Belgian Sheepdog puppies

About the Belgian Sheepdog

The Belgian Sheepdog, known in Europe as the Groenendael, is the long coated black variety of the Belgian shepherd, developed near Brussels in the late nineteenth century. They stand 56 to 66cm and weigh 20.4 to 34kg, with a dense double coat, a heavy ruff at the neck and a square, elegant outline. This is a sensitive dog, closely bonded to their people, alert to anything out of place, quick to learn, and rated at the very top of the scale for trainability.

Living with one asks a lot. They need daily exercise taken with their owner rather than alone in a garden, plus obedience, agility, tracking or herding to occupy their mind. The coat is easy for most of the year, a weekly brush, then heavy shedding at least once annually that calls for daily work. Sensitivity is the thing to get right, since harsh handling shuts a Belgian down. One practical note: the breed reacts badly to anaesthesia, so tell your vet before any surgery.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Belgian Sheepdog puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A large breed puppy at eight weeks looks deceptively normal sized and will roughly double every few weeks for a while. Keep exercise short and low impact, the growth plates are wide open. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and they will need a job to do long before they need long walks. Grooming needs are moderate, so build the brushing habit now while the coat is still short and easy. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Epilepsy, diagnosed by ruling out other causes of seizures
• Hip and elbow dysplasia, screened by hip and elbow evaluation of breeding stock
• Progressive retinal atrophy and cataracts, picked up by an ophthalmologist evaluation
• Certain cancers, which is why good breeders track longevity and cause of death across their lines
• Sensitivity to anaesthesia, so the breed should be flagged to the vet before any procedure

Your Belgian Sheepdog puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Large for a Belgian Sheepdog.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 20.4 to 34 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Kit sizes: crate 42 inch (42 x 28 x 30 in, 107 x 71 x 76 cm) for an adult of up to 34 kg; chew toys made for large breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.

Buying guides for this

• Best crate for a puppy: wire, plastic or soft, and how to size one with a divider

Other large breeds

Previous: Belgian Malinois · Next: Belgian Tervuren

Sources

• akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
• fci.be for country of origin
• Health notes from Belgian Sheepdog breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/belgian-sheepdog/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Photo: Beth Ashton, Kill Devil Hills, NC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.