Quick Links: Table of Contents
- Belgian Tervuren Breed Overview
- History of the Belgian Tervuren Breed. Where Belgian Tervurens came from
- What the Belgian Tervuren Looks Like
- How Much is the Belgian Tervuren Puppy?
- Best Belgian Tervuren Breeders
- Adopting or Rescuing the Belgian Tervuren
- Belgian Tervuren Growth
- What Colors do Belgian Tervurens Have?
- The Temperament of the Belgian Tervuren
- How Long Belgian Tervurens Live
- Belgian Tervuren Litter Size
- How Fast Belgian Tervurens Can Run
- Good Names for Belgian Tervurens
- How Intelligent are Belgian Tervurens?
- How Popular are Belgian Tervurens with New Dog Owners?
- Health Problems in Belgian Tervurens and How to Prevent Them
- How to Take Care of Belgian Tervuren
- Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Belgian Tervurens
- Other Things to Know About Belgian Tervurens
Belgian Tervuren Breed Overview
The Belgian Tervuren is a large-sized dog.
The adult Belgian Tervuren stands 21 to 26 inches tall at the shoulder.
The Belgian Tervuren belongs to the Herding Dogs group.
Dogs in the Herding Dogs group, like the Belgian Tervuren, were bred for moving livestock, including sheep, cattle, and even reindeer.
Herding dogs work closely with their human shepherds, and their natural intelligence and responsiveness make them highly trainable.
Herding dogs have high levels of energy, which needs to be channeled properly to prevent destructive behavior.
Herding breeds are protective of their people and property and make excellent watchdogs. Their intelligence, agility, and activity level make them well suited to dog sports.
The fact that the Belgian Tervuren belongs to the Herding Dogs group is one of the reasons why Belgian Tervurens have the personality and temperament that they have.
The temperament of the Belgian Tervuren is generally described as:
- Affectionate
- Bright
- Possessive
- Tireless
History of the Belgian Tervuren Breed. Where Belgian Tervurens came from
The Tom and Poes breeds, both of which are fawn-colored dogs, are the ancestors of the Belgian Tervuren, which was initially developed in the 1800s.
The first female was called Miss, and she later gave birth to Milsart, a stunning male.
However, the Club du Chien de Berger Belge, a Belgian Shepherd dog club, developed a standard for the Shepherd dog in 1891 and produced four distinct breeds of sheepdog: the Malinois, the Tervuren, the Laekenois, and the Groenendael.
Like the other Shepherds, these canines were initially employed as herding dogs.
Their abilities were put to other purposes, such as serving as police guards, Red Cross assistants, and couriers in World War I.
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What the Belgian Tervuren Looks Like
The medium-sized Belgian Tervuren dog has a highly imposing and arrogant bearing.
He is solid, agile, attentive, well-muscled, and has a beautiful appearance.
He has a double coat with long straight hair on top and short, thick fur on the underside.
He is adequately insulated and protected from the elements thanks to this double coat.
Additionally water resistant, the fur wicks any mild moisture away.
The Belgian Tervuren often has a black undercoat over fawn or russet mahogany hues.
The chest will be either black, grey, or black and grey, while the face will have a black mask and black ears.
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How Much is the Belgian Tervuren Puppy?
The average price of a Belgian Tervuren puppy is $1630. The price of a Belgian Tervuren puppy ranges from $1200 to $2000.
A lot of factors determine the price of the Belgian Tervuren. These factors include what health records the Belgian Tervuren puppy has, the lineage of the Belgian Tervuren puppy, the US state the breeder is located in, etc.
To estimate how much you can expect to pay for a puppy Belgian Tervuren based on the many factors that determine the price of the Belgian Tervuren puppy, check out our calculator that lets you estimate how much you should expect to pay for the Belgian Tervuren puppy based on what you want in the puppy.
When looking to buy a puppy, look at buying a puppy only from well-established breeders that breed puppies primarily for the love of the Belgian Tervuren breed, and secondarily for profit. Do not buy a puppy from a puppy mill. Puppy mills mass-produce puppies in bad living conditions for maximum profit.
You may also consider adopting instead of buying a puppy. Adoption costs are very low compared to the price of a puppy.
Best Belgian Tervuren Breeders
We have researched reputable Belgian Tervuren breeders that you can buy a puppy.
Go to this page for our complete list of reputable Belgian Tervuren breeders in various states in the United States.
On this page, you will see how much these breeders sell their puppies for, and how many puppies they have available.
A few of these breeders are listed below.
True Knight Tervurens
Puppy Price: $1600.00
Missal Malinois
Puppy Price: $1800
Grey Wolfe Belgians
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
Heirloom Haven Farm
Puppy Price: $1800.
GORDON BELGIAN SHEPHERDS
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
Adopting or Rescuing the Belgian Tervuren
You may consider adopting a dog instead of buying a puppy. Many dogs, Belgian Tervurens included, are currently available for adoption in your local dog shelters.
