Lakenois Dog Breed

Belgium

Towards the end of the 19^th century, many countries of the European West felt the rebirth of the interest for their native Shepherds. In many places, the local varieties of Shepherds differed so much among each other therefore it was considered better to reunite them as members of a sole breed. In Germany, these efforts led to the emergence of a German or Alsatian Shepherd, while in Belgium virtually the same trunk (the German and Belgium Shepherd had a similar type) generated eight varieties of Belgian Shepherds: three long-haired, two short-haired and three wire-haired.

The division in so many varieties made breeding difficult and restricted the selection to the breed reproducers both males and females. In 1897 it was decided to reduce the varieties to four: two long-haired, known as Groenendael) and Tervueren, one short-haired or Malinois and another wire-haired or Lakenois.

Apart from the texture of the hair and color, the lakenois is virtually a copy of its long- and short-haired cousins, respectively. The layer of hair is usually double, a soft inner one and another larger and wirer one. The color is cinnamon with patches of pale black. The height at withers is: for males 62 cm, and for females 58 cm