The Belgian Shepherd Dog

125 YEARS OF ILLUSTRATED HISTORY

Jean-Marie Vanbutsele

B e l g i a n D o g s P u b l i c a t i o n sB E L G I U M

Copyright © 2018 by Pascale Vanbutsele.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical meth-ods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permis-sion requests, write to the publisher at the address below.

Pascale Vanbutsele/Belgian Dogs PublicationsDonkereham 271880 Kapelle-op-den-Bos, Belgiumwww.belgiandogs.be

Book layout and revision of translation: Pascale Vanbutsele

Cover:Groenendael vom Lacheren (Ursi and Max von Tobel), Malinois: Ganesh des Ardents Fauves, Tervueren: Hakino van ‘t Hof Kiobie

The Belgian Shepherd Dog, 125 Years of Illustrated History/ Jean-Marie Vanbutsele — 3rd edition.Legal deposit: D/2018/9.508/1ISBN 978-9-0827532-2-6BISAC: PET008000 PETS / Reference

Table of Contents

First period: from 1880 to 1905 1The international dog show of 1880 1

Foundation of the Club du Chien de Berger Belge in 1891 2

The first standard of 1892 3

The first show of the Club du Chien de Berger Belge 5

The meeting of October 1896 9

Professor Reul, the sole judge for 1898, 1899 and 1900 11

Attribution of a single colour per type of hair 12

The second standard of 1899 14

The Mechelen branch of the Club du Chien de Berger Belge 15

The first Belgian Shepherd Dog registered in the LOSH 16

Tom and the short-haired ‘old type’ 18

The short-haired 21

The rough-haired 25

The long-haired: The Groenendael 30

The long-haired: The Tervueren 33

Trials with sheep 37

Police dogs from Ghent 38

The first training competition in 1903 41

The Club du Chien Pratique 46

End of the period of Professor Reul 49

Second period: from 1906 to 1918 51The important role of the Berger Belge Club 51

The Fédération des Sociétés Canines de Belgique 56

The Kennel Club Belge (KCB) 59

Arrival of the Groenendael Club in 1910 59

Some dog show results 60

Popular abroad 65

Training competitions 68

Other tracking trials and records 84

The KCB Belgian Ring Championship 90

During the First World War 95

Third period: from 1919 to 1944 97Admission of all colours belonging to the Belgian Shepherd 97

Tervuerens born out of Malinois 101

The 25th anniversary of the Berger Belge Club 103

The Club du Chien de berger de Tervueren 108

Reduction of the number of CAC from eight to four 112

The RBBC show of 8 December 1935 113

The supremacy of the Malinois as a working dog 119

A few comments 123

The SRSH full Champions 125

The SRSH Grand Prix de Belgique (ring) 126

Mascotte du Tigre Royal, tracking champion 128

The events of the Chien de Police Idéal 128

The KCB Championnat de Belgique (ring) 129

Some statistics 131

During the Second World War 132

Fourth period: from 1945 to 1973 133New rules for matings between varieties 133

Reform of the title of champion in 1950 by the SRSH 136

Confirmation shows 137

Laekenois imported from The Netherlands 141

The 1956 standard 141

The end of the Club du Chien de Berger Belge 145

Tracking and field trials (SRSH) 147

Grand Prix de Belgique (SRSH) - Tracking and Field 148

The SRSH Working Champions from 1950 on 149

The SRSH Grand Prix de Belgique (ring) 149

The KCB Championnat de Belgique (tracking) 158

The KCB Championnat de Belgique (ring) 159

The NVBK founded at the end of 1963 162

Some statistics 162

Fifth period: from 1974 to 2013 164Elimination of the lesser known varieties 164

The 1978 standard 167

The 1989 standard 168

The 2001 standard (FCI standard Nr 15 of 13 March 2001) 169

Merger of the Royal Berger Belge Club and Royal Groenendael Club 170

The SRSH Beauty Champions from 1974 to 2000 171

The SRSH Grand Prix de Belgique (field trial) 175

The SRSH Grand Prix de Belgique (ring) 178

The SRSH Work Champions from 1974 to 2000 181

The Mondioring 181

The Mondioring organised by the FMBB 182

A Champion in IPO 183

The KCB Championnat de Belgique (ring) 184

The NVBK Championships (ring) 186

Some statistics 188

Annexes 189A hyper-affectionate breed 189

An account of the meeting of 15 November 1891 192

The Groenendael Jules du Moulin 196

Grey, Sable or Sand? 201

Jean-Marie Vanbutsele, historian of the Belgian Shepherd 204

Bibliography 207

This book is dedicated to the memory of Mara Lee Jiles, the best-ever breed historian of the Belgian Shepherd Dog.

PREFACE

This new book, which replaces the one published in 1988 in commemoration of the centenary of the foundation of the Club du Chien de Berger Belge, has been completely rewritten and includes a wealth of additional information due to the research conducted over the past 25 years.

