tervuren breed
The Tervuren Sheepdog belongs to dogs with fairly good health, but not devoid of hereditary problems.
The main hereditary predispositions are: dysplasia of the hip (less often elbow) joints; osteochondrosis; epilepsy (manifested in middle age); volvulus, cryptorchidism, progressive retinal atrophy of the retina, and posterior polar cataract. However, as breeders note, all these problems now have a relatively low level of manifestation, delivering several times fewer problems than in the old days.
Tervuren's average life span is 10–12 years. But there are many cases when Belgian Shepherds lived to a very old age (for dogs of this size) equal to 14-15 years.
Tips for maintaining and caring for tervuren
Proper care of tervuren, first of all, means taking care of the great long fur of the dog, which must be combed out often and regularly, keeping it clean and tidy. Combing must be done at least 2 times a week, and even more often when molting.
It is better to bathe the dog, guided by the degree of contamination of the coat, or (necessarily) on the eve of a championship or show. After bathing, it is better to dry the thick fur of the animal with a hairdryer until it is completely dry. A wet dog takes too long to dry on its own and can become seriously ill during the cold season.
When keeping a shepherd dog, it must be remembered that historically the Belgian Tervurens were herding dogs, they moved freely and were kept in the open air (for this they are perfectly adapted). Therefore, it is optimal to keep a pet in a spacious aviary equipped with a shelter from the weather or in the courtyard of a country house, securely fenced off with a high fence.
The diet of Tervuren is the most standard, no different from the usual diet of a German or Swiss shepherd.
Interesting facts about the Belgian Shepherd
It is known that the Belgian Shepherd Dogs have long and successfully served in the police of many European countries as sniffer dogs and guard dogs. This has become commonplace and does not surprise anyone.
And the police service among the Belgian shepherds began quite a long time ago, back in 1899, at the initiative of the Chief Police Commissioner of the city of Gent, Mr. E. vom Wesemael. It was this police chief who first decided to create a police dog service, opting for the Belgian Shepherd Dogs.
From March 1899, the first three Belgian beauties began training. By the end of the year, there were already ten dogs. The commissioner regularly published in the press the results of training and the successes of the first police dogs in the city, which popularized not only the breed itself, but also aroused considerable interest among police officers not only in Belgium, but also in other countries.
Two years later, taking into account the positive experience of the city of Ghent in the cities of Louvain, Mons, Saint-Gilles, Malines and Antwerp, police dogs also appeared, based on the Belgian Tervuren. And soon in the cities of France and the Netherlands one could see police patrols with beautiful red-and-black dogs on a leash.
Cost of a puppy of the Belgian Tervuren breed
In Russia, the breed of the Belgian Shepherd has been known for a long time, since Soviet times. But kennels "belgiek" appeared relatively recently - in the late 90s of the last century. The main kennels of the Belgian shepherd dogs are located in Moscow and the Moscow region.
The average price of a Tervuren puppy in Belgium and Germany ranges from 500 to 1500 euros. In Russia, the cost of puppies of this breed (in terms of rubles) is also somewhere at this level.
For more information about the Tervuren breed, see this video:
