A Belgian is not a dog for everyone!

Is a Belgian for me?

Buying a dog should be considered a long term investment for your family and your lifestyle. Do as much research as possible and be sure that a Tervuren is the dog for you. The average Belgian lives 12-15 years, your dog will be with you for a while.

What is their personality like?

Tervs - as they are commonly called - are an extremely high-energy and intelligent animal. They need to be part of a family and have a strong bonding instinct. As a young dog, they must be constantly supervised or they will devise their own entertainment....

Do they need any special training?

Tervs needs to be socialized and introduced to whatever you expect the dog to be accustomed to as an adult. Kindergarten Puppy Training classes (KPT) are highly recommended and you can start a pup as young as 10-12 weeks of age.

"If a puppy is old enough to learn a bad habit, it is old enough to learn a good one!"

Do Belgians have any health problems?

Common health problems in Belgian Tervuren are:

At a minimum, you should ask a breeder for copies of hip and eye clearances. All certification numbers for OFA and CERF can be verified with the issuing organization or through their web sites. The hip certifications can be done by either OFA or PennHip. There is still some controversy over the validity of PennHip since there are not enough Belgians in their database to average data. Research does show a tendency towards accuracy in this newer evaluation method. OFA hip evaluations are only done once in the lifetime of a dog and only after the dog is two years of age..

Eye evaluations and clearances must be done every 12 months. A CERF certificate is only valid for 12 months from the date of opthalmological examination. Breeding stock should be CERF'd every 2 years at a minimum until a dog is about 10 years of age. There have been scattered reports of PRA, but only a handful of dogs have been identified - another reason for eye clearances. Cataracts can occur as early as 3 months or as late as 10 or more years.

At Cachet Noir we ask that every dog that is sold into a new home - including pets - have their hips and elbows evaluated (pets at the time of neutering) and their eyes checked by CERF exam at least twice in the lifetime of the dog. It is important to know what happens to a dog once it leaves a breeder's home.

There is no known test for epilepsy other than the observation of multiple seizures of an animal, but there are multiple reasons for seizures that have nothing to do with epilepsy. So ask questions and do some research. I also recommend you discuss any health questions you have with the vet you will be using. Learn as much as you can, and remember the only dumb question is the unasked question.

Thyroid testing is now available through the OFA with testing done at only two university laboratories in the USA.The tests are costly, widely comprehensive, and still with some measure of question - particularly in older or neutered animals.

How does  a breeder know what is in their lines unless they check?

How can they keep track without a buyer's help?

You can find out more about these health issues by research on the Internet. Using any of the readily available search engines on the WWW will also be a fruitful venture.

What should I ask a breeder?

Ask questions - a dog is a large investment, not necessarily monetary, but in your life and your emotions. Be sure about what you are doing. Find a breeder with who you are comfortable and have developed a relationship. Trust me, you aren't going to be able to loose a breeder that easy! We can be pests about our puppies, but it is because a good breeder cares. Be sure to get a contract and a written health guarantee. Contracts and guarantees vary amongst breeders, contact us about ours. If you are going to co-own a puppy with a breeder (many breeders will only let show prospects go on co-own arrangements) - get all the terms up front and in writing.

What is the difference between a pet and a show puppy?

If you are getting a show puppy, realize that your responsibilities to the dog and to the breeder increase. You are responsible for maintaining that dog in a showable condition, and this means training and grooming and nutrition. It is a lot of work, but a lot of fun.

Pets at Cachet Noir are sold on a limited registration. This means that pets can not be bred, they can be shown in all types of competition and performance events except in the conformation ring. A puppy sold on a limited registration can never become a champion and even if it is bred accidentally the puppies can never be registered with the AKC. To reverse a limited registration, both the owner of the sire and the dam must in writing reverse their decision to the AKC that the dog's limited registration can be lifted. Pets must be neutered.

Where else can I find information on Tervuren?

Some other places to research buying a Tervuren in the USA are:

American Kennel Club

American Belgian Tervuren Club

Local clubs, such as the Berkshire Belgian Tervuren Club in the Northeast

Still interested?

Have I scared you off yet?

Well, if you are interested in knowing more about my dogs and the puppies I may have available, email me or check out our What's New page. Even if we do not have puppies ourselves, we always know of rescue dogs or other breeders that do have puppies.

The very best of luck in your search for a Terv.

If you have more questions, please feel free to ask. Thanks so much for stopping by our web site!