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General Appearance
The first impression of the Belgian Tervuren is that of a well-balanced,
medium-size dog, elegant in appearance, standing squarely on all fours, with
proud carriage of head and neck. He is strong, agile, well-muscled, alert and
full of life. He gives the impression of depth and solidity without bulkiness.
The male should appear unquestionably masculine; the female should have a
distinctly feminine look and be judged equally with the male. The Belgian
Tervuren is a natural dog and there is no need for excessive posing in
the show ring. The Belgian Tervuren reflects the qualities of intelligence,
courage, alertness and devotion to master. In addition to his inherent ability
as a herding dog, he protects his master's person and property without being
overtly aggressive. He is watchful, attentive, and usually in motion when not
under command. The Belgian Tervuren is a herding dog and versatile worker. The
highest value is to be placed on qualities that maintain these abilities,
specifically, correct temperament, gait, bite and coat.
Size, Proportion, Substance
The ideal male is 24 to 26 inches in height and female 22 to 24 inches in height
measured at the withers. Dogs are to be penalized in accordance to the degree
they deviate from the ideal. Males under 23 inches or over 26½ inches or
females under 21 inches or over 24½ inches are to be disqualified. The body is
square; the length measured from the point of shoulder to the point of the rump
approximates the height. Females may be somewhat longer in body. Bone structure
is medium in proportion to height, so that he is well-balanced throughout
and neither spindly or leggy nor cumbersome and bulky. Head -
Well-chiseled, skin taut, long without exaggeration. Expression intelligent
and questioning, indicating alertness, attention and readiness for action. Eyes
dark brown, medium-size, slightly almond shape, not protruding.
Light, yellow or round eyes are a fault. Ears triangular
in shape, well-cupped, stiff, erect; height equal to
width at base. Set high, the base of the ear does not come below the center of
the eye. Hanging ears, as on a hound, are a disqualification. Skull
and muzzle measuring from the stop are of equal length.
Overall size is in proportion to the body, top of skull flattened rather than
rounded, the width approximately the same as, but not wider than the length. Stop
moderate. The topline of the muzzle is parallel to the topline of
the skull when viewed from the side. Muzzle moderately pointed, avoiding any
tendency toward snipiness or cheekiness. Jaws strong
and powerful. Nose black without spots or discolored
areas. Nostrils well defined. Lips tight
and black, no pink showing on the outside when mouth is closed. Teeth
Full complement of strong white teeth, evenly set, meeting
in a scissors or a level bite. Overshot and undershot teeth are a fault. An
undershot bite such that there is a complete loss of contact by all the incisors
is a disqualification. Broken or discolored teeth should
not be penalized. Missing teeth are a fault. Four or more
missing teeth are a serious fault.
Neck, Topline, Body
Neck round, muscular, rather long and elegant,
slightly arched and tapered from head to body. Skin well-fitting with no loose
folds. Withers accentuated. Topline level,
straight and firm from withers to croup. Croup medium long, sloping
gradually to the base of the tail. Chest not broad without being
narrow, but deep; the lowest point of the brisket reaching the elbow, forming a
smooth ascendant curve to the abdomen. Abdomen moderately
developed, neither tucked up nor paunchy. Ribs well-sprung but flat on the
sides. Loin section viewed from above is relatively short, broad and
strong, but blending smoothly into the back. Tail strong
at the base, the last vertebra to reach at least to the hock. At rest the dog
holds it low, the tip bent back level with the hock. When in action, he may
raise it to a point level with the topline giving it a slight curve, but not a
hook. Tail is not carried above the backline nor turned to one side. A cropped
or stump tail is a disqualification.
Forequarters
Shoulders long, laid back 45 degrees, flat against the
body, forming a right angle with the upper arm. Top of the shoulder blades
roughly two thumbs width apart. Upper arms should move in a direction
exactly parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body. Forearms long
and well-muscled. Legs straight and parallel, perpendicular to
the ground. Bone oval rather than round. Pasterns short and strong,
slightly sloped. Dewclaws may be removed. Feet rounded,
cat footed, turning neither in nor out, toes curved close together, well-padded,
strong nails.
