Fun Belgian Tervuren Facts For Kids

The Belgian Tervuren, also known as the Terv, belongs to one of the varieties of Belgian shepherd dogs (Chien de Berger Belge) that were developed in the 1800s. Belgian Tervuren was named after the village Tervuren where the breed's earliest promoters lived.

The Belgian Tervuren is a medium-sized dog with a square build and a cuneal head. The Belgian Tervuren is extremely alert, watchful, energetic, versatile, and elegant in nature.

They are known to be at their best when they are properly trained with plenty of mental and physical stimulation. The Belgian Trevuren has a beautiful dense undercoat with an outer coat consisting of lavish guard hair that is elegantly long, straight, and of less annoyance.

The Belgian Tervuren is extremely energetic in nature, and they do not like alone time.

They need exacting activities and training such as a long walk, jogging, work session, dog sports, and a lot of exercises. This breed can learn by a lot of exercise and training, and they will follow you around, keeping an eye on your movements, tracking your activities, and helping you in any way possible.

If you enjoy reading these facts about the Belgian Tervuren, then you'll surely like these facts about Welsh Terrier and English Setter too!

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Belgian Tervuren Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Belgian Tervuren?

The Belgian Tervuren is one of the most elegant breeds of Belgian shepherds; they are more of a herding dog rather than guard dogs like other Belgian shepherd dogs. Belgian Tervurens are extremely energetic, obedient, smart, and independent. They keep themselves distant from strangers but can be very aggressive towards other dogs and animals.

What class of animal does a Belgian Tervuren belong to?

The Belgian Trevuren belongs to the mammal class of animals. Having mammary glands to feed their young ones, the presence of the three ear bones, fur or hair, and the neocortex (region of the brain) are what qualifies the Belgian Tervuren as mammals. The Belgian Trevuren (Canis lupus familiaris) belongs to the genus Canis of the dog family Canidae.

How many Belgian Tervurens are there in the world?

An accurate number of Belgian Tervuren is impossible to pinpoint as they have been domesticated all around the world, with breeders contributing to a large number of new additions to the Belgian sheepdogs by breeding them as pets.

Where does a Belgian Tervuren live?

The Belgian Trevuren was created in the village of Tervuren, Belgium, in the late 1800s. They are one of the most elegant shepherd dog breeds. Belgian Tervurens are a people-friendly herding breed, and they like to be among family members and follow them around.

What is a Belgian Tervuren's habitat?

The Belgian Tervuren is both an indoor and an outdoor animal and is a great match for households with children, given they are properly supervised. They love to play and, given their medium size, are perfect for a small household. In some cases, the Belgian Tervurens can survive in the wild!

Who do Belgian Tervurens live with?

Belgian Tervurens are people-friendly. They tend to live with people and do not like to stay alone. They are found to be following their masters, and they are more involved with adults rather than the children of the house.

How long does a Belgian Tervuren live?

The lifespan of a Belgian Tervuren is 10-12 years. Health problems might have an effect on their lifespan if they are not properly cared for and given their routine vaccinations and health checkups.

The Belgian Tervuren temperament makes them unpredictable as they are extremely intelligent, attentive, alert, loyal, energetic, and protective. Major health concerns of Belgian Tervuren are seizures, CHD, elbow dysplasia, allergies, hip dysplasia, hypothyroidism, and progressive retinal atrophy.

How do they reproduce?

Belgian Tervurens reach sexual maturity at the age of 10 months. The gestation period for Belgian Tervurens lasts around 60-63 days after mating. Their litter size is 6-10 puppies.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of Belgian Tervuren herding dogs is currently not enumerated in the IUCN Red List. So, given their huge popularity and demand as medium-sized breeds of dogs with quirky and fun-loving personalities, we can safely assume that their numbers are in abundance.

Further, they are bred all across the globe and can be found in households all over the world. So, to put in perspective, these dogs are perfectly safe and will not be nearing extinction or worrying numbers for a long time!

Belgian Tervuren Fun Facts

What do Belgian Tervurens look like?

Belgian Tervuren is a medium-sized herding sheepdog and one of the most elegant breeds of the Belgium shepherd. The Tervuren is a double-coat breed; the topcoat has ample long and straight hairs that are harsh to the touch.

The undercoat is soft and dense, which provides protection from the weather. The four varieties of Belgian shepherd are the Malinois (beige-reddish brown, short coat with black mask), Tervuren (beige-reddish brown, long coat with black mask), the Laekenois (beige, rough coat), and the Belgian Sheepdog.

How cute are they?

They are very cute herding dogs originating in Belgium. The Terv is extremely interactive, and it nips its owners to interact with them and is very mischievous when left alone.

Puppies can be extremely cute and are energetic to the core! If you love to keep your body at a high energy level, then these cute dogs are the perfect pet for you as they are energetic and will give you a good run of exercise and activity!

