The Library at Epix

The Library


Breed Rescue	Breed Clubs	Health Issues	Standards
Pedigree Research	Breed History	Character and Temperament	Belgian Merchandise and Collectibles
Mailing Lists and Message Boards	Training Your Belgian	Natural Rearing	Belgian Shepherd Homepages

Breed Rescue
Before you decide on a breeder and reserve your puppy... consider a Belgian Shepherd rescue or rehome. These are adult dogs or older pups who, for various reasons, need to find a new and loving home. Find out more by visiting the pages below.

Rescue and Rehome Lists - all varieties

Belgian Rescue and Rehomes - Karen Perdue's page. All Belgians

Belgian Rescue - at Belgians.com. All Belgians, from the Belg-L rescue and rehome listing.

BSCA Belgian Sheepdog Rescue - Groenendael

Southern California Belgian Rescue - Kim Buchanan's page; all Belgians

AMBC Rescue Page - Malinois

Von Christel Malinois Rescue

Belgian Malinois Rescue Links - Including the Rescue Hall of Fame picture gallery!

Breed Clubs
US and Canadian clubs for the breeds/varieties. Breed information, specialty show info. Most national breed clubs maintain breeder referral lists.

National Clubs

Belgian Sheepdog Club of America (AKC)

Belgian Tervuren Club of America (AKC)

American Belgian Malinois Club (AKC)

American Belgian Laekenois Association

United Belgian Shepherd Dog Association (UKC) - all varieties

Belgian Shepherd Dog Club of Canada - all varieties

Regional Clubs

Downeaster Belgian Sheepdog Club - Northeast and New England US

Raritan Belgian Sheepdog Club - New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York

Northwest Belgian Sheepdog Club - Northwest US, includes info on th 2004 BSCA National!

Berkshire Belgian Tervuren Club - Northeast and New England US

Redwood Belgian Tervuren Fanciers - Northern California

Lone Star Belgian Tervuren Club - Texas

Four Seasons Belgian Shepherd Dog Club (UKC) - Michigan

Health Issues
Belgians tend to be very healthy and robust in general. There are some inherited disorders that a would-be Belgian owner will want to research. Hip dysplasia is uncommon but may be on the rise. Eye disease is somewhat more common. Your breeder should be able to provide documentation that their breeding stock has no apparent inherited defects. Incidence of epilepsy is difficult to determine. It seems to vary according to variety and lines, although it is doubtful that any lines have had zero incidence. Anesthesia sensitivity is a real concern for any Belgian, as Belgians tend to carry little body fat, and can be overdosed, particularly with certain drugs. Below are links to pages concerning these issues and others that can affect any dog, regardless of breed.

Eye Disease

CERF Database

OFA Database - look up hip ratings on individual dogs

Idiopathic Epilepsy in the Belgian Tervuren

Epilepsy in Canines

Canine Epilepsy Network

Canine Epilepsy

An Anesthetic Primer for the Belgian Owner - by Libbye Miller DVM

Veterinary Notes for the Belgian Breeds - a printable PDF file you can take to your vet on specific anesthesia sensitivities in Belgians. By Libbye Miller DVM NEW!

Anesthesia Sensitivity in Belgians - read this before you put your Belgian under

The Immune System and Disease Resistance - by W Jean Dodds, DVM

Thyroid Disease - by Jean Dodds, DVM

Canine Diversity Project - Inbreeding vs assortative mating; genetic health for dogs

Bloat - emergency treatment protocol

Standards for the Belgian Shepherd

AKC standard - Belgian Sheepdog

AKC standard - Belgian Tervuren

AKC standard - Belgian Malinois

UKC standard - all varieties

FCI (Belgian) standard - all varieties

Canadian (CKC) Standard - all varieties

Pedigree Research

Belgian Sheepdog Pedigree Database - courtesy Claire de Lune Belgians

Belgian Tervuren Pedigree Search - Kristina Pattison's site

Belgian Shepherd Pedigrees - European pedigrees; courtesy Svein Mobaek

Belgian Shepherd History
Finding out more about the origin and original purpose of the Belgian Shepherd will help you understand the dog of today. Always remember that the Belgian is first and foremost a FUNCTIONAL breed.

A History of The Belgian Shepherd Dogs - by Mara Lee Jiles

Belgian Breed History - includes the first breed standard

Belgian History - in Danish. Some very cool photos of early Belgian Shepherds

Dogs From The Past - some very nice Tervuren photos from the 50's onward, from Sanroyale

Legendary Malinois - has great old photos of the varieties

Dogs of The Past - nice photos of some influential Belgians, from the Cadre Noir page

First Continental Herding Trial - account of the 1892 trial sponsored by the Belgian Shepherd and Collie clubs, Belgium

Belgian Shepherd History

Character and Temperament
Those who are smitten with the Belgian Shepherd cannot imagine life without these intelligent, sensitive, impetuous dogs. But they are certainly not a breed that everyone will enjoy living with. Before you commit to 12 to 16 years of being owned by a Belgian, do your research and be sure of your choice. The following articles will help get you started.

The Belgian Sheep-herding Dogs - from the Dog Owner's Guide

The Belgian Tervuren - Patty Mundine's article applies equally well to all the varieties

Why a Belgian Sheepdog? Maria Magnusson's look at the pro's and con's of Belgian ownership

About Belgian Sheepdogs - Lorra Miller's article on Belgian character, grooming, and health

Working With Your Belgian Shepherd - an insightful look at Belgian Shepherd character

Living with your Belgian Shepherd Dog - by the BSD Association of Great Britain

Belgian Shepherd Profile - for prospective owners. Courtesy Lumineux Belgians, Australia

Ulv, The Belgian Groenendael - not exactly an article, but this grouse-retrieving, deer-tracking, boar-herding BSD gives a nice perspective on the "total Belgian"; from Norway

Malinois FAQ - from the ABMC website

Tervuren FAQ - from the ABTC website

Ten Golden Rules for Training Tervs

Belgian Shepherd Merchandise and Collectibles
Merchandise from the sites below is available in Belgian Sheepdog, Tervuren, and Malinois unless otherwise noted. If you know of other sites that should be here, let me know.

Artwork and Sculpture

River Wolf Canine Art Gallery - fine artwork, prints, notecards

Argente Fine Arts - sculpture, painting, graphic design

Fabienne Folk Art - beautiful Belgian Shepherd folk art paintings on wood

Con Brio - needlework graphs, chiengora (dog hair) spinning, and pen and ink prints

S.T. White Photo Art - Suzanne White's Tervuren photography

Argostar Dog Art

Canine Fine Arts - fine-art prints, books

Belgian Stained Glass - Kathleen LaDue's glasswork

Bronze Head Study - Cold cast bronze Belgian head study

Lekven design - handcrafted Danish porcelain plates; Tervuren and Malinois available

Kingsheart Forge - Sheepdog and Tervuren garden sculptures and wall hangings

Stamps

Kei Mar Stamps - search by breed or country

Stamps of the Belgian Shepherd

Belgian Stamps From around The World

Crossing Signs

Signxing.com - large selection of crossing signs, fence signs, etc; custom signs also available

Dogsigns.com - dog crossing signs

Miscellaneous Collectibles

BSCA Store - variety of Belgian Sheepdog items

Belgique Boutique - "the One Stop Shop For The Complete Belgian Shepherd"

MagnaDogZ - magnetic silhouettes for your vehicle - in Belgians and other breeds

BelgShop 4.0 - clothing and collectibles in each BSD variety, plus all 4 together

The Gift Shop at Rolin Ridge - Belgian Sheepdog shirts, mugs, mousepads, more

Beauty of the Beasts - sterling silver breed jewelry

Four Season BSD Club - 4-variety tapestry design on notecards, pillows, totes, more

Raritan Belgian Sheepdog Club - BSD-theme sweatshirts, tees. Includes the Versatile Belgian Sheepdog design!

Patswork Designs Custom Embroidery - BSD and other breeds in performance dog designs

Breed Fabric - has a Terv and Sheep design

Bonnie's Shop - BSD-theme woolens and linens

Puttin' On The Dog - premade and custom collectibles and gifts

The Little Dog Laughed - collectibles and gifts

Animal Krackers - clothing, windsocks, banners, statues, notecards, more

Golden Wonders - jewelry

SitStay.com - clothing, jewelry

Mailing Lists, Message Boards
These are a great way to learn about the breed before you decide to bring home a Belgian Shepherd, as well as being virtual "support groups" for the owner, new or experienced!

Belg-L - THE Belgian Shepherd email list. All varieties, global membership. High volume.

Tervuren-L - a Hoflin list

Working Belgians - for the sport and working enthusiast

Belgian Shepherd Training - discussion group devoted to the training of the Belgian Shepherd in all manner of sports

Sit-Stay Discussion Forums- if you prefer to avoid a crowded inbox

Training

Index sites - multi-activity

Working Dog Web - conditioning and training

Dr. P's Dog Training - competition obedience, clicker training, learning theory

The Dogpatch - large index site with links to all kinds of canine activities

WorkingDogs.com - links to all aspects of training, work, health, and conditioning

Dog Play - "Having Fun With your Dog"

Clicker and Operant Conditioning

Clicker Training, Operant and Classical Conditioning - understanding positive reinforcement

Shaping For The Show Ring - Karen Pryor's 4 part article

Behavior and Training - Very nice positive reinforcement page from Down Under

Find a Clicker Trainer - geographical index

ClickTrain Keepers - from Shirley Chong's webpage

Behavior and Training Articles

Incorporating Working Temperament Into A Breeding Program - Denise Fenzi's essays

Operant Conditioning and The Malinois - by Jona Decker

Workingdogs.com - monthly articles

Eye Contact in Five Seconds

Natural Rearing

General Natural Health Pages

Natural Rearing Homepage - Marina Zacharias - articles, products

AltVet Homepage - good source for all things alternative that pertain to animals

Wellpet Homepages

Natural Health Articles

What's Really in Pet Food

Polluted Pet Food

Modern Hygiene's Dirty Tricks - fascinating article on one of our modern obsessions

Index Sites

Shirley's Wellness Cafe - natural feeding, homeopathy, vaccine controversy, you name it

BARF - lots of information and sources on the Bones And Raw Foods diet

FAQs

BARF FAQ

Sample Diets

Home-Prepared Diet - from Serack Belgians

Clearview Rottweiler diet

Feeding the Adult Dog

Feeding Your New Puppy

The BARF Pictorial

Belgian Shepherd Homepages
The pages below are in the USA or Canada, unless otherwise noted. For international links organized by country, visit the Belgian Shepherd Links page. Also DeBelisi has extensive worldwide links.

Multi-Variety

Belgian Shepherd Links - extensive links to Belgian Shepherd sites worldwide

Belgians.com - lots of info on Belgians; home of the Famous Photo Gallery

Blackwater Farms Tervuren and Groenendael

Sky High Belgian Shepherds

Wandrlyn Belgian Shepherds - Groenendael, Malinois, and Laekenois

Kennel Black Master - Finland

Maximum Belgians - Tervuren and Groenedael

Basquelaine - Tervuren and Groenedael

Cadre Noir - Tervuren and Groenedael

Savanna Belgians - Tervuren and Groenendael

Vom Wilzenberg Belgian Shepherds - Tervuren and Groenendael