How are Belgian Sheepdogs with children?

I placed one puppy in a home where the Belgian soon bonded closely to their youngest son. Sometimes when his older brother and friends came over, and play became rough, and the youngest started crying, the adolescent Belgian would run in and nip at the kids hurting ‘his’ boy. Protecting their person is a good thing but these days it can mean a lawsuit. The mom took responsibility for training the puppy about proper behavior and spent several hours closely supervising the children whenever friends came to play and was able to teach the young dog that this was not acceptable. But it was a lot of work as it went against the natural instincts of the dog.

If you are not able to closely monitor situations where your dog is interacting with young children it is best that you choose a different breed, or put dogs in a safe secure place when neighbors, especially children, visit. Belgians do not tend to handle rough handling and have a lower pain threshold than do Retrievers or some of the hound breeds and may nip when hair is yanked or tails  pulled.

My own dogs have shown great restraint in dealing with boys when they were young but it has taken training of both the dogs and the children to respect each other and behave properly.

How much exercise does a Belgian Sheepdog need?

Belgian Sheepdogs are a working breed and should have a moderately high activity level and drive to work, this is what is needed for a good performance dog. Belgians have excelled in obedience, agility and tracking, they are highly intelligent, but unless they have a constructive outlet for their energy they can become bored and destructive. They need exercise and attention every day, because of this Belgians do not make good ‘backyard’ dogs. They like to be with ‘their’ person and will often follow them from room to room.

They are excellent companions for joggers or hikers in dog friendly areas, with early training to ignore others on the trail. A good session of Frisbee or retrieving can provide an outlet as well when time is short. Often rescued or re-homed neutered dogs that are past the first two or three years of the highest activity can be ideal companions as they don’t have as high a need for physical and mental activity. Belgians do have a strong prey drive and will chase deer or other wildlife if allowed to run loose.

How much grooming does a Belgian Sheepdog need?

Coat care is not demanding on a regular basis. They do shed heavily two times a year, the soft dense undercoat comes out, especially in the summertime. At those times daily brushing is needed, at other times a good weekly brushing and nail trimming is adequate. Sometimes the soft coat in the breeches, around the ears, and on the tail will tangle and need extra attention. Show grooming is not complicated and most Belgians are shown and groomed by their owners.

Do Belgian Sheepdogs have health problems?

While they are a relatively healthy breed some do have hip and elbow dysplasia, some have eye problems and epilepsy. Be sure to ask for health clearances on the sire and dam of a litter. Breeders should have OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) numbers for hips and elbows as well as current CERF or OFA clearances for eye diseases. Unfortunately there is no test yet for epilepsy. Reputable breeders will research pedigrees and should be able to provide health information on most close relatives. I test for normal Thyroid levels as it can be a problem too but it is not done on a widespread basis yet by all breeders.

More on Belgian temperament:

I personally favor a Belgian that is social and enjoys interacting with people at shows and performance events but the Belgian Sheepdog is not a Golden or Lab, and shouldn’t be. They have been used for protecting home and farm as well as for police work and, if needed, have to be able to stand up to and back down unwilling livestock including intimidating cattle. This requires a dog with self confidence and the ability to react forcefully in the right situation.

It is the owner’s responsibility to make sure their Belgian puppy is exposed to enough situations and given the feedback, both negative and positive, to ensure their Belgian matures with the ability to discriminate between appropriate shows of aggression, for example someone is breaking into the house late at night or trying to assault you while out for a jog, and inappropriate aggression when on a busy walking path or when friends come to visit.