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Breed
Standard - click here to read about the FCI Standard accepted in Australia.
HISTORY
In Belgium, at the end of the 1800’s, there were a great many herding
dogs, whose type was varied and whose coats were extremely dissimilar. In
order to rationalise this state of affairs, some enthusiastic dog fanciers
formed a group and sought guidance from Prof. A. Reul of the Cureghem
Veterinary Medical School, whom one must consider to have been the real
pioneer and founder of the breed.
The breed was officially born between 1891 and 1897. On September 29th,
1891, the Belgian Shepherd Dog Club (Club du Chien de Berger Belge) was
founded in Brussels and in the same year on November 15th in Cureghem,
Professor A Reul organised a gathering of 117 dogs, which allowed him to
carry out a return and choose the best specimens. In the following years
they began a real programme of selection, carrying out some very close
interbreeding involving a few stud dogs.
By April 3rd, 1892, a first detailed breed standard had been drawn up by the
Belgian Shepherd Dog Club. One single breed was allowed, with three coat
varieties. However, as was said at the time, the Belgian Shepherd only
belonged to ordinary people and therefore the breed still lacked status.
As a result, it wasn’t until 1901 that the first Belgian Shepherds were
registered with the Royal Saint-Hubert Society Stud Book (L.O.S.H.).
During the following years, the prime movers among the Belgian Shepherd
enthusiasts set to work with great determination to unify the type and
correct the faults. It can be said that by 1910 the type and temperament of
the Belgian Shepherd had been established.
During the history of the Belgian Shepherd, the questions of differing but
acceptable varieties and colours had led to many heated discussions. On the
other hand, anything involving morphology, temperament and suitability for
work has never caused any disagreement.