These helpless but adorable dogs are waiting in dog shelters hoping that someday someone will rescue them. Dog adoption costs are lesser than the cost of a new puppy. Dog adoption costs are usually around $300 or even less.
In addition to your local dog shelter, another good place to find dogs that are available for adoption is petfinder.com.
Below is an adorable Male Belgian Tervuren named Kobe that is currently available for adoption on Petfinder.com. You can find other lovely Belgian Tervurens like Kobe on pefinder.com.
You can find more Belgian Tervurens that are available for adoption on petfinder.
Belgian Tervuren Growth
New Belgian Tervuren owners need to know about the growth of their Belgian Tervurens. This will help them plan their living spaces accordingly.
Also, knowing the typical growth pattern of the Belgian Tervuren will help new owners catch the abnormal growth of their Belgian Tervuren early.
See our calculator for predicting how big your Belgian Tervuren puppy will get. You will also learn about the typical weight of the Belgian Tervuren at different ages and how to catch abnormal growth in your Belgian Tervuren
What Colors do Belgian Tervurens Have?
Belgian Tervurens come in the following beautiful primary colors:
- Black
- Bicolor
- Yellow / Tan / Blond / Fawn
- Red / Chestnut / Orange
The Temperament of the Belgian Tervuren
The temperament of the Belgian Tervuren based can be summarized as in the table below.
The table shows the scores of the Belgian Tervuren for 13 important dog behavioral factors.
We obtained these scores by analyzing raw data from the C-BARQ dog personality survey tool. The higher the score of a dog for a factor, the worse the temperament of the dog regarding that factor.
The C-BARQ tool was developed by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, and it is a scientific tool that is used worldwide for reliably measuring the temperament of dog breeds.
See our complete analysis of the temperament of the Belgian Tervuren here.
| Factor | Score |
|---|---|
| Energy Level | 91.4 percent |
| Owner Directed Aggression | 7.7 percent |
| Attachment Attention Seeking | 68.2 percent |
| Prey Drive | 48.2 percent |
| Dog Directed Aggression | 43.3 percent |
| Excitability | 42.9 percent |
| Stranger Directed Aggression | 40.9 percent |
| Dog Directed Fear | 40.1 percent |
| Stranger Directed Fear | 37.4 percent |
| Dog Rivalry | 33.3 percent |
| Nonsocial Fear | 26.1 percent |
| Touch Sensitivity | 25.5 percent |
| Separation Related Behavior | 23.3 percent |
| Stubbornness | 0.0 percent |
How Long Belgian Tervurens Live
The lifespan of the Belgian Tervuren is typically from 10 to 12 years.
Belgian Tervurens live long if they eat well, drink well, exercise well, and visit the veterinarian regularly.
Belgian Tervuren Litter Size
Researchers from the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science did a study where they counted the numbers of puppies in 52 different Belgian Tervuren birth litters.
From this study, the researchers found that the average number of puppies that Belgian Tervurens can have is 6 puppies. Also, the Belgian Tervuren can have as few as 1 puppies per litter and as many as 11 puppies per litter.
The number of puppies that the Belgian Tervuren will have depends on factors such as the age of the Belgian Tervuren, the method of pregnancy, etc.
Click here to see our calculator for predicting how many puppies your Belgian Tervuren will have and how the litter size of the Belgian Tervuren compares to the litter size of other dog breeds.
How Fast Belgian Tervurens Can Run
How fast a dog breed can run is a good measure of how athletic the dog breed is.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) regularly conducts dog running competitions. The AKC records the running speed of competing dogs in these competitions. These competitions are open to all dog breeds.
Based on our analysis of the speeds of 199 different Belgian Tervurens, the average speed of the Belgian Tervuren is 24.5 mph (39.4 kmph).
The fastest speed on AKC record that the Belgian Tervuren ran in a race is 30.94 mph (49.8 kmph) and the minimum speed on record in a race for a Belgian Tervuren is 6.46 mph (10.4 kmph).
Click here to see how the speed of the Belgian Tervuren compares to the speed of other dogs and other mammals such as cats, horses, humans, etc.
Good Names for Belgian Tervurens
Here are some really good names that are typical for the Belgian Tervuren ranked by popularity:
- Laddie
- Jake
- Leon
- Adonis
- Jack
- Keanu
- Kobe
- Othello
- Kapone
- Big
How Intelligent are Belgian Tervurens?
| Belgian Tervuren | |
|---|---|
| Intelligence Rank | 14 out of 130 dog breeds |
| Trainability | Tend To Learn New Commands After 5 To 15 Repetitions |
According to Prof. Stanley Coren, a Canadian psychology professor/dog trainer, the total intelligence that a dog demonstrates is the addition of three types of intelligence. These intelligence types are:
- Instinctive Intelligence: This is the natural intelligence that comes from instinct. For example, dog breeds that have been historically bred to be guard dogs will have a high `guarding` intelligence compared to dogs that were not bred for guarding.
