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Belgian Shepherd Dog (Laekenois)
Encyclopedia
The Belgian Shepherd Dog (Laekenois) is a breed
of dog
, sometimes classified as a variety of the Belgian Shepherd Dog
rather than as a separate breed. Laekenois is pronouned as ""Lak-in-wah". This breed is not fully recognized in the United States
. However, they can be shown in Britain, Canada, Australia, and throughout Europe, along with all three of the closely related breeds which share a heritage with the Laekenois: the Tervuren, the Malinois
, and the Groenendael
, the last being shown in the U.S. as the Belgian Sheepdog.
family with sharply triangular ears. The Laekenois is recognized by its woolly brown and white coat, intermixed so as to give a tweedy appearance. Most kennel clubs' standards allow for black shading, principally in muzzle and tail, indicating the presence of the melanistic mask
gene
.
The Laekenois is considered both the oldest and the most rare of the Belgian Shepherd Dogs. Until the advent of dog shows in the early 1900s, the four varieties were freely intermixed, in fact, there are only three genes (short/long coat, smooth/wire coat, fawn/black coat) that separate the varieties genetically. Purebred Laekenois occasionally give birth to smooth-coated puppies, which, depending on the pure-bred registry, can be registered as Malinois.
The Laekenois is currently in the American Kennel Club
's Miscellaneous Class and is assigned the Herding Group.
trials, obedience
, showmanship
, flyball
, tracking
, and herding
events. Herding
instincts and trainability can be measured at noncompetitive herding tests. Belgian Shepherds exhibiting basic herding instincts can be trained to compete in herding trials.
Dog breed
Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock....
of dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
, sometimes classified as a variety of the Belgian Shepherd Dog
Belgian Shepherd Dog
The Belgian Shepherd is a breed of medium-to-large-sized herding dog. It originated in Belgium and is similar to other sheep herding dogs from that region, including the Dutch Shepherd Dog, the German Shepherd Dog, the Briard and others...
rather than as a separate breed. Laekenois is pronouned as ""Lak-in-wah". This breed is not fully recognized in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. However, they can be shown in Britain, Canada, Australia, and throughout Europe, along with all three of the closely related breeds which share a heritage with the Laekenois: the Tervuren, the Malinois
Belgian Shepherd Dog (Malinois)
The Belgian Shepherd Dog is a breed of dog, sometimes classified as a variety of the Belgian Shepherd Dog rather than as a separate breed. The Malinois is recognized in the United States under the name Belgian Malinois...
, and the Groenendael
Belgian Shepherd Dog (Groenendael)
The Belgian Shepherd Dog is recognized by all major kennel clubs. In the United States it is recognized under the name Belgian Sheepdog....
, the last being shown in the U.S. as the Belgian Sheepdog.
Appearance
Like all Belgian Shepherds, the Laekenois is a medium-sized, hard-working, square-proportioned dog in the sheepdogHerding dog
A herding dog, also known as a stock dog or working dog, is a type of pastoral dog that either has been trained in herding or belongs to breeds developed for herding...
family with sharply triangular ears. The Laekenois is recognized by its woolly brown and white coat, intermixed so as to give a tweedy appearance. Most kennel clubs' standards allow for black shading, principally in muzzle and tail, indicating the presence of the melanistic mask
Melanistic mask
A melanistic mask is a dog coat pattern that gives the appearance of a mask on the dog's face. The hairs on the muzzle, and sometimes entire face or ears, are colored by eumelanin instead of pheomelanin pigment. Eumelanin is typically black, but may instead be brown, dark gray, or light gray-brown...
gene
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
.
History
The Belgian Laekenois originated as a dog for herding sheep at the Royal Castle of Laeken. Besides, its role as a herding dog, this breed is also used to guard linen that are placed in the field to dry, and later as a messenger dog in the First and Second World War.The Laekenois is considered both the oldest and the most rare of the Belgian Shepherd Dogs. Until the advent of dog shows in the early 1900s, the four varieties were freely intermixed, in fact, there are only three genes (short/long coat, smooth/wire coat, fawn/black coat) that separate the varieties genetically. Purebred Laekenois occasionally give birth to smooth-coated puppies, which, depending on the pure-bred registry, can be registered as Malinois.
The Laekenois is currently in the American Kennel Club
American Kennel Club
The American Kennel Club is a registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. Beyond maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions events for purebred dogs, including the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, an annual event which predates the official...
's Miscellaneous Class and is assigned the Herding Group.
Activities
Laekenois can compete in dog agilityDog agility
Dog agility is a dog sport in which a handler directs a dog through an obstacle course in a race for both time and accuracy. Dogs run off-leash with no food or toys as incentives, and the handler can touch neither dog nor obstacles...
trials, obedience
Obedience training
Obedience training usually refers to the training of a dog and the term is most commonly used in that context. Obedience training ranges from very basic training, such as teaching the dog to reliably respond to basic commands such as "sit", "down", "come", and "stay", to high level competition...
, showmanship
Dog showmanship
Dog showmanship is a set of skills and etiquette used by handlers of dogs in a dog competition. Dog showmanship is not a competition in itself but a qualification of the handler to present a dog to its best advantage. Skills are technical as well as artistic...
, flyball
Flyball
Flyball is a dog sport in which teams of dogs race against each other from a start/finish line, over a line of hurdles, to a box that releases a tennis ball to be caught when the dog presses the spring-loaded pad, then back to their handlers while carrying the ball.Flyball is run in teams of four...
, tracking
Tracking (dog)
Tracking is a technique in which dogs are trained to locate certain objects, such as a downed bird, using the object's scent. Many bird and rabbit hunters train their dogs in tracking. The scent hounds are generally regarded as having the best tracking abilities among all dog breeds.In dog sports,...
, and herding
Herding
Herding is the act of bringing individual animals together into a group , maintaining the group and moving the group from place to place—or any combination of those. While the layperson uses the term "herding", most individuals involved in the process term it mustering, "working stock" or...
events. Herding
Herding
Herding is the act of bringing individual animals together into a group , maintaining the group and moving the group from place to place—or any combination of those. While the layperson uses the term "herding", most individuals involved in the process term it mustering, "working stock" or...
instincts and trainability can be measured at noncompetitive herding tests. Belgian Shepherds exhibiting basic herding instincts can be trained to compete in herding trials.
External links
- Belgian Shepherd Dog Association of Great Britain
- The Northern Belgian Shepherd Dog Club
- Belgian Shepherd Dog Club of Canada Breed club for all four Belgian Shepherd breeds.
- Belgian Shepherd Dog Association of Finland
- American Belgian Laekenois Association
See also
- Belgian Shepherd Dog (Groenendael)Belgian Shepherd Dog (Groenendael)The Belgian Shepherd Dog is recognized by all major kennel clubs. In the United States it is recognized under the name Belgian Sheepdog....
- Belgian Shepherd Dog (Malinois)Belgian Shepherd Dog (Malinois)The Belgian Shepherd Dog is a breed of dog, sometimes classified as a variety of the Belgian Shepherd Dog rather than as a separate breed. The Malinois is recognized in the United States under the name Belgian Malinois...
- Belgian Shepherd Dog (Tervueren)Belgian Shepherd Dog (Tervueren)The Tervuren , is a member of the Belgian Shepherd Dog family of dog breeds. Its classification varies, being classified under some breed standards as a breed in its own right, and in others as one of several acceptable variations of the Belgian...