The Belgian Shepherd, also known as the Belgian Sheepdog or the Chien de Berger Belge, is a Belgian breed of herding dog of medium size. It is bred in four distinct varieties based on coat type and colour: the long-haired black Groenendael; the rough-haired fawn Laekenois; the short-haired fawn Malinois, and the long-haired fawn Tervuren. The American Kennel Club considers the four varieties to be separate breeds.
The breed descends from a common type of shepherd dog found throughout Western Europe that includes such modern breeds as the Bouvier des Ardennes, Dutch Shepherd and German Shepherd, and was a common sight in the service of Belgian shepherds for centuries. At the end of the nineteenth century a breed club was formed and attempts were made to standardise the breed.
Its historical role was as a herding dog. It is also commonly kept as a companion dog, or used as an assistance dog, detection dog, guard dog, guide dog, police dog or search and rescue dog. It has a long history of being used by Belgian police as well as military forces, serving for Belgian armed forces in both World Wars, as well as US Army since then. In the twenty-first century it is in use by a number of armed forces worldwide in a variety of roles.
