Belgian Shepherds are a recognised breed of their own, which officially began in Belgium in 1891, just prior to when German Shepherds were first recognised. Belgian Shepherds are not related to German Shepherds. Introduced to Australia in 1974, the Belgian Shepherd is still a relatively rare breed here. Thanks to the care of the owners selectively breeding and continually importing new blood lines, these dogs are abiding, loyal animals with stable temperaments and few hereditary problems.

There are four varieties of Belgian Shepherds, differentiated only by the length and colour of their coats.

There is the Groenendael (Long black coat),

The Tervueren (Long coat, fawn to grey (other than black) with a black overlay and mask),

The Malinois (Short coat, fawn with black overlay and mask)

and the rarest of all, the Laekenois (rough coated fawn - sort of like an Airedale Terrier coat - and there are only said to be 3 of these dogs in Australia to date).

A Belgian Shepherd is a medium sized working dog, blessed with elegance and grace. They make excellent watchdogs, with an inborn ability to warn of an approaching intruder, then stand back, rather than go in to fight. Attack is not in their nature. A Belgian Shepherd is a sensitive dog who does not need to be hit over the nose with a rolled up newspaper for punishment. A stern word "No" is strong enough discipline.

Most Belgian Shepherds will not happily go to any stranger. A Belgian Shepherd will stand back, assess the situation and in their own time will make their acquaintance with the stranger. Socialising your new puppy with many strangers will teach him to be less wary, of course. If you want a dog that will happily greet all strangers as long lost friends, then a Belgian is not for you. Wariness in not to be confused with timidness. A Belgian should not be timid or worried.

A Belgian Shepherd has a natural ability for obedience training. They are used world wide as police dogs, army dogs, avalanche rescue dogs, sheep dogs and drug sniffer dogs. They excel at Obedience, Lure Coursing and Agility. They are highly intelligent dogs, and are often top of their class at obedience training, even for beginner owners.

Best of all they make perfect pets. They love children. They take up so little room in the house for a large looking dog. They have a small appetite for a dog of that size. They don't have that "doggie" smell, nor do they have many ailments. The amount of hair shed throughout the year is minimal, and even the long coated varieties only need grooming once or twice a week. Coats are shed usually twice a year for bitches, and yearly for males. Coat dropping is affected by fluctuating hormones, and de-sexing often minimizes the frequency of shedding.

Groenendael - Mirribandi Formula One

Despite all their good points, they are not a dog for everyone. They thrive on love and attention. They do best away from the kennel or isolation in the back yard situation. The most can be gained from your Belgian if he does everything with you and goes everywhere with you. This, in its self, takes a very dedicated owner. We encourage owners to attend a basic obedience course with their Belgian Shepherd with the main intentions being to strengthen the bonds between owner and dog, to socialize the dog, and ensure the dog learns basic discipline.

Belgians are exuberant dogs who have boundless energy, and are described as being like effervescent bubbles in a glass of high quality champagne. Belgians are puppies for a very long time - don’t expect your cute little bundle of fur to mature by the time he is 6 months old. Maybe by the time he is 10 years old he might have slowed down, but maybe not! This is one of the delights of this breed.

A Belgian will help you in the garden - by digging up all the plants you have just planted. He will dig holes for you in the back yard. He will take washing of the line if it flitters enticingly in front of his face. And he will herd the chickens for you as well - but should only do so under strict supervision (as chickens can sadly only take so much before they fall over with exhaustion and never get up again). All these tricks are done with the best of intention, as Belgians only want to do what you are doing, and be actively involved in family activities.

If your dog performs any of these "tricks" and you find them bothersome, then roll up a newspaper and slap the back of your own hand for not supervising the dog properly in the first place! Any misdemeanour is usually the owners fault for not giving their Belgian enough physical exercise or mental challenges.

Imola de la Douce Plaine (Imp Frn)

If you do not want a dog that will garden, take washing off the line, and be active and playful, then a Belgian is NOT for you. But should you like a dog with a wicked sense of humour, and that ‘puppy’ playfulness, then this might just be what you’ve been searching the net for.

You will also need an adequately fenced yard; be able to afford an estimated $700 per year maintenance costs of owning any breed of dog; and spare the time, invasion of your personal space and make the effort for the life-span of the dog, then a Belgian Shepherd may just be the dog you are looking for.

So, if you’ve decided a Belgian is the dog for you, then you’ve come to the right web site, because Mirribandi Belgians are bred from great blood lines, no shortcuts are taken, and are lovingly raised in the home environment.