Groenendael: breed description and content

Groenendael is a breed of Belgian Shepherd. She is known not only at home, but also earned worldwide recognition. Such dogs are especially popular in Europe, and this is not surprising, because they have excellent qualities and characteristics. Such dogs have an attractive appearance, good-natured disposition, are very attached to the owner and need him. Read more about the features of the breed in our article.

This breed was originally considered a shepherd and originates in the middle of the XVII century. Even at that time, the Groenendals were different from their counterparts. The owners noted the loyalty of their pets, their fearlessness and amazing stamina. In addition, dogs are very intelligent and independent.

Several varieties of Belgian shepherd dogs were presented at the exhibition in the 19th century. A little more than 30 individuals were selected from them - those who, according to the jury, had perfect external data. Shepherd dogs were divided into 4 main types.

The founder of this breed is Nicholas Rose. He was the owner of the restaurants and named the pet after one of them. According to the assurances of compatriots, Groenendaley was very fond of Rose. It was he who kept their first representative - a wonderful dog, who later participated in breeding.

In subsequent years, people tried to bring the breed to perfection, improve its appearance and performance. This desire has yielded good results, and today its representatives are appreciated all over the world.

There are 4 main types of Belgians. They are very similar in character and features. The main difference is in the length of the coat and its color. Almost all over the world, with the exception of the USA, as well as the American Club of Dog Breeding, they are assigned to the same breed. Subspecies are Groenendael, Malinois, Lakenoin and Tervuren. We will examine in more detail in their description.

Groenendael has a long, shiny and soft coat. Her color is exceptionally black. Tervuren is also a long-haired dog, however, in its colors, black, on the contrary, is absent.

Lakenua - wire-haired dogs. They have a fawn color. On the muzzle and tail there are small areas with black hair. Sometimes white tones appear on the chest and legs. Malinois, on the other hand, is distinguished by its short fur; yellow colors predominate in color. On the head is a black mask.

After the Groenendales were considered a separate breed, they began to be used for a wide variety of purposes. Its representatives can often be found in the service of the police, the Ministry of Emergencies or customs. However, over time, people have considered the priceless qualities of such dogs as true friends and excellent companions. Nevertheless, the American Kennel Club considered the Groenendals to be dogs of the working group.

Breeders selected representatives depending on how hardy they were and what working qualities they possessed. Appearance was practically not taken into account. This is due to the fact that, in the first place, the Groenendael is considered a service dog, so there is no need to pay special attention to its exterior.

Regarding standards, Belgians are medium in size and square in body type. They are stacked very proportionally. Dogs are distinguished by a direct and attentive look, are able to focus on one point for a long time. They are very active, well understand the instructions given to them and quickly execute them.

The head of the dogs has a slightly elongated shape with a neat transition from the forehead to the muzzle. Visually, the occipital protuberance is not striking. The spout must be of exclusively black color.

Almond-shaped eyes have a fairly dark brown shade. Triangular erect ears set high on the head, covered with soft wool from the inside.

As for the paws, they are straight and proportional to the size of the body. They are crowned with black claws. The hips are wide and powerful. The tail is acinaciform and not too long, has a narrowing closer to the end.

Deviations from breed standards can be critical for Groenendael. Such representatives are discarded, not allowed for breeding. Also, they cannot take part in exhibitions and shows.

As for growth, deviations are allowed very slight. In the smaller direction they cannot be more than 3 centimeters, and in the larger - more than 4 centimeters. On average, males should be between 60 and 66 centimeters in height. Their weight is from 25 to 30 kilograms. Bitches are slightly smaller in size, from 52 to 60 centimeters and from 20 to 26 kilograms, respectively.

There is shorter hair on the head than on other parts of the body. Representatives of the breed are distinguished by a collar. It is formed from a particularly thick and long coat, which is located around the neck and in the lower part of the chest. As mentioned above, Groenendali have only a uniform black color without interspersing other shades.

These dogs are simply amazing, they found connoisseurs around the world. They have a direct affiliation with the hunters, this is evidenced by their appearance. In addition, they are able to perfectly perform guard functions.Such doggies will become great friends and companions for humans.

Experts recommend carefully consider this breed if the future owner needs a dog for the family. The Groenendals are independent in nature, they may show a tendency to dominate, but aggression is absolutely not characteristic. They are excellent defenders, defend their interests, and are also quite wary of strangers.

They are very friendly towards the kids, hardy and able to endure and take part in games, will never show aggression in response to any actions. At the same time, dogs are able to protect small owners and defend them if necessary.

It is impossible not to note the emotional stability of such dogs. They are very stress-resistant, but tied to the owner. If a person is absent for a long time, they will miss and miss him. Groenendali have excellent intuition. This is expressed in the ability to understand the owner even without words, focusing solely on emotions.

These dogs have excellent hearing and a very sensitive dream, due to which they are considered excellent guards. They will carefully guard the territory and things entrusted to them. As a shepherd’s breed, it can be used to control domestic animals and, if necessary, collect them in schools. Possesses touchiness, hard going through long punishments. In most cases, she will try to please the person and show her feelings, since she is completely dependent on him emotionally.

For lovers of this breed, the choice of a future pet does not present any particular difficulties. It is easy to find a puppy that meets the basic characteristics, the main thing is to determine the place of purchase and trust the previous owner. You should also consider for what purposes a dog is purchased.

