Tervuren: breed description and content

Among other subspecies of shepherd dogs, the Tervuren breed immediately catches the eye, as it differs in its most expressive appearance. This dog has just a magnificent coat of a saturated shade, a strong body and stunningly beautiful almond-shaped and kind eyes. Like other types of shepherd dogs, the tervuren is a strong, fairly hardy and very smart dog.

The breed was born back in 1891. It was then that a veterinarian named Adolf Riyul decided to breed an individual, which 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.

In 1907, the very first standard appeared. According to him, 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 the dogs of this breed, they were also used as watchmen, as well as sled dogs and even draft dogs.

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

This dog has a proud bearing, is proportionally developed, has a magnificent "fur coat". Just looking at her can understand that this is a beautiful and very confident pet.

In the standard you can find a full description of this breed.

• The head is very beautiful, the face is sophisticated, narrowed to the nose, with clear outlines. Skull of medium parameters, straight nose, enlarged lobe 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 landing. The iris is dark brown. The dog always looks directly, very carefully, a vibrant brilliance and cleverness are visible in his eyes.
• Ears in the form of a triangle, stand upright, have a high landing, turned slightly forward.
• The neck is elongated, very strong, as it is covered with prominent muscles, significantly expanded to the body.
• The body is light, elongated, proportionally developed, with a clearly visible withers and muscular back. The chest is medium wide, well defined.
• The abdomen is not very lean, while it is clearly not sagging. The croup is moderately broad, there is an insignificant slope.
• The tail is long, very fluffy. It has a straight shape or almost invisible to the eye curvature. It does not rise high even with significant overexcitation and does not take the form of a hook.
• The limbs are proportional and straight, not very long, but muscular. Paws are compact and oval. The pads are very resilient, with strong black claws.
• The hair of the tervuren is thick, elongated, smooth, with a texture of medium degree of softness. Such a rich coat of wool allows you to form the most eye-catching appearance of these dogs, it gives them a rich “collar” on the neck and tows on the chest, belly and limbs.
• Dogs have a thick and fairly dense undercoat, it is he who protects them from the cold.

Standards have established specific color restrictions and only a few of their options are recognized. The most preferred is a reddish-coal color, without an excess of black coat, not washed out, moderately warm.

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

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

Excellent guide come out of them. This kind of versatility in activity is associated with a certain set of genetic features of the breed and their increased ability to acquire new skills. Tervuren constantly lived next to a person, for this reason they do not show innate aggression to the people around them.

Such a dog can be quite attached to the owner. Tervuren will not be able to do without active communication and constant contact. This dog is distinguished by an extremely fine organization of the soul, therefore it can even be jealous, sometimes it is prone to commit impulsive misconduct and it will be difficult to experience rudeness or punishment.

All dogs are perfectly trained, attentive, instantly remember different teams. Moreover, they are desperately brave and prone to commit courageous deeds.

Tervuren is a reliable defender and will be responsible for guarding your home, he will carefully monitor the guarded object. At the same time, a dog is rarely glad to 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 successfully completed a socialization skills training course. If a dog from childhood will be taught to "communicate" with other representatives of the animal world, then, having matured, he will begin to relate to these individuals very reverently.

Even in a city apartment, the dog will not cease to fulfill its functions as a shepherd, he will vigilantly monitor the movements of all family members, and if necessary, send the lost ones.

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

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

It is best to buy a dog in an official kennel or from a breeder who has good recommendations. This will give you a 100% guarantee that you 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 invited to see the parents of your future four-legged friend, or at least one of them, so that you can imagine how your tervuren will look in adulthood.

The more titles the puppy's parents will have and the larger the nursery will be, where do you get it from, the higher the cost of the pet will be. The price may consist of the individual characteristics of the puppy, and its future perspective will be taken into account.

Puppies of the Belgian breed are distinguished by increased mobility, activity and curiosity, so you will need to remove all the things that are dangerous 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 beyond. But sometimes the owners decide to have such a dog in an ordinary city apartment. In this case, they should be prepared for constant intense molting of the dog and frequent walking, which can take more than one hour, as well as classes on a specially designated area for dogs.

This type of shepherd dog is awarded with a terrific look by its wool texture - long and smooth, very voluminous, and in order for the dog to retain its beautiful appearance, its owner will have to work hard. Tervuren 2 times a year actively molt. In these time periods, the pet will have to be combed out constantly - up to 7 times per week. The rest of the time, the combing procedure can be carried out about 2-3 times in the same period of time.

Tervurenas are not sheared, but the fur that grows between the toes of their legs will have to be removed. Dogs rarely bathe, only in special need. Excessively frequent washing can badly affect the appearance of a thick coat and the condition of the skin.

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

Be sure to drive a dog for preventive examinations in a veterinary clinic, do vaccines on time and regularly remove worms, which will avoid all kinds of diseases in your pet.

Belgian Shepherd is a rather 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 receives the right amount of animal protein, so you have to feed him raw beef, in which there are no bones and lived. The product is cut into small pieces.

In the diet of the dog should be ocean fish. Beef is best served 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 it, you can cook your dog buckwheat porridge seasoned with butter.

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

You can use alternative nutrition of dry food. It must be chosen, focusing on the age of the pet and the state of health. It is best to purchase premium food, as it is available for large and active dog breeds.

Tervurenas are quite capable of learning, differ in intelligence, and sometimes 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 firmness of his character, but without affecting the dog with rude shouts.

Quite often, people who do not yet know the temperament of this shepherd dog are inexcusably 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 inborn courage and exceptional fearlessness.

Before you start practicing with a four-legged friend, it is best to get a good frolic first, let the pet run around and jump freely. Training should not be the same, otherwise your pet will quickly lose all interest in the learning process.. It is necessary to diversify these activities to the maximum, to warm up the pet's interest in his training every day.

All “Belgians” are also considered working breeds, which means that they may not have enough standard walks and regular training for leisure. If your tervuren is not busy with work, you should consider actively participating with him in some prestigious competitions for dogs. 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 respond to people, and for this you can often take the puppy for a walk to places where there are many people, while it is forbidden for others to tease or scare 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 as often as possible to bring the tervuren to walk on the grounds for walking dogs.

From childhood, it is necessary to teach the dog to various hygienic measures - combing, neat clipping, bathing. All these procedures should not cause him a storm of protest. Even if your dog does not like any of these procedures, it should obey you implicitly.

Belgian breeds are excellently ported and they can be taught to perform even very complex stunt elements. If you start practicing with your dog regularly, you will soon be able to achieve truly amazing results from it.

About the features of the breed, see the video below.