Four breeds of shepherd dogs

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30 Dec 2023

Border Collie

Not to be confused with: Australian Shepherd, Belgian Shepherd groenendael, Pyrenean Shepherd with a clean face.

Origin

This dog would result from the crossing of old British shepherdess breeds with Nordic dogs introduced by the Vikings, but, above all, it received setter blood which explains its particular way of working. It has been used for herd management since the eighteenth century. It owes its name to the region of the Borders, border between England and Scotland, where the breed developed.

Morphology type

Lupoid, British shepherd.

Recognition criteria

head: quite long, semi-erect to erect ears.
body: longer than high.
hair: mid-length overall, short on head, longer on neck and thighs. Rare short-haired variety
coat: black and white most frequently, all other colors possible.

Format

Withers height 50 to 55 cm for male, 47 to 52 cm for female. Weight 15 to 20 kg.

Frequency

Fairly frequent breed.

Temperament

Active and hardworking, docile and devoted to his master, very receptive to education, very used in agility. To be proscribed in town.

Utilization

Shepherd dog above all, agility, pet dog.

Saarloos Wolf Dog

Not to be confused with: Czech wolf dog.

Origin

This dog is the result of the crossing of a German shepherd and a wolf from Russia, around 1930, by L. Saarloos in the Netherlands, in order to obtain a rustic and enduring dog.

Morphology type

Perfect lupoid.

Recognition criteria

head: has clear almond eyes, erect middle ears.
body: a little longer than high.
hair: short on the whole, dense, more provided on the neck and thighs. The coat is different in summer and winter.
coat: from grey-black to light brown fawn, cream to white.

Format

Withers height 65 to 75 cm for male, 60 to 70 cm for female. Weight 30 to 35 kg.

Frequency

Rare breed.

Temperament

Independent and suspicious, his education is delicate.

Utilization

Pet dog.

Dutch shepherd

Not to be confused with: Belgian Shepherd.

Origin

This dog was created at the end of the nineteenth century in the south of the Netherlands from the crossing between the Malinois and local shepherd dogs, for the care of herds.

Morphology type

Lupoid, continental shepherd.

Recognition criteria

head: conical, upright ears equilateral.
body: writable in a square, appearance quite light.
hair: there are 3 varieties: short, medium-long and hard, long.
coat: tawny, frequent mask.

Format

Height of withers: 57 to 62 cm for male, 55 to 60 cm for female. Weight about 30 kg.

Frequency

Fairly frequent breed.

Temperament

Balanced, receptive to dressage.

Utilization

Shepherd dog, watchdog, pet dog.

Belgian Shepherd Laekenois

Not to be confused with: Berger picard.

Origin

It was selected at the end of the nineteenth century, in Belgium, from the variety of wild and hard-haired country shepherd dogs. It was called «Laekenois», after the royal castle of Laeken where the first dogs served as models.