Groendaell or Belgian Shepherd Breed Origins and Caracteristics
This shepherd breed was named after the grnendaell castle, located at the South of Brussels. Due to blood cross-breeding among the dogs that lived there, by 1900 some long-legged dogs with long, dense and straight hair were raised. These dogs are intelligent and they are raised all over the world, but we should not forget that the grnendaell shepherd is very sensitive and does not stand tough training methods.
The Tervueren is a very similar variety that is different only for its color. Its origin can go back to 1885. The creator is thought to be the Belgian man Corbeel breeder. The highest merit of the Tervueren creation corresponds undoubtedly to one of their breeders, the Tuykom farmer who said that one of his pride and joy was to have the best dogs. But their methods very tough: he killed all the dogs that did not correspond to their ideal conception. The tervuerens have the same qualities of their black relative.
Until a little ago, the Belgian shepherd breeds only existed in Belgium. But due to the success the grnendaell shepherds had in the European championships of guard, defense or labor dogs, their popularity has grown, that is why they are currently and increasingly found in training competitions such as shows.
Grnendaell (1). Size: male 62 cm approximately, female 58 cm. Weight: 28-30 kg. Hair: black.
Tervueren (2). It has the same size and coat as the grnendaell, but it will never have black hair. The hair is tawny with black tips, giving the impression of a sandy hair. The dogs with a black mask are preferred the most.
Faced to either breed, the amateur will think, at first sight, that s/he is seeing a small German shepherd. But compared to the rectangular shape of the German shepherd, the Belgian shepherd has a more square shape. The dimensions of the head also have different characteristics. The Belgian shepherds' cranium is flatter and their muzzle is larger than the cranium box (4); on the contrary the German shepherd cranium is more rounded and the muzzle is as long as the cranium box (3). The German shepherd has slightly oblique eyes, which is considered a defect in Belgian shepherds.
