Pastoral group · Belgium
Belgian Laekenois
Also called Laekenois, Laeken, Chien de Berger Belge.
What makes them remarkable
One of its early guarding jobs was watching over linen left drying in Belgian fields.
- Protective
- Alert
- Devoted
- Intelligent
- Reserved
- Size
- Large
- Weight
- 25 to 29 kg55 to 65 lb
- Lives
- 10 to 12 years
- Energy
- High
- Trains
- High
- Barks
- High
Training
Training a Belgian Laekenois
Pastoral breeds. Give the brain a job or it will find one. Chasing, nipping and fixating are the breed doing its work.
Strong Protective Instinct
Start here
Most protective of the Belgian varieties, requires extensive socialisation to prevent over-guarding.
Consistent Boundaries
Needs a calm, consistent handler who sets clear routines early and rewards the right choices.
Coat Maintenance Training
Accustom to grooming early as the rough coat requires regular hand-stripping.
The app turns this into five to fifteen minutes a day.
Add your Belgian Laekenois and it builds the plan around their age, where they came from and what they already know, one step at a time.
Free to start. iPhone. No card needed.
At home
Living with one
Bred to herd and guard livestock. Watchful, responsive, and wired to control movement.
Gets on with
- ChildrenModerate
- Other dogsModerate
- StrangersLow
- CatsModerate
Breed averages. Early socialisation and the individual dog matter more.
- Exercise
- 1.5-2 hours daily. Active exercise and mental stimulation required.
- Grooming
- Moderate. Hand-stripping required twice yearly, regular brushing.
- Drool
- Low
- Coat
- Rough, Wiry, TousledFawn, Red, Greyish tones with Black Shading
- In a flat
- Needs more space than a flat gives.
Health
Things to ask a breeder or vet about
Hip Dysplasia
Moderate
Joint malformation common in herding breeds
Elbow Dysplasia
Moderate
Developmental elbow abnormality
Where they come from
History
The rarest of the four Belgian shepherd varieties, named after the royal estate of Laeken. Originally used to guard linen drying in the fields and as a messenger dog during World Wars.
Similar breeds
All breeds
Belgian Sheepdog
The long black coat identifies the Groenendael, one of the four Belgian shepherd varieties.
Large · Pastoral
Belgian Tervuren
This Belgian shepherd takes its name from the village of Tervuren, where its development took shape.
Large · Pastoral
Anatolian Shepherd Dog
Its traditional job is to stay with a flock and deter predators, rather than move sheep like a herding dog.
Giant · Pastoral
Belgian Malinois
Before military and police work, the Malinois was a herding dog named after the Belgian city of Malines.
Large · Pastoral