The book is the result of extensive research based on many different materials including periodicals and books as shown by the extensive bibliography at the end. Because the established reputation of the Belgian Shepherd Dog is mainly due to dog sport, a significant part is devoted to ring sport, tracking, field trials and Mondioring and includes the list of winners.

The purpose is to make the cultural and genetic heritage of the Belgian Shepherd Dog known and pass it on to future generations. Origins, breed standards, varieties and sports are the essential historical aspects. Over 200 photographs, paintings, drawings, posters, catalogues, certificates, postcards and medals are included to liven up this historical synthesis. I have included a short biography of the most influential personalities and the pedigrees of most notable dogs.

I hope that this book will be a source of reference for all the enthusiasts of the Belgian Shepherd Dog.

Jean-Marie Vanbutsele, Brakel (Belgium), March 2014

Drawing by Alexandre Clarys from the book Les Races de Chiens (Dog Breeds) by A. Reul, 1894

The three varieties: long hair, short hair and rough hair.Duc, long hair, brindle dark grey. Owner: Arthur Meul (Saint-Gilles). Charlot, short hair, fawn with black overlay. Owner: Jean Verbruggen (Cureghem) Dick, rough hair, grey. Owner: Aug. Dagnelie (Brussels).

1

C H A P T E R 1

First period: from 1880 to 1905

The first years guided by Professor Reul

The international dog show of 1880On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of Belgium, the first international dog show was organised in Brussels from 21 to 25 July 1880 by a group of hunters under the name of Société Saint-Hubert. 965 dogs, mostly hounds, were registered. As for the shepherd dogs, there were seven continental Shepherd Dogs enrolled of which the characteristics were not yet determined. This was in contrast to the breeds created in Great Britain: the Bobtails (Old English Sheepdogs) and the Scottish Shepherd Dogs who had a well-established standard and accounted for ten entries.

It should be stated that the cynology in Great Britain was more advanced than in Western Europe. The Collie was mentioned for years in the Stud Book of the Kennel Club of England, founded in 1873, and it was also a popular dog.

0n 18 February 1882 the association Société Saint-Hubert was founded to which King Leopold II gave the title of Société Royale on the 26th of September 1886. The first international dog show

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organised by this new federation took place in the city of Spa from Saturday 12 to Tuesday 15 August 1882. The Schipperkes Club, founded on 4 March 1988 and the first club in continental Europe, was the first club affiliated to the Société Royale Saint-Hubert. In the weekly illustrated magazine Chasse et Pêche of 15 December 1889, this passage stated:

To our knowledge, there are only two breeds of shepherd dogs that have been classified: the Collie and the Old English Sheepdog without a tail. In Belgium, we know of shepherd dogs with all kinds of coats, and there are those who are used for herding geese; but until now, not one single club or committee has ever defined them.

Foundation of the Club du Chien de Berger Belge in 1891

And so, at the end of 1891, a large number of passionate amateurs gathered in Brussels to look for a way to become better acquainted and to learn to appreciate the brilliant physical and moral qualities of the native shepherd dog. On this occasion, the Club du Chien de Berger Belge was founded on the 29 September 1891. The Club obtained the patronage of the Société Royale Saint-Hubert.

The Club du Chien de Berger Belge did not waste any time in setting to work and began a very meticulous search into the state of purity within the Belgian Shepherd breeds. To eliminate any elements of a doubtful source and to start to breed seriously, to produce dogs of which the perfect homogeneity and the transcendent qualities would end up being hereditary, they studied all the shepherd dogs within a type. In this task, they were assisted by good veterinarians from the entire country who became part of this movement. Some members of the Club went to the dog show in Frankfurt to compare our dogs to the German Shepherds.

On the morning of Sunday 15 November 1891, dogs were gathered at the Cureghem Veterinary School in the main hall of the clinic. The weather was so bad that the photographers were unable to work. But in

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The long-haired: The GroenendaelAt the first special dog show in 1892, the first prize for the long-haired females, was awarded to Petite, a three-year-old black dog of unknown origin, belonging to Mr Nicolas Rose, owner of the restaurant of the Groenendael Castle, a well-known hotel located in Groenendael, in the middle of the Sonian Forest, about ten kilometres south of Brussels. This female, a former guardian of flocks of sheep, was raised by a professional shepherd, De Beeck, from Hannonsart, a hamlet in the nearby village of La Hulpe.

P. Beernaert, an inhabitant of Uccle and first secretary of the Club du Chien de Berger Belge, who was active in the constitution of the shepherd dog together with Professor Reul, brought with him from Feluy-Arquennes, a dog with long black hair. The dog was called Picard. While taking the dog to Nicolas Rose, Beernaert stopped in Uccle, and that is how Picard got his famous name. Picard d’Uccle’s sight was weakening, he developed a double cataract, and he was shot

Old postcard of the restaurant of the Château de Groenendael

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on Thursday 22 December 1898 in the Sonian Forest, probably by a forester. Le Petit Bleu of Sunday 8 January 1899 relates his death:

‘The death of an ancestor: The famous Picard d’Uccle, father of the beautiful variety of the