INTRODUCTION

The Belgian Shepherd Dog laekenois is a dog within the four varieties into which the Belgian Shepherd Dog is divided. The name ‘laekenois’ comes from the district of Laken, situated in the Belgian city of Brussels where he was selected.

THE ORIGIN OF THE LAEKENOIS BELGIAN SHEEPDOG

At the end of the 19th century, there were a large number of herding dogs in Belgium, whose type was heterogeneous and whose coat was extremely diverse. During the following years, the breed leaders of the Belgian Shepherd Dog worked tenaciously to unify the type and correct the faults. It can be said that by 1910 the type and character of the Belgian Shepherd Dog was fixed. During the history of the Belgian Shepherd Dog, the question of the different varieties and permitted colours gave rise to much controversy. On the other hand, when it came to morphology, character and suitability for work, there was never any disagreement.

WHAT IS THE BELGIAN LAEKENOIS SHEPHERD DOG LIKE?

GENERAL APPEARANCE : It is a medium sized dog, of harmonious proportions, combining elegance and power, of medium size, with dry, strong muscles, set in a square; rustic, accustomed to the weather and built to withstand the atmospheric variations so frequent in the Belgian climate. By the harmony of its forms and the haughty bearing of its head, the Belgian Shepherd must give the impression of that elegant robustness which has become an attribute of selected representatives of a working breed. Belgian Shepherds will be judged in their natural positions, without physical contact with the presenter.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS: The Belgian Shepherd is set in a square. The chest comes down to the level of the elbows. The length of the muzzle is equal to or slightly more than half the length of the head.

HEAD: Tall, long, without exaggeration, straight, well chiselled and dry. The length of skull and muzzle are at most similar, with a slight advantage for the muzzle, which gives the whole an impression of fine workmanship.

CRANIAL REGION

SKULL : Of medium width, in proportion to the length of the head; forehead more flat than arched and sagittal furrow not very accentuated. In profile, the upper lines of the skull and muzzle are parallel. Occipital crest not very pronounced, superciliary and zygomatic arches not very prominent.

STOP: Moderate.

FACIAL REGION

TRUFA: Black.

HOCIO: Of medium length and well chiselled below the eyes, tapering gradually towards the nose, elongated wedge-shaped; nasal bridge straight and parallel to the extended upper line of the forehead. Mouth wide open means: corners of lips set well back; jaws set wide apart.

LIPS: Thin, well closed and strongly pigmented.

JAWS / TEETH: Teeth strong and white, regular and strongly set in well developed jaws. scissor bite tolerated and preferred by shepherds and shepherdesses. Complete dentition, corresponding to the dental formula; the absence of 2 premolars (2PM1) is tolerated and 3 molars (M3) should be disregarded.

EYES: Medium size, neither prominent nor deep set; slightly almond-shaped; oblique; brown, preferably dark; rims of eyelids black; direct, lively, intelligent and questioning gaze.

EARS: Rather small, set on high, distinctly triangular in appearance, well rounded shells, pointed ends; stiff, carried straight and upright when the dog is attentive.

NECK: Well developed, slightly elongated, well muscled, gradually broadening to the shoulders and without dewlap. The back of the neck is slightly arched.

FOREQUARTERS

topline : The topline of the back and loin is straight.

CROSS: Accentuated.

BACK: Firm, short and well muscled.

LOIN: Well muscled; sloping very slightly; broad enough, but not too broad.

CHEST: Slightly broad, but well let down. The ribs are arched at the top. Seen from the front, the forechest is not too broad, without being narrow.

BOTTOM LINE : Begins under the chest and rises slightly in a harmonious curve towards the belly, which is neither tucked up nor tucked up, but slightly raised and moderately developed.

TAIL: Well set on, strong at the base, of medium length, preferably reaching or passing the hock. At rest, carried pendulous, with the tip slightly bent backwards at the level of the hock. In action, higher, without exceeding the horizontal. The curve towards the point is more accentuated, without at any time forming a hook or a deflection.

LIMBS

FOREQUARTERS: Solid bone, but not heavy. Muscles dry and strong. Forequarters straight from all sides and perfectly parallel from the front.

Shoulders : Shoulder blades long and oblique, shoulders well laid back, forming a sufficient and ideal angle of 110° to 115° to the humerus.

