Belgian Shepherd Dog (Groenendael)

Belgian Shepherd Dog (Groenendael)

Belgian Shepherd Dog (Groenendael) is medium-sized dog, well proportioned, intelligent, hardy and bred to withstand adverse weather. It should be alert and attentive with a lively and enquiring mien. With its fine proportions and proud carriage of the head, the Belgian Shepherd Dog (Groenendael) should convey an impression of that graceful strength which has become the mark of selected representatives of a working breed. In addition to its inborn skill as a sheep-dog, it has a great potential as a guard dog. Should be wary, but not timid, nervous or overly aggressive.

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 . Belgian Shepherd Dog (Groenendael)  
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Head and Skull
The head should be finely chiselled, long, but not excessively so, and gaunt. The skull and muzzle should be roughly equal in length, with at most a slight bias in favour of the muzzle, giving the impression of a balanced whole. The skull should be of medium width in proportion to the length of the head, flattened rather than rounded forehead and centre line not very pronounced; seen in profile it should be parallel to an imaginary line extending the muzzle line. The muzzle should be of medium length tapering gradually towards the nose. The nose should be black with well-flared nostrils. Moderate stop.

Eyes: Of medium size, neither protruding nor sunken, slightly almondshaped, brownish coloured and preferably dark; black ringed eyelids. Direct, lively and inquiring look. Arches above the eyes not prominent, the muzzle finely chiselled under the eyes. Ears: Distinctly triangular appearance, stiff and erect, set high, of proportionate length, with the external ear well rounded at the base.

Mouth: Wide. Lips thin-textured, very firm, strongly pigmented, not showing the red of the mucous membranes. Cheeks spare, quite flat but well-muscled. Strong, white, regular teeth firmly set in well-developed jaws. Scissor bite i.e., the incisors of the upper jaw fitting closely over those of the lower jaw, extending slightly beyond them without losing contact with them. Edge to edge bite tolerated.

Groenendael

Neck: Very supple. The neck should be slightly elongated, well-muscled and without dewlap, broadening slightly towards the shoulders. The nape should be very slightly arched.

Forequarters: Strongly boned throughout with wiry and powerful muscle structure. The shoulder blades should be long and oblique, firmly attached, flat, forming an angle with the humerus, so as to enable the elbows to work easily. The forelegs should be long and well-muscled, and should move parallel. The bones joining the feet and pastern joint should be strong and short. Pastern joint clearly defined. Feet round, toes arched and very close together; soles thick and springy with large dark claws. Dew claws are permitted.

Body: The body should be powerful without being bulky. The length from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttocks should be approximately equal to the height at the withers in the case of the male; in the female it may be slightly greater. The chest should not be very broad but deep and low. Ribs should be well sprung. The upper line of the body (back and lumbar region) should be straight, broad and powerfully muscled. The belly should be moderately developed neither drooping nor unduly cut-up, continuing the lower line of the chest in a graceful curve. The rump should be very slightly sloping, broad but not excessively so. Size: The desired heights are: Dog: 61 - 66 cm (24 - 26 in) Bitch: 56 - 61 cm (22 - 24 in).

Hindquarters: The hindquarters should be well muscled and powerful but not bulky. Good, but not excessive, angulation, with hocks close to the ground. Viewed from behind the legs should be parallel. Dew claws are not permitted. Feet slightly oval, toes arched and very close together; soles thick and springy with large dark claws.

Tail: The tail should be firmly set, strong at the base and of medium length. At rest it should hang down, with the tip slightly bent backwards at the level of the hock; on the move it should lift, accentuating the curve towards the tip; however it should under no circumstances curl up or bend to one side and at no time should any part of the tail be lifted above the line of the back.

Belgian Shepherd (Groenendael)

Gait: Movement should be brisk and even, covering the maximum amount of ground.

Coat: The outer coat should be long, straight and abundant. It should not be silky or wiry, the texture should be of medium harshness. The undercoat should be extremely dense. The hair should be shorter on the head, outside of the ears and lower part of the legs. The opening of the ear should be protected by hair. The hair should be especially long and abundant, like a ruff around the neck, particularly in the male. There should be a fringe of long hair down the back of the forearm, long and abundant hair evident on the hindquarters and the tail. The male should be longer coated than the female.

Colour: Black. May be completely black or black with limited white as follows: Small to moderate patch or strip on chest, between pads of the feet and on the tips of the hind toes. Frosting (white or grey) on the muzzle.

Skin: Springy but quite taut over the whole body. All external mucous membranes highly pigmented.

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