This new Alpine edition includes hundreds of pages brimming with information and descriptions of the three Belgian breeds: Tervuren, Malinois, and Belgian Sheepdog. It features updated information on agility, herding, schutzhund, and brand new chapters on Belgians as therapy dogs and how to get involved in canine freestyle!

REVIEWS

"Those Who are thinking about owning a Belgian or are already established in the breed will find Belgians brimming with all aspects of breed information, illustrations, and descriptions of the three Belgian breeds: Tervuren, Malinois, and Belgian sheepdog. The book features updated information on agility, herding, schutzhund, therapy dogs, and how to get involved in freestyle." (Dog & Kennel, December 2004)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Ch 1   Breed History           

Ch 2   Not A Breed for Everyone      

Ch 3   Breed Temperament Defined                  

Ch 4   Breed Type Defined                

Ch 5   Structure Defined     

Ch 6   Inheritance Factors  

Ch 7   Coat and Color Inheritance    

Ch 8   The Breeding Game

Ch 9   The Brood Bitch       

Ch 10  The Stud Dog          

Ch 11  The Breeding           

Ch 12  Whelping 

Ch 13  Hooked On Puppies

Ch 14  Choose Pick of the Litter       

Ch 15  Vaccinations and Anesthesia               

Ch 16  Evaluating Temperament       

Ch 17  Introduction to Versatility Guest Authors            

Ch 18  Agility       

Ch 19  Assistance Belgians               

Ch 20  Flyball, the Ultimate Dog Sport

Ch 21  Our Herding Breed    

Ch 22  Obedient Belgians

Ch 23  Champions of Ringsport        

Ch 24  Schutzhund              

Ch 25  Search and Rescue 

Ch 26  A Tribute to Belgians That Serve        

Ch 27  Tracking   

Ch 28  Conformation Kindergarten  

Ch 29  Care and Maintenance of Show Dogs 

Ch 30  Training for Conformation     

Ch 31  Grooming for Conformation

Ch 32  History and Function of the American Kennel Club         

Ch 33  AKC Conformation Shows    

Ch 34  Ready, Set, Show!   

Ch 35  United Kennel Club

Ch 36  International Dog Shows

Ch 37  Dancing with Belgians

Ch 38  Therapy Dogs

EXCERPT

Sample Chapter:

Introducing A Puppy to Sheep

                A Belgian must have a strong desire to please and an equal desire to work stock in order to handle the training necessary to become a useful stock dog. The underlying drive to work stock is a combination of prey drive, play drive and, of course, the desire to please his owner. This point is debatable, however, and most stock dog people won't hesitate to debate it with you.

                The largest obstacle to overcome in training Belgians to herd is their hyper-reactive, impetuous nature. The more excited or upset the owner becomes, the more hyper-reactive the Belgian becomes. The dog often does not realize that it is he who is making the wrecks that are upsetting the owner. He thinks the "bad sheep" are getting him into trouble, so he wants to teach them some respect. The Belgian desires total order and logic while working sheep. Unfortunately, the sheep are not aware of the Belgian's compulsion toward complete logic and order. That said, we'll progress to some training lessons.

                At age 7 or 8 weeks, take the puppy along with a willing, experienced dog out to the stock. Make absolutely sure you are using dog-broke, compliant, seen-it-all, base stock--ducks are ideal, but occasionally some lambs or small ewes or an 18 foot diagonal round pen for this. It's a good idea to start working on the follow and lead while going to and from the pen.

                Even at this young age, your puppy should show some signs of trying to control the stock. Don't worry about barking, racing about, and pulling wool or even grips (unless it is predatory behavior, intended to injure). Conversely, don't worry if the pup is tentative at first; at this age the puppy that makes progress in figuring out what the game plan is. Most puppies are eager to imitate the adult and if they see how much fun the adult is having, they usually want to have fun too. Make sure that the adult dog performs any tasks requiring power or control so that the puppy goes to the head of the flock, the flock magically turns properly because the adult dog is behind the puppy. Take the puppy out every two days or so. If they have talent, start trying to mold it a bit. If the puppy doesn't immediately display any talent, just let him wander about and smell duck or sheep droppings or chase the adult's tail.

                If, after having several chances to watch another dog work the stock, the puppy still has no interest, you can expect that this particular puppy will either be very slow to develop or will never develop sufficient interest. A puppy that is totally out of control is going to be difficult to manage. The best puppies are moderate--eager to try and willing to listen, but a tad uncertain.

                Herding is a partnership with the handler as the senior partner. You must respect and trust your puppy in order for him to herd well, and a basic obedience class can only help with that. Prior to putting your six-month old puppy on stock, some basic obedience--come, sit, down, a reliable recall and solid "stop," and a decent heel on leash--is necessary. Your puppy can't be calm on stock nor can he obey you if he is hyped-up and not listening to you.

                What happens if you don't have a trained dog to serve as the puppy's mentor? You will still need compliant, easy-going sheep, but the puppy should be a bit older (closer to six months), and you will have to play the part of the backup dog. The instant your puppy shows any interest, encourage him with praise, help him herd the stock if necessary, and ensure that he always succeeds in his stock--if you aren't, take your puppy to a trainer for assistance. Many dogs are tested by someone other than the person who eventually becomes their handler, so it won't hurt to have someone else handle your puppy. It is important that the trainer knows what he or she is doing. Ask around and check the trainer's methods and experience. In addition, be sure that the trainer has docile, dog-broke stock so that your puppy can experience success.

                The first step for the trainer is to assist the dog and handler in achieving a calm, relaxed manner while in the company of sheep. I like to accomplish this by filling a pen with sheep, leaving barely enough room for the dog and handler. Working in tight quarters helps the dog get acquainted with the sheep and learn about them while remaining calm. I do not attempt to progress until both the dog and handler have learned to relax. I then remove enough sheep from the pen to give the dog room to work the remaining sheep.

                The next lesson to teach the dog is that when the sheep run away, it is his duty to get around the sheep and bring them back. The handler, with the dog restrained by a leash, follows the sheep along the fence line, causing them to move away from the handler and the dog. As the sheep begin to trot away, the handler must help the dog get in front of the sheep where, by the use of quick body maneuvers, the dog can change the direction of the sheep, hopefully back toward the handler. As the dog turns the sheep, the handler must run backward, giving the sheep an incentive to move toward him. Using a fence line enables the handler to prevent the dog from incessant circling, which is a vice that Belgians enjoy, but accomplishes nothing.

                If the dog applies too much pressure to the sheep by crowding them, the sheep will run over the handler who should react by waiving his arms and commanding the dog to "slow down!" This causes the dog to lose his contact with the sheep. The principle behind this action is that if the dog will remain calm, he will get to keep working his sheep. I never use a "down" command to calm the dog because the more you "down" a Belgian around sheep, the more upset the Belgian becomes. because a loose-eyed dog used body to control sheep, he loses contact with them when he is lying down. A dog which is said to have "eye" uses his eyes and can hold the sheep from any position, standing or lying.

                The down command is useless in teaching the Belgian to work sheep. The Belgian that want to dive into the sheep and grip (or bite) must be taught to circle wide. The handler may accomplish this by positioning his body between the dog and the sheep, using appropriate body language to cause the dog to widen out and away from the stock.

                The ability to work sheep cannot be learned from a book, and although videos are helpful, the assistance of an experienced stock dog trainer is a necessity if you hope to attain any titles. There are numerous stock dog clinics held throughout the year across the United States. Attend as many of these clinics as you can, obtain the services of an experienced trainer and practice, practice, practice. Good Herding!