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Breed profile

Belgian Tervuren

Long-coated Belgian herder: sharp, sensitive and tireless. Brilliant with a job to do, and a handful without one.

A fawn and black long-coated Belgian Tervuren mid-leap over an agility jump indoors.
A Belgian Tervuren at an agility competitionPhoto: Flickr user SheltieBoy (Ron Armstrong) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Weight
20–30 kg44–66 lb
Height
56–66 cm22–26 in
Lifespan
12–14 yrs
Group
Pastoral / Herding
Origin
Belgium
Popularity
#115 US#164 UK · 2025

Known for: Working dogsRunning partners

Energy
Shedding
Trainability
Barking
Good with kids
Flat-friendly

Temperament

Intelligent, Watchful, Sensitive, Devoted.

Health problems to know about

  • Idiopathic epilepsy
  • Hip and elbow dysplasia
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Gastric cancer
  • Progressive retinal atrophy and other eye disease

Ask breeders for the parents' health test results, and check what your national breed club recommends screening for.

Daily care

Two hours or more of exercise a day, plus training or a dog sport such as agility, herding or obedience. Brush weekly, nearly daily when the coat drops in spring and autumn. Early, gentle socialisation.

A good fit for

Experienced, active owners who want a training partner and have time for a dog sport.

Probably not ideal for

Flats, first-time owners, homes with small children it may try to herd, people out all day.

Sources

  1. Royal Kennel Club: Belgian Shepherd Dog (Tervueren)
  2. American Belgian Tervuren Club: Health
  3. Idiopathic Epilepsy Risk Allele Trends in Belgian Tervuren (Genes, 2024)
  4. PetMD: Belgian Tervuren
  5. Wikipedia: Belgian Shepherd

Popularity: AKC 2025 registration rankings (US); Royal Kennel Club 2025 registrations (UK, ranked by us). Breed traits are tendencies, not guarantees. Individual dogs vary, and mixed breeds and rescues can be wonderful fits too.

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German Shepherd Dog

Loyal, smart and serious about work. Brilliant with training, a handful without it.

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A tireless athlete. Brilliant running partner, chaos if under-exercised.

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