How do they communicate?

Belgian Tervurens are known to be one of the most energetic species of dogs, and they bark a lot! They try to make conversation with their owners and will try to nip the owners to communicate.

Like all other breeds of dogs, they communicate through vocalizations and auditory signals like barking, whimpering, growling, panting, and sighs. They also communicate by utilizing scent and pheromones.

How big is a Belgian Tervuren?

Belgian Tervurens are medium-sized Belgian sheepdogs that are similar to the German Shepherd. A Belgian Trev can grow up to a height of 21-26 in (53.3-66 cm).

How fast can a Belgian Tervuren run?

Belgian Tervuren can assume a speed of up to 35 mph (56.3 kph). They are extremely energetic in nature and require a lot of training and outdoor time.

Though they are more of a herding breed, they can turn aggressive towards small animals and start chasing them. The Terv is always in motion unless under a command. To keep this breed busy, there are many dog sports with which they can get acquainted with.

How much does a Belgian Tervuren weigh?

The Belgian Tervuren weight differs according to their genders, with the average body weight ranging between 40-70 lb (18-32 kg). The weight of a male Tervuren is generally higher than that of its female counterpart.

What are their male and female names of the species?

Just like in all dog breeds, a male Belgian Tervuren is called dog, and a female Belgian Tervuren is called bitch.

What would you call a baby Belgian Tervuren?

A baby Belgian Tervuren is called a puppy. They are born in a litter of 6-10 individuals and come in a variety of coat colors.

What do they eat?

A Belgian Tervuren's diet consists of high-quality dog food, which can be canned food or homemade food. Belgian Tervurens may also be fond of cottage cheese, fruits, vegetables, and cooked eggs.

Are they slobbery?

No, Tervurens are not slobbery. In fact, they are the best example of a breed that drools very little.

Drooling is the unintended flow of saliva out of the mouth; while it can be completely normal among a few breeds of dogs, it could also indicate a health concern at times.

If you are someone who typically stays away from animals who drool or leave sweaty paw prints all over your clothes, then the Belgian Tervuren is perfect for you as they have minimal drool.

Would they make a good pet?

Yes, the Tervuren breed will make a great pet. They are people-oriented and like to be included in the family.

They are good with children if they are raised together. They have a tendency to nip children on their heels, trying to herd them while playing. An adult Belgian Trevuren who is unfamiliar with children can do best in a home with children who are mature and know how to interact with them properly.

The Belgian Tervuren is an extremely intelligent breed and can be mischievous in nature if left alone. Tervs can learn extremely fast, making them the ideal candidate for any dog sport.

The Terv is not recommended for people who do not have any prior experience with dogs and cannot deal with the high energy level of this herding breed. The Terv can be overwhelming to people who never had a working dog before.

Did you know...

During the world war, the Belgian Trevuren was used to track wounded soldiers and send messages during the war.

The American Kennel Club registered its first Tervuren in 1918, and this dog breed was recognized in 1959 by the AKC as a distinct breed. The American Kennel Club was the first to recognize the four different varieties of Belgian shepherd breeds as individual breeds.

Belgian Tervuren breeds can get along with other canines and cats if they are raised together.

In September 1981, the Club du Chien de Berge Belge was established to regulate which dog represented the only shepherd dog developed in Belgium.

In the modern world of farming, the Belgian Tervuren dog owners have found new outlets for their breeds. Today's Trevs are employed on police K-9s unit, search and rescue works, military, service dogs for the disabled, and champions on dog sports for agility courses and herding trials.

A puppy Belgian Tervuren cost can be between $1500-$2000 USD.

Both Belgian Tervuren and Belgian Malinois are varieties of the same Belgian village herding dogs breed, but Belgian Tervuren is more elegant with double coat fur, whereas Belgian Malinois have short hair fur.

For the Tervs, the age of 8-10 weeks is the right time for training them. Otherwise, you may end up with a languid pet.

Belgian Tervuren vs. German Shepherd, how do you think they are different?! Besides the fact that German shepherds are used more as guard dogs and Belgian Tervuren are employed as herding dogs, German shepherds are larger than Belgian Tervs. But the life span of German Shepherds is shorter than that of the Tervs.

What dog was in the film 'Gladiator'?

It was a female Belgian Tervuren, and her name was Kyte. They had cut her coat down to get the wolf's appearance for the film.

What job did the first Belgian Tervurens do?

M.F. Corbeel is known as the 'Father of Tervuren.' He bred his fawn long-haired Belgian shepherd pair 'Tom' and  'Poes,' and one of their descendants was the first Belgian Tervuren puppy and was named Miss. Then, on breeding her with another brownish and black dog, Miss's son Milsart became the first face of the breed in 1907.  

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals, including Ibizan hound, or Afghan hound.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our Belgian Tervuren coloring pages.

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