THEY are known amongst owners and fans of the breed as “tervs.”
These dogs are distinguished primarily by their long flowing, fawn coloured coat with a black overlay and black mask and having an abundant ‘collarette’ around the neck.
Out of the four types of Belgian shepherds the terv is considered the rarest after the Laekenois.
The difference in their character from the other Belgian shepherds is that they tend to be a little more people friendly, especially if socialised at an early age.
Tervs are sweet natured and affectionate. They can also be mischievous, yet capable of mastering just about any task.
This is not a breed for everyone as they are very active and require quality time.
The herding instinct and quick intelligence make the breed suitable for any number of activities including herding, agility, obedience, light mushing and schutzhund activities.
They were bred for herding and guarding, and the first breed to win an ANC (American kennel club) herding dog championship.
Often mistaken for a German Shepherd, but they are lighter, squarer in build, racier and have a more refined head.
The terv makes a good watch dog, usually gentle with children, but they can be aggressive with other dogs if not socialised as puppies.
Temperament: tervuren dogs are sensitive and thrive on human interaction, which makes them unsuitable for owners who are away for long periods or owners who can’t give a lot of time for activities.
Maintenance of the long double coat only requires brushing a few times a week, but when shedding occurs at least once a year, depending on the climate, these dogs require a de-shedding tool or comb to remove all the dead hair and it takes around 15-20 minutes once a week.
Health: like most larger dogs the hips and elbows can be affected by dysplasia. They can suffer from retinal atrophy which can cause vision loss or blindness, and epilepsy.
These diseases are highly preventable if responsible breeders screen their breeding stock with x-rays and DNA testing.
