Belgian Shepherd Tervueren

This dog with a sensitive nature is intelligent, rustic, it seems to think before acting. It often possesses the aptitude of flock guardian and sometimes joins the qualities of a guard dog. It is also often very playful and always ready to go for a walk with its master.

The coat and mask are defined with a strict minimum of eight pigmentation points of the hair coverings; both ears, both upper eyelids, both upper lips and both lower lips must be black. The ideal is to have a black head to the ears when young, as with age the mask diminishes. The hair must be short on the head, on the external face of the ears and lower limbs, except on the posterior edge of the forearm which is furnished from elbow to wrist with long hair called fringes. Long and smooth on the rest of the body and longer and more abundant around the neck and on the chest. The longest hairs are found at the level of the hindquarters and tail. The fawn grizzled color will remain the preferred and default color. The fawn must be warm, not light or faded. Any dog whose color does not meet the desired intensity cannot claim a good qualification. The head is well chiseled, long without exaggeration, dry. The skull and muzzle are of roughly equal length, with at most a very slight advantage for the muzzle, which gives an impression of fineness. The nose is well black and moist, the stop is straight; seen in profile it is parallel to the imaginary line extending the skull. The mouth is well slit, the lips must be fine, well tight, and very pigmented. The cheeks are dry, well flat although muscled. The jaw furnished with strong and white teeth, they must be well implanted and scissor, that is, the upper incisors should slide over those of the lower jaw and should exceed them slightly. The superposition of the incisors is tolerated; it is this dentition, called 'pincer bite', that flock shepherds particularly appreciate. The eyes very black of medium size, neither prominent nor sunken, slightly almond-shaped, eyelids bordered in black. The ears are triangular, stiff and straight, planted high on the skull, of length. The tail well planted, strong at the base, of medium length. At rest, the dog holds it hanging, the tip slightly bent backward at the level of the hock. In action, he raises it and accentuates the curve toward the tip, without however at any time it can form a hook or deviation.