The Laekenois is a breed of dog, sometimes classified as a
variety of the Belgian Shepherd rather than as a separate breed. 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.
Appearance
Like
all Belgian Shepherds, the Laekenois is a medium-sized, hard-working,
square-proportioned dog in the 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.
Activities
Laekenois
can compete in dog agility 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.
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 is placed in fields to dry. In the First and Second World War, the
Laekenois was used a messenger dog .
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.
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