Belgian Laekenois

You might be surprised to learn what these medium sized dogs are good for - their wiry, un-kept look makes them an unlikely visual candidate, but they actually make excellent watch and guard dogs. They are not aggressive and would only attack if a true threat was imminent, which makes them especially well suited for such jobs. As a breed, the Laekenois are obedient, loyal and affectionate dogs.

Training early in life is imperative because they can become very dominant and controlling. My Laekenois, Sport, loves the outdoors and prefers being outside over inside no matter what the weather. Sport is such a good-natured dog, and he truly craves family time. He plays very well with children and loves to be cuddled, although he doesn't appreciate extreme rough-housing.

Since we are all so attached to Sport, I'm glad this breed has a history of living long lives, some to 14 years or more. We keep Sport busy and mentally challenged and he seems to thrive. At times, Sport's sheep herding heritage shows through and he tries to herd up all the children on the front porch. He gets such a kick out of rounding them all up, and though the kids don't particularly like his nipping at their heels, they'll play along anyway for his sake!

Sport is a perfect example of the intelligence of this breed. He is a very quick learner and amazingly good at problem solving. When he really wants something, he generally won't let obstacles prevent him from getting it. Because of his learning skills it can be easy to over do it when training him for a new task or behavior. We go easy, allowing Sport to use his smarts and natural desire to be obedient to achieve the end results we seek. Repetition and consistency seems to be the key.