Belgian Laekenois
The rarest of the four Belgian shepherds and the only rough coated one. It guarded linen drying in the fields, which is where the name comes from.
Photo by Svenska Mässan from Sweden, CC BY 2.0
Overview
The Laekenois is the rarest of the four Belgian shepherd varieties, distinguished by a rough, tousled, wiry coat rather than by anything about its build. It was used around Laeken to guard linen laid out to dry in the fields, which is an unusually specific origin.
The four Belgian varieties, Laekenois, Malinois, Tervuren and Groenendael, are one breed in some registries and four in others, and they differ mainly in coat.
Temperament
Alert, intense and strongly bonded. Laekenois are protective, watchful and highly reactive to their environment, which is what makes them good working dogs and demanding pets.
They are affectionate with their own people and reserved to suspicious with strangers, and they need extensive early socialisation. Like the other Belgians they are sensitive and they respond poorly to harsh handling.
Care and grooming
The rough coat needs a weekly brush and hand stripping a couple of times a year. It should not be clipped, which softens it. Moderate shedding.
Hip and elbow dysplasia, epilepsy and progressive retinal atrophy all occur across the Belgian varieties. Ten to twelve years is the expectation.
Living and exercise
Two hours a day plus real mental work. These are working dogs and the herding and guarding drives are intact.
They excel at protection sports, tracking, herding and obedience, and they are a poor fit for a household that wants a calm pet. The breed is genuinely rare, so finding one takes time.
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