Belgian sheepdog

Belgian sheepdog
one of a Belgian breed of medium-sized dogs having a long, straight black coat and erect ears, raised originally for herding sheep.
[1925-30]

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▪ breed of dog
also called  Groenendael  
 working dog developed in the village of Groenendaal, Belgium, in 1885. A long-haired black dog, the Belgian sheepdog has a relatively pointed muzzle and erect, triangular ears. It is valued for its intelligence and working ability; in addition to herding sheep, it has been useful as a military dog, guard, and guide for the blind. Typically strong and agile, it stands 22 to 26 inches (56 to 66 cm) and weighs 50 to 60 pounds (23 to 27 kg). The Belgian sheepdog is one of several shepherd dogs developed in Belgium. As a result of breeding for ability rather than appearance, there were about seven varieties of sheepherding dogs in Belgium in the late 1800s, when attempts were begun to standardize the appearance of the animals. In addition to the black-haired form, the American Kennel Club also recognizes as distinct breeds the Belgian Tervuren and the Belgian Malinois.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Belgian sheepdog — n. any of a Belgian breed of large herding dog with a black coat, sometimes used as a guide dog …   English World dictionary

  • Belgian sheepdog — noun hardy working dog developed in Belgium for herding sheep • Syn: ↑Belgian shepherd • Hypernyms: ↑shepherd dog, ↑sheepdog, ↑sheep dog • Hyponyms: ↑groenendael, ↑malinois …   Useful english dictionary

  • Belgian Sheepdog — noun a) One of four variants of sheep herding dog bred in Belgium. b) The Groenendael variant of the above. Syn: Belgian Shepherd Dog, Belgian Shepherd, Belgian Groenendael …   Wiktionary

  • Belgian sheepdog — Bel′gian sheep′dog n. dch one of a Belgian breed of dogs with a long black coat and erect ears, raised orig. for herding sheep • Etymology: 1925–30 …   From formal English to slang

  • Belgian sheepdog — noun Date: 1929 any of a breed of hardy dogs developed in Belgium especially for herding sheep and having abundant long straight black hair with a dense undercoat …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Belgian Shepherd Dog — (also know as the Belgian Sheepdog or Chien de Berger Belge) can refer to any of four varieties of dog: the Groenendael, the Laekenois, the Tervuren, or the Malinois. In some regions, these are considered four different varieties of a single… …   Wikipedia

  • belgian — griffon (small black or reddish black terrier); Belgian horse (draft horse); Belgian hare (rabbit); Belgian sheepdog …   Eponyms, nicknames, and geographical games

  • Belgian Shepherd Dog (Groenendael) — Infobox Dogbreed image caption = A male Groenendael name = Belgian Shepherd Dog (Groenendael) altname = Belgian Sheepdog Chien de Berger Belge country = Belgium fcistd = http://www.dogdomain.com/FCI/fcistandards/fci 015.htm fcigroup = 1… …   Wikipedia

  • Belgian Shepherd Dog (Malinois) — Infobox Dogbreed image caption = Belgian Malinois, one of four kinds of Belgian Shepherd Dogs. name = Belgian Shepherd Dog Malinois altname = Belgian Malinois Chien de Berger Belge Mechelaar Mechelse Herder ( Mechelse Scheper ) Pastor Belga… …   Wikipedia

  • Belgian Shepherd Dog (Laekenois) — Infobox Dogbreed image caption = name = Belgian Shepherd Dog (Laekenois) altname = Belgian Laekenois Belgian Shepherd Dog (Laeken) Chien de Berger Belge country = Belgium akcgroup = Foundation Stock Service (FSS) akcstd =… …   Wikipedia

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