Tervuren: breed description and content

Among other subspecies of shepherd dogs, the Tervuren breed is immediately struck by, as it is distinguished by the most expressive appearance. This dog has a magnificent coat of rich color, strong body and stunningly beautiful almond-shaped and kind eyes. Like other types of sheepdogs, tervuren is a strong, quite hardy and very intelligent dog.

The breed was born back in 1891. It was then that a veterinarian named Adolph Riyul decided to withdraw the individual, which was to become the national pride of Belgium. For this, he chose dogs of almost the same size, but with a different color and special types of wool.

In 1907, the very first standard appeared. According to him, the Belgian dogs were divided into 4 subspecies - each of them acquired the name of the city in which it appeared.

At first, these dogs were used as shepherds, while using wars the field of their use increased significantly - excellent messengers came out of the dogs of this breed, they were also used as watchmen, as well as sled dogs and even dogs.

Tervureny are very large dogs. Their height differs depending on the specific sex - in males it is 60-65 cm, in females - 55-62 cm. Males weigh about 25-30 kg, females - up to 25 kg.

This dog has a proud posture, proportionally developed, has a luxurious "fur coat." With just one look at her, you can understand that this is a beautiful and very confident pet.

The standard can be found with a complete description of this breed.

• The head is very beautiful, the muzzle is refined, narrowed to the nose, with clear outlines. The skull is of medium parameters, the nose is straight, the lobe is enlarged with extended nostrils.
• The lips are very thin, painted black. Strong and perfectly developed jaw, with a set of large, white and even teeth.
• The eyes are not very large, often almond-shaped, but they are also oval in shape, have a special depth and fit. Iris differs dark brown color. The dog always looks straight, very attentively, in the eyes you can see lively glitter and intelligence.
• Ears in the form of a triangle, stand straight, have a high landing, turned slightly forward.
• The neck is elongated, very strong, as it is covered with prominent muscles, significantly expanded to the body.
• The body is light, elongated, proportionally developed, with a clearly visible withers and muscular back. The chest has an average width, well defined.
• The stomach is not very lean, while it clearly does not sag. Croup moderately wide, there is an insignificant slope.
• The tail is long, very fluffy. It has a straight shape or curvature almost imperceptible to the eye. Highly does not rise even with significant overexcitation and does not take the form of a hook.
• Limbs proportional and straight, not very long, but muscular. Paws are compact and oval. The pads are very elastic, with strong claws in black.
• The hair of Tervuren is thick, elongated, smooth, with a texture of medium degree of softness. Such abundant wool cover allows to form the most striking appearance of these dogs, it gives them a rich "collar" on the neck and feathering on the chest, belly and limbs.
• Dogs have a thick and rather dense undercoat, it is he who protects them from the cold.

Standards have established specific restrictions in colors and recognize only a few of their options. The most preferred is reddish-coal color, without an excess of black wool, not blurred, moderately warm.

Small whitish marks on the chest and paws in such a case are allowed, but at the same time it is better that they do not exist, because with them the breed loses its unique exterior.

Like other types of shepherd dogs, Tervurens have very high intelligence, they are able to easily make their own speed decisions and do all they can. Previously, they more than successfully performed all sorts of functions on farms, these days these dogs can even be seen in the police service.

Excellent guides come out of them. This kind of versatility in the activities associated with a certain set of genetic characteristics of the breed and their increased ability to obtain new skills. Tervuren constantly lived near the person, for this reason they do not show congenital aggression towards the people around them.

Such a dog can be quite attached to the owner. Tervuren will not be able to do for a long time without active communication and constant contact. This dog has a very subtle organization of the soul, so it can even be jealous, sometimes prone to commit impulsive misdeeds and will be hard to experience rudeness or punishment.

All dogs are well trained, attentive, instantly memorize different teams. At the same time they are desperately bold and prone to commit courageous deeds.

Tervuren is a reliable defender and will responsibly protect your home, he will carefully monitor the protected object. The dog is rarely pleased with strangers and in some situations it will be very negative about the guests in the house of the owners.

You can easily leave Tervuren with other pets - both dogs and cats, but only if he has successfully completed a course in socialization skills. If the dog from childhood will be taught to "communicate" with other representatives of the animal world, then already matured, he will begin to treat these individuals very reverently.

Even in a city apartment, the dog will not cease to fulfill its functions as a shepherd, he will keep a close eye on the movements of all family members, and if necessary, he will send the lost.

If you have long wanted to buy for yourself a puppy of this unique breed, first weigh the pros and cons. This is to make you aware that This breed full development and proper education is vital. And you have to spend on this extra time and money.

A puppy can be taken away from the mother when he is 10-14 weeks old, at this age the baby is already quite independent and can even learn his very first skills in education.