If you plan to represent her at exhibitions or engage in breeding, it would be advisable to apply for purchase in specialized nurseries. Yes, maybe the price in them will be slightly higher than when buying from hand, but along with this, certain guarantees are provided. In such institutions, they honestly report on the pedigree and the state of health of the baby. On average, the cost of a Groenendael puppy is from 35 to 50 thousand rubles. Representatives of the show class will cost more, their price starts from 50 thousand rubles.

As for the purchase of ads, this event is considered quite risky. Naturally, the price will be lower, and, possibly, significantly. However, there is no guarantee that a purebred representative of the breed will be acquired. There is also a risk of buying a pet that has health problems and congenital pathologies. It may not comply with certain standards.

Be that as it may, in any case, the first thing to do is carefully check the necessary documents, see the passports of the puppy's parents. Familiarity with mom and her cubs is also very important. If possible, you can show the baby to a veterinarian who will evaluate his health status and other indicators.

In order for the dog to be educated and intelligent, they must be dealt with from a tender age. This applies to training, its absence threatens to cause problems in the future.

If the breeder is not too conscientious, he can ignore this moment, relying solely on a good pedigree. This threatens that the teenage puppy will be rude and even a little wild, which will require a long rehabilitation.

However, the elimination of some problems will not help even working with a competent dog handler. therefore It is very important to get a future pet in a safe place that has a good reputation. Such kennels, as a rule, do not leave their dog owners alone with questions that arise and are ready to give professional advice in the future.

Since the Groenendals are, in fact, a shepherd’s breed, they were not spoiled from the very beginning by the gentle conditions of detention and careful care. However, we must not forget that they belong to long-haired dogs, which imposes certain obligations. Appearance mainly depends on how competently the dog’s diet is composed, we’ll talk about this in more detail.

As for leaving, one of its most important aspects is combing. This item cannot be ignored. Dogs of this breed have a rather long coat, which without timely combing will take on a completely non-marketable appearance, roll up and be decorated with tangles. This is dangerous because dirt will accumulate in the hairs, which, in turn, can lead to serious skin problems.

These dogs feel best in a private house. As for the content in the apartment, it is also quite realistic, provided that the active animal will have enough free space. It is necessary to purchase and periodically change dog toys, otherwise things such as the remote control from the TV, slippers and much more will appear in their quality. In this case, the dog should not be blamed, as this is entirely the result of a lack of attention.

In this case, sofa content is unacceptable, therefore it is recommended to start dogs of this breed for people who move a lot and do not sit in one place. These dogs are different excellent health, with proper care, they are practically not susceptible to diseases of various kinds. However, this does not cancel mandatory vaccination. In addition, it will be necessary to carry out some hygiene procedures on time, for example, cutting nails, cleaning ears and eyes, and also monitoring the condition of the teeth and gums of the pet.

In order for the coat to be healthy and look great, it is necessary to take care of the proper and varied nutrition of the pet. In the absence of a properly composed diet, no hygienic and cosmetic procedures will help. The main thing is that fresh food is present in the food. Food additives that can give the body the necessary amount of minerals and vitamins will also be useful.

In natural nutrition, it is necessary to monitor the presence of carbohydrates, proteins, vegetable and animal fats. Dog diets should be meat products, sea fish, eggs and greens, vegetables, cereals and dairy products. Also, the dog should always be available. fresh and clear water.

Such dogs should not be given chicken bones. They are perfectly replaced by store bones from veins. Also, pickles and sweets, smoked and spicy foods are not recommended. You should refrain from things that provoke an allergic reaction. Doggies will need vitamins sold at the pharmacy.

As for puppies, they need to be given food 5 times a day. At first, it will consist of porridge, which is cooked on water.

Representatives of this breed are not recommended to give dry food. However, if the decision was made in his favor, you should make sure of its quality.It should be borne in mind that good feeds have a fairly high price, so you can mix such food with natural. However, a competent approach is important here. In this case, one feeding is carried out using dry food, the second - with natural products. You can not give everything at the same time, this will lead to diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Dogs of this breed are very energetic and curious. They are smart, training usually does not cause problems. They tolerate physical exertion well, do an excellent job of finding objects, and love complex tasks.

Groenendael loves to walk without a leash. In general, these dogs love to spend time outdoors. They can be easily taken with you on jogging, hunting, fishing and hiking. They are happy to travel by car.

Puppies can be raised when they reach 2 months of age. After vaccination, they should be taken to crowded and noisy places, this will help to socialize faster. It is better to run dogs on soft surfaces, concrete and asphalt are not the most suitable options for this.

Learning begins gradually, as the kids get tired very quickly. At the very beginning, the development of one team should not take more than 15 minutes. Dogs need praise and goodies for its successful implementation. It will also require fun, active games.

The intellectual abilities of such dogs are not in doubt. However, at the same time, the owner must take into account that the Groenendals cannot be scared, beaten and scolded too much. The most important thing is establishing trust. In addition, the Groenendals are very sensitive and adore praise, so they always try to serve the owner. If necessary, strictness and perseverance should be used, but not aggression and physical strength. In this case, the pet will be well-mannered and affectionate in relation to its owner.

On the Belgian Shepherd Groenendael see below.