- Adaptive Intelligence (learning and problem-solving ability): This indicates what a dog can learn to do for himself or herself. Adaptive intelligence is specific to each dog, and not breed specific. You can improve your dog`s adaptive intelligence by investing time to train your dog.
- Working/Obedience Intelligence: This type of intelligence is breed-specific. Certain dog breeds tend to have higher working/obedience intelligence than some other breeds. This intelligence is the closest to what we might call school-learning ability and it is based upon what the dog can learn to do when instructed by humans. This type of intelligence can be measured for each dog breed and compared to that of other dog breeds.
Professor Stanley Coren measured and ranked the working intelligence of about 130 different dog breeds.
Prof. Coren found that the Belgian Tervuren has an obedience intelligence rank of 14 out of 130 dog breeds. Thus, Prof. Coren put Belgian Tervurens in the `Excellent Working Dogs` category.
This means that Belgian Tervurens tend to learn new commands after 5 to 15 repetitions.
However, we should mention that a dog should not be judged based on its intelligence alone. There are other important factors you need to consider when deciding on which dog breed to get. These other factors include sociability, adorability, and compatibility of the dog breed with your lifestyle.
See the intelligence ranking of some other dog breeds below:
| Breed | Intelligence Rank |
|---|---|
| Standard Poodle | 2 |
| Shetland Sheepdog | 6 |
| Australian Cattle Dog | 10 |
| Belgian Tervuren | 14 |
| Irish Water Spaniel | 24 |
| Chesapeake Bay Retriever | 27 |
| Norwegian Elkhound | 36 |
| Affenpinscher | 37 |
| Finnish Spitz | 43 |
| Rhodesian Ridgeback | 52 |
| Akita | 54 |
| Skye Terrier | 55 |
| Pug | 57 |
| French Bulldog | 58 |
| Lhasa Apso | 68 |
| Bullmastiff | 69 |
| Pekingese | 73 |
| Chow Chow | 76 |
| American Bulldog | 77 |
| Afghan Hound | 79 |
How Popular are Belgian Tervurens with New Dog Owners?
Every year, the American Kennel Club (AKC) publishes information on how popular a dog breed is in that particular year. The AKC gets the popularity information of a breed from how many dogs of that breed the owners register with the AKC every year. The AKC collects this data for about 200 dog breeds.
The graph below shows the popularity trend of the Belgian Tervuren.
The popularity of the Belgian Tervuren averaged over the years is Number 104 out of about 200 dog breeds.
Do not get a dog breed just because it is a popular dog breed. And do not reject a dog breed just because it is an unpopular breed.
Health Problems in Belgian Tervurens and How to Prevent Them
Every dog breed has its own set of health problems that it tends to develop. There is nothing like a perfect dog breed.
The Belgian Tervuren is prone to certain genetic health conditions. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) is an organization that keeps track of genetic health problems in dog breeds.
From the extensive records that the OFA keeps, the OFA knows what health problems each dog breed is naturally prone to develop.
Hence, the OFA recommends which health screening breeders should perform on a dog breed to make sure that the breeders won`t breed `defective` dog parents that can pass down defective genes to their puppy offspring.
If you want a Belgian Tervuren puppy that will grow up to be healthy, make sure that your Belgian Tervuren breeder screens your puppy or your puppy`s parents for the health problems that the OFA recommends for your puppy`s breed. This will increase the chances that your puppy is free from genetic defects.
The following are the health tests that Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) recommends that breeders should screen Belgian Tervurens for:
You can find out more about OFA`s recommended tests for Belgian Tervurens here.
How to Take Care of Belgian Tervuren
To take good care of your Belgian Tervuren, you need to make sure that you groom your Belgian Tervuren regularly.
Secondly, you need to find a veterinarian in your area that will routinely check the health status of your Belgian Tervuren regularly, and give you appropriate recommendations on your Belgian Tervuren`s preventative care.
Thirdly, you need to commit some time to exercise your Belgian Tervuren daily. Regular exercise helps improve the health and quality of life of your Belgian Tervuren.
Also, you need to feed your Belgian Tervuren high-quality dog food, and the food should be of the right amount to prevent your Belgian Tervuren from getting overweight or underweight.
See our recommendations on what to feed the Belgian Tervuren and how much food to feed the Belgian Tervuren at different life stages.
Finally, you need to make sure that your Belgian Tervuren has access to clean water all the time. See our recommendations on how much water your Belgian Tervuren needs to drink at different ages.
Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Belgian Tervurens
If you have not made up your mind on which dog breed to get, you may also want to consider some other dogs similar to the Belgian Tervuren.
We crunched the numbers and found that the following dog breeds that have similar behavior and temperament as the Belgian Tervuren:
- Gordon Setter (78 percent match with Belgian Tervuren). Learn more about the Gordon Setter here.
Other Things to Know About Belgian Tervurens
Here are some of the very important characteristics of the Belgian Tervuren that you need to know about the Belgian Tervuren breed: