Belgian Shepherd Dog (Tervueren)
The Tervueren is the long-coated fawn variety of the Belgian Shepherd Dog, named after the town where the breeder M F Corbeel kept the founding pair, and it looks like a…
About the Belgian Shepherd Dog (Tervueren)
The Tervueren is the long-coated fawn variety of the Belgian Shepherd Dog, named after the town where the breeder M F Corbeel kept the founding pair, and it looks like a Groenendael in another colour because that is broadly what it is. It excels at obedience, agility and tracking, and remains a working shepherd at heart.
Dogs stand about 61 to 66 cm, with a long coat in fawn, red or grey, each hair tipped with black to give the characteristic overlay, and a dark mask. The overlay usually deepens with age. Tervueren are thinking, sensitive dogs that take offence at rough handling; a stud should be forward and curious rather than watching from a distance, because shyness is the variety's persistent weakness.
Epilepsy has been documented in the Tervueren more than in most herding breeds and there is nothing to test for it, so ask carefully about seizures in siblings, parents and grandparents rather than only in the stud itself. Request hip and elbow scores and a current eye certificate that covers cataract. Thyroid function is worth raising in an older stud, and so is what the dog's existing puppies have been like to live with.
Health & breeding
We check every hip, elbow, eye and DNA result you give us against the Royal Kennel Club’s public records by hand, and we record who checked it and when. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Breed Right’s summary — under The Royal Kennel Club Health Standard
Health tests for the Belgian Shepherd Dog (Tervueren)
This panel is Breed Right’s summary of the testing that matters for the breed under The Royal Kennel Club Health Standard. The Health Standard is the Royal Kennel Club’s guidance for breeders, not a registration rule. It describes tests to ask about — it is not a report on any individual dog. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Best Practice — further tests it recommends
Completing these as well as the Good Practice tests is what the Royal Kennel Club calls Best Practice.
| Test | Type | Scheme | What’s involved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hip score (BVA/KC) | Screening scheme | BVA/KC | Total of both hips, 0–106. Lower is better. |
| Elbow grading (BVA/KC) | Screening scheme | BVA/KC | Grade 0–3. The dog is graded on the worse of the two elbows. |
| Eye testing (BVA/KC/ISDS) | Screening scheme | BVA/KC/ISDS | Result printed on the eye certificate. |
Breed hip median
Breed median 8 (BVA Hip Dysplasia Scheme breed statistics 2025 — 5 years, 52 dogs scored). Lower is better. Source · How hip scores work
At stud now
Belgian Shepherd Dog (Tervueren) stud dogs
No Belgian Shepherd Dog (Tervueren) studs are listed right now
When a Belgian Shepherd Dog (Tervueren) on the Royal Kennel Club Breed Register is listed at stud, it will appear here.
Also available
Belgian Shepherd Dog (Tervueren) litters
No Belgian Shepherd Dog (Tervueren) litters are listed right now
Litters appear here as breeders list them. Check back soon, or browse other breeds.