It is best to buy a dog in an official nursery or from a breeder who has good recommendations. This will give you one hundred percent guarantee that you bought a pedigree and healthy pet.

When buying, you should familiarize yourself with all the documents provided for the puppy: it must have a pedigree, a puppy card, a card with information about vaccines.You may also be invited to see the parents of your future four-legged friend, or at least one of them, so that you can imagine how your Tervuren will look like in adulthood.

The more titles the puppy's parents will have and the larger the nursery will be from where you will get it, the higher the cost of the pet. The price may consist of the individual characteristics of the puppy, and its future perspective will be taken into account.

The puppies of the Belgian breed are distinguished by increased mobility, activity and curiosity, so you will need to remove all dangerous things before the pet lives in your home.

This breed is just great for keeping in an aviary, with frequent walks in the yard and beyond. But sometimes the owners decide to have such a dog in an ordinary city apartment. In this case, they should be ready for constant intensive dog shedding and frequent walking, which can take more than one hour, as well as classes at a designated area for dogs.

This type of sheepdogs is awarded a stunning-looking nature with a woolen cover — long and smooth, very voluminous, and in order for the dog to retain its beautiful appearance, its owner will have to try very hard. Tervureny 2 times a year actively molt. During these periods, the pet will have to constantly comb - up to 7 times per week. At the rest of the time, the combing procedure can be performed about 2-3 times in the same period of time.

Tervurenov not cut, but the wool that grows between the toes of their feet, will have to be removed. Bathe dogs rarely, only with special need. Excessively frequent washing can have a bad effect on the appearance of thick hair and on the condition of the skin.

Eyes and lips of dogs should be carefully examined every week. But the teeth will require special attention, since this breed often exhibits plaque and a stone on the teeth. Pet's teeth will have to be cleaned every other day, besides it is worth treating the dog with dental delicacies and buying special toys.

Be sure to drive a dog for prophylactic examinations in a veterinary clinic, make vaccines on time and regularly take out wormsthat will avoid all sorts of diseases in your pet.

The Belgian Shepherd is a fairly powerful and large animal. In order for a healthy dog ​​to grow from a puppy, you need to pay special attention to the nutrition of your pet. It is imperative that your dog receive right amount of animal proteinso you have to feed it raw beef, which has no bones and lived. The product is cut into small pieces.

In the diet of the dog should be ocean fish Beef is better to give along with vegetables - carrot, squash or pumpkin, as well as cabbage. Cereals, by the way, will not be considered a mandatory product for feeding this dog. But if he likes, you can cook your dog. buckwheat porridge, dressed with butter.

Fermented milk products - cottage cheese, yogurt, kefir - all without harmful additives will also be useful for the digestion of a pet. You will also need to take vitamin and mineral complexes.

You can use alternative food and dry food. It must be chosen, based on the age of the pet and the state of health. It is best to purchase premium food, as it is available for large and active dog breeds.

Tervuren are quite capable when learning, differ in intelligence, and sometimes - and independence. Because of this, they sometimes have problems with training.That is why it is so important to start teaching your pet early, at the same time showing the strength of his character, but without affecting the dog with coarse shouts.

Quite often, people who do not yet know the temperament of this shepherd, are unforgivably mistaken, constantly punishing their pet. In this case, you quickly turn the dog into a cowardly animal, because of your incompetence, it will lose its innate courage and exceptional courage.

Before you start practicing with your four-legged friend, it is best to first frolic well, give your pet plenty to run and jump. Training should not be of the same type, otherwise your pet will quickly lose all interest in the learning process.. It is necessary to diversify these classes to the maximum, to warm up the pet's interest in its training every day.

All the "Belgians" are also considered working breeds, which means that they may not have enough standard walking and regular training. If your tervuren is not busy working, you should think about active participation with him in some prestigious competitions for dogs. These individuals can be successful in many sports, and in agility they have no equal at all.

It is important to properly socialize your dog and it must be done early.

• An older pet should calmly respond to people, and for this you can often take a puppy for a walk to places where there are many people, while it is prohibited for others to tease or scare your dog, thereby provoking him to aggressive behavior.
• The pet should be taught to communicate with other dogs - in no case should it be afraid of them or showing unmotivated anger towards them. Experts advise as often as possible to bring Tervuren walk on platforms for walking dogs.

It is necessary from childhood to teach the dog to various hygienic measures - combing, neat cutting of claws, bathing. All these procedures should not cause him a strong protest. Even if your dog does not like any of these procedures, it must obey you without question.

The Belgian breeds are excellent in sorting and can be taught to perform even very complex trick elements. If you practice with your dog regularly, you will soon be able to achieve truly amazing results from him.

About the features of the breed, see the video below.