Laekenois, Belgian Shepherd

Even though Wolfgang would make an excellent watch dog or guard dog, he isn't one. He is primarily just my buddy and a very unique one at that. As a breed, the Laekenois are obedient, loyal and affectionate dogs, and Wolfgang has proved that to be true. And as a breed, they aren't aggressive. They'd only attack if there was imminent danger to themselves or a loved one.

Training him early was a good thing, because he can be very dominant and controlling even now. Obedience training enables me to maintain control despite his willfulness. Wolfgang loves the outdoors and prefers outside to inside no matter what the weather is. He's such a good natured, people friendly dog that he truly craves his family time. Wolfie is great with children. He loves to be cuddled, but he doesn't go for extreme roughhousing.

I can't imagine life without Wolfgang, so I'm glad this breed has a history of living long lives, some as long as 14 years. Wolfgang thrives on staying busy and mentally challenged, so the whole family does their best to keep him active.

When his herding instincts kick in, Wolfgang gathers up the children as if they were sheep, getting them to the front porch around dinnertime. We get such a kick out of watching him chase them to the porch, running, yipping, nipping, cutting off and circling round. The kids think of it as a game, so they play along.

Wolfgang is a very quick learner and is amazing at problem solving. There aren't many obstacles that will prevent him from getting something he wants. Because of his quick learning skills he can get bored easily and will even become irritated with too much of the same thing. We go easy on the training and allow Wolfgang to use his smarts and his natural desire to be obedient to achieve the end result we want. We have found that plenty of love and commendation work wonders, and we maintain a consistent yet gentle authority. Seems be all Wolfgang needs.