Belgian Laekenois

Belgian shepherd dogs were catalogued and sorted into varieties in the 1890s by Professor Adolphe Reul of the Cureghem veterinary school, who separated the local herding dogs by coat rather than by function. The rough-coated fawn type became known as the Laekenois after the Château de Laeken near Brussels, a royal residence where Queen Marie Henriette is said to have taken a particular interest in the dogs working the grounds.

Long before it was a show variety, the rough-coated shepherd worked in the countryside around Boom, where flax growers spread linen out in the fields to bleach. The dogs guarded those valuable cloths as well as herding stock, which is where the breed's guarding instinct was sharpened.

The Laekenois has always been the rarest of the four varieties and its numbers fell badly during both world wars, when Belgian shepherds were used as messenger and ambulance dogs. The FCI treats all four as varieties of one breed, the Belgian Shepherd Dog. Britain's Kennel Club and the American Kennel Club treat them as separate breeds; the AKC gave the Laekenois full recognition in the Herding Group in 2020. The Belgian armed forces and police still use the variety in small numbers.

Males stand about 24 to 26 inches at the withers and females about 22 to 24 inches, with males weighing roughly 55 to 65 pounds and females rather less. The outline is square and light-boned but strong, built for trotting all day: a long, chiselled head, erect triangular ears, dark almond eyes and a proud carriage of the neck.

The coat defines the variety. It is rough, dry and about two and a half inches long, harsh and slightly tangled in appearance, never curly or woolly and never so long that it obscures the shape of the dog. Colour is fawn through to reddish fawn with a discreet black overlay, particularly on the muzzle and tail; the muzzle furnishings give a bearded look, while the hair over the top of the muzzle and on the legs is shorter. The rough texture is functional, shedding rain and mud in wet Belgian fields.

A Laekenois is watchful without being nervy. He notices everything, marks changes in his environment and is naturally protective of his home and family, which makes him a serious watchdog and a demanding neighbour if that vigilance is not channelled. With his own people he is affectionate, sensitive and closely attached, often shadowing one family member around the house.

The breed is typically good with children in its own household, particularly when raised with them, though the herding instinct can show up as chasing and nudging that needs redirecting early. With other dogs it can be less reliable; the standard and the breed clubs note a tendency towards friction, so calm, controlled socialisation from puppyhood is important.

This is a highly reactive breed in the technical sense: fast to respond, quick to learn, and quick to learn the wrong things as well as the right ones. Laekenois are sensitive to their handler's mood and to unfair correction. They do not thrive as ornaments and they do not tolerate boredom, which surfaces as barking, pacing, digging and destruction.

The original work was two-sided: moving and holding stock, and guarding property, including the linen fields around Boom. Belgian Shepherds of all varieties were among the first dogs formally trained for police work in the early twentieth century, and they served as messenger and ambulance dogs in the First World War.

Modern Laekenois are used by the Belgian military and by some police and detection units, and they compete in herding, IGP and other protection sports, agility, obedience, rally, tracking and scent work. Search and rescue suits them well. The breed's stamina and drive mean that whatever you choose, it should be regular and structured rather than occasional.