Hindquarters
Legs powerful without heaviness, moving in the same
pattern as the limbs of the forequarters. Bone oval rather than round. Thighs
broad and heavily muscled. Stifles clearly
defined, with upper shank at right angles to hip bones. Hocks moderately
bent. Metatarsi short, perpendicular to the ground, parallel to each
other when viewed from the rear. Dewclaws are removed. Feet slightly
elongated, toes curved close together, heavily padded, strong nails.
Coat
The Belgian Tervuren is particularly adaptable to extremes of temperature or
climate. The guard hairs of the coat must be long, close-fitting, straight and
abundant. The texture is of medium harshness, not silky or wiry. Wavy or curly
hair is a fault. The undercoat is very dense, commensurate, however, with
climatic conditions. The hair is short on the head, outside the ears, and on the
front part of the legs. The opening of the ear is protected by tufts of hair. Ornamentation
consists of especially long and abundant hair, like a collarette
around the neck, particularly on males; fringe of long hair down the back of the
forearm; especially long and abundant hair trimming the breeches; long, heavy
and abundant hair on the tail. The female rarely has as long or as
ornamented a coat as the male. This disparity must not be a consideration when
the female is judged against the male.
Color
Body rich fawn to russet mahogany with black overlay is ideal and
preferred. Predominate color that is pale, washed out, cream or gray is a
fault. The coat is characteristically double pigmented whereby the tips of fawn
hairs are blackened. Belgian Tervuren characteristically become darker with age.
On mature males, this blackening is especially pronounced on the shoulders, back
and rib section. Blackening in patches is a fault. Although allowance should be
made for females and young males, absence of blackening in mature dogs is a
serious fault. Chest is normally black, but may be a mixture of black
and gray. White is permitted on the chest/sternum only, not to extend more than
3 inches above the prosternum, and not to reach either point of shoulder. Face
has a black mask and the ears are mostly black. A face with a complete
absence of black is a serious fault. Frost or white on chin or muzzle is
normal. The underparts of the body, tail, and breeches are cream,
gray, or light beige. The tail typically has a darker or black
tip. Feet - The tips of the toes may be white. Nail color
may vary from black to transparent. Solid black, solid liver or any area of
white except as specified on the chest, tips of the toes, chin and muzzle are
disqualifications.
Gait
Lively and graceful, covering the maximum ground with minimum effort.
Always in motion, seemingly never tiring, he shows ease of movement rather than
hard driving action. He single tracks at a fast gait, the legs both front and
rear converging toward the centerline of gravity of the dog. Viewed from the
side he exhibits full extension of both fore and hindquarters. The backline
should remain firm and level, parallel to the line of motion. His natural
tendency is to move in a circle, rather than a straight line. Padding,
hackneying, weaving, crabbing and similar movement faults are to be penalized
according to the degree with which they interfere with the ability of the dog to
work.
Temperament
In his relationship with humans he is observant and vigilant with strangers, but
not apprehensive. He does not show fear or shyness. He does not show viciousness
by unwarranted or unprovoked attack. He must be approachable, standing his
ground and showing confidence to meet overtures without himself making them.
With those he knows well, he is most affectionate and friendly, zealous for
their attention and very possessive.
Faults: Any deviation from these specifications is a fault.
In determining whether a fault is minor, serious, or major, these two factors
should be used as a guide:
1. The extent to which it deviates from the standard.
2. The extent to which such deviation would actually affect the working ability
of the dog.
Disqualifications
Males under 23 inches or over 26½ inches or females under 21 inches
or over 24½ inches.
Hanging ears, as on a hound.
An undershot bite such that there is a complete loss of contact by all the
incisors.
A cropped or stump tail.
Solid black, solid liver or any area of white except as specified on the
chest, tips of the toes, chin, and muzzle.
Approved January 9, 2007
Effective March 1, 2007
For More information visit AKC.org