The Tervuren is one of four types of dogs from Belgium known as the Belgian Shepherd or Sheepdog. The other three, the Groenendael, Laekenois, and Malinois, differ mainly in coat color, with the Tervuren almost identical to the Groenendael, the latter being solid black.




A medium sized dog, the Tervuren stands between 22-26 inches and weighs between 61-63 pounds. They have a long, harsh coat that has extra feathering on the rump and a ruff around their neck. Colors range from fawn to mahogany that is black-tipped. Their face has a black mask, and on some dogs white can be found on the chest, toes, or chin. Often Tervurens will darken as they age.

The history of the Tervuren mostly coincides with that of the Groenendael. They are named for a Belgian village with the same name, where one of the earliest devotees to the breed, M. F Corbeel, lived. The breed was faced with extinction after World War II, and only recently has achieved a sudden surge of popularity. Like all the Belgian Sheepdogs they were originally used on farms with livestock, and only later found homes as companions and working with other tasks, such as drug detection.

*For information on temperament, health, and care, see Groenendael.