ELBOWS: Firm, neither loose nor tight.

HANDS: Feet round, cat feet, with arched and well closed toes. Pads thick and elastic. Nails dark and thick.

HINDQUARTERS : Powerful, but not heavy; in profile, the hindquarters are well upright and, seen from behind, perfectly parallel.

KNEES: Approximately straight at the croup; normal angulation of the stifle.

METATARS: Solid and short. No ergos desired.

FEET: May be slightly oval. Toes arched and well closed. Pads thick and elastic. Nails dark and thick.

GAIT / MOVEMENT : Live and free in all its forms. The Belgian Shepherd is a good galloper, but his usual movement is the walk and especially the trot, the limbs moving parallel to the median plane of the body. At high speed, the feet are close to the median plane (single tracking). At trot, the amplitude is medium, the movement is regular and easy, with good propulsion of the hindquarters. The topline remains very tight, without the front legs rising too high (Hackney). In constant movement, the Belgian Shepherd seems tireless. His gait is quick, springy and lively. He is able to make a sudden change of direction at full speed. Due to his exuberant temperament and his desire to guard and protect, he has a tendency to move in circles.

SKIN: Elastic, but well spread over the body; well pigmented lips and eyelids.

COAT :

HAIR: Hair very long, silky, wavy, wavy, curly or short; full of fine hairs, scattered in tufts between the stiff hairs; long hair around the eyes or around the lower end of the head; thick tail.

COLOUR: Fawn only with traces of reddish, mainly on muzzle and tail.

SIZE:

Males: 62 cm
Bitches: 58 cm

FAULTS: Any departure from the terms of this standard should be considered a fault and should be punished in exact proportion to its seriousness and its effect on the health and welfare of the dog.

• GENERAL APPEARANCE: Too heavy, not too elegant, too light or too weak, longer than high, set in a rectangle.
  
  
• HEAD: Heavy, too strong, not parallel, not chiselled or dry; forehead too rounded; stop too marked or unmarked; muzzle too short or pointed; nasal bridge concave; superciliary or zygomatic arches too prominent.
  
  
• NOSE, NOSE, LIPES AND NECK: Signs of depigmentation.
  
  
• TEETH : Incisors poorly set.
  
  

SERIOUS FAULTS:

• Missing 1 incisor, 1 PM3, 3 PM1, 1PM2 or 3PM1.
• EYES : Clear, round.
• EARS: Large, long, very wide at the base, low set, divergent or convergent.
• NECK: Weak; short or tucked up between the shoulders.
• BODY: Very elongated; sides of chest too broad (cylindrical).
• CROSS: Dull or low.
• TOPLINE: Back and/or loin long, weak, saddled or ruffled.
• Croup: Very sloping or high.
• BOTTOM LINE: Too much or too little let down; too much belly.
• TAIL: Set on too low; carried too high; carried too high; hooked; deviated.
• LIMBS: Bone too light or too heavy; seen in profile, poorly fitting (e.g. too oblique forelegs or weak carpus). Seen from the front, legs turned outwards or inwards, dislocated elbows, etc. Or, seen from behind, hindquarters too close together, too wide apart or barrel-shaped, open or closed hocks, etc.; too little or exaggerated angulation.
• FEET: Open.
• GAIT / MOVEMENT: Close, very short stride, poor propulsion, poor transmission through the back, rental car.
• HAIR: Insufficient undercoat, woolly, wavy or curly hair. Hair not long enough. Red highlights in coat, grey breeches.
  
  

DISQUALIFYING FAULTS

• Aggressiveness or excessive shyness.
• Any dog showing any sign of physical or behavioural abnormality shall be disqualified.
  
  
• TEETH: Overshot or undershot, even without loss of contact (reverse scissors); cross occlusion; absence of 1 canine (1C), 1 upper (1 PM4) or lower (1M1) premolar, 1 molar (1M1 or 1M2, disregard M3), 1 premolar 3 (1PM3) plus any other tooth, or a total of 3 teeth (excluding premolars) or more.
  
  
• NOSE, NOSE, LIPS AND ARRORS: Strongly depigmented.
  
  
• EARS: Drooping or held artificially erect.
  
  
• TAIL: Absence of tail (from birth or by amputation); carried very high and ring-shaped or curly.
  
  
• HAIR: Absence of undercoat.
  
  
• COLOURS: All colours not corresponding to the colours of the varieties described. Large chest patches, especially if they run to the withers. White on the feet, exceeding half of the metacarpals or metatarsals, forming stockings.
  
  
• SIZE: Outside the permitted limits.
  
  

NB:

• Male dogs should have both testicles, of normal appearance, well let down and tucked up in the scrotum.
• Only clinically and functionally sound dogs with typical breed conformation should be used for breeding.
  
  

HEALTH OF THE LAEKENOIS BELGIAN SHEPHERD DOG

Like all Belgian Shepherds, the Laekenois is an active dog requiring plenty of mental and physical exercise every day, otherwise he can become destructive and direct his frustration and stress towards other animals or family members; he should be brushed every week with an extra long barbed card and bathed every one and a half to two months (especially at moulting time). In terms of nutrition, these dogs require essential fatty oils for a healthy coat and skin, so fish-based products are a good choice, as well as high quality proteins such as Angus beef-based feeds.

The most common diseases in this breed are:

• HIP DISPLASIA: This is a very common disease in German Shepherds. It is characterised by inflammation and pain in the joint between the hip and the femur of the dog. It is a congenital hereditary disease.
  
  
• ELBOW DYSPLASIA: Canine elbow dysplasia is a disease consisting of multiple abnormalities of the elbow joint. The elbow joint is a complex joint made up of three bones (the radius, ulna and humerus). If these three bones do not fit together perfectly as a result of growth disturbances, an abnormal distribution of weight on different areas of the joint occurs, which causes pain, lameness and leads to the development of arthritis. Elbow dysplasia is a disease comprising several disorders grouped into medial space disease (fragmentation of the coronoid process, osteochondrosis, elbow incongruity and elbow anomalies) and nonunion of the anconeal process. The cause of canine elbow dysplasia is unclear. There are several theories as to the exact cause of the disease, including genetics', cartilage growth defects, trauma, diet and other issues. The most common suspicion is that it is a multifactorial disease causing growth disturbances.
  
  
• CATARACTS: Cataracts in dogs are a loss of transparency of the lens that helps them to see better, i.e. loss of the crystalline lens. Due to the breakage of the crystalline tissue, opacity is produced in the eyes and causes blurred vision. It is essential to treat them as soon as possible because the more time passes, the more dense they become and the more likely it is that the canines will have a total loss of vision without the ability to recover it. There are several causes of cataract disease in dogs. One of them can be by nature or by the dog's old age, as we have already mentioned above, due to the rupture of the crystalline lens. But there are also other causes of cataracts in dogs, such as trauma, injury, inflammation of the eye or diabetes. However, the most common cause, or the one most commonly diagnosed, is hereditary cataracts. Age is not a determining factor in this cause as they can appear when the animal is young.
  
  
• CORNEAL DISTROPHY: Corneal dystrophy is an inherited genetic disease affecting the cornea, the transparent circular wall at the front of the eye. It usually affects the central part of the cornea in both eyes without causing eye inflammation and progresses slowly.
  
  
• GLAUCOMA: This hereditary disease is detected at 2 to 3 years of age. The German Shepherd has pain in his eye and rubs it with his paw or against a surface. The intraocular pressure increases and causes the pain. A dilated, opaque pupil is a clear symptom of the disease.
  
  

THE PERSONALITY OF THE LAEKENOIS BELGIAN SHEPHERD DOG

He is a vigilant and active dog, full of vitality and always ready for action. To his innate aptitude as a flock guarder, he adds the precious qualities of the best watchdog; when in need, he is, without the slightest hesitation, an obstinate and ardent defender of his owner. He has all the qualities required to be a herding, guarding, defending and service dog. His lively and alert temperament, his confident character, without fear or aggression, should be visible in the attitude of his body and in the haughty and attentive expression of his bright eyes. Your ‘calm’ and ‘courageous’ character should be recorded in the trials.

CONCLUSION

The Belgian Shepherd Laekenois is a variant of the Belgian Shepherd breed. Its rough wire-like coat gives it a rustic appearance. Compared to other variants of the breed, especially the temperamental Malinois, he is calmer. However, he also likes to be tested physically and mentally.