Dog Breed Guide

Belgian Laekenois

Profile

Size

Medium - Large

Country of origin

Belgium

Origin

19th century

Bred for

Sheep herding, Watchdog

Height

male 60 - 66cm (24 - 26in), female 56 - 62cm (22 - 24in)

Weight

male 25 - 30kg (55 - 66lb), female 20 - 25kg (44 - 55lb)

Life span

12 - 14 years

The only variety of the four types of Belgian Shepherd Dog with a rough, harsh, tousled coat. The coat is reddish fawn, with a faint touch of black on the muzzle and tail. Its tousled coat and mustache-like whiskers give it a rustic charm that sets it apart from the other three types.

Like the other Belgian Shepherds, the Laekenois is smart, loyal to its family and eager to work. Compared with the other three types, however, it is said to be a little more settled and to have a gentler side. It is wary of strangers and an excellent watchdog.

It needs plenty of exercise and should get a good physical and mental workout every day. The harsh coat can be kept in shape by removing the dead hair from time to time.

Good to know

The breed takes its name from Laeken, part of Brussels, the Belgian capital. These dogs guarded and herded the royal flocks around the Royal Castle of Laeken and are said to have been favorites of Queen Marie Henriette of Belgium.

They served on the battlefields of both world wars as messenger dogs, but many were killed and their numbers fell sharply. According to an American Kennel Club article, the German army is even said to have put a bounty on these dogs during World War II.

The rarest of the four types, it is sometimes called the "phantom Belgian Shepherd." The American Kennel Club recognized the other three types as separate breeds in 1959, but this one was not fully recognized until 2020, more than 60 years later. At the time there were said to be only about 200 in the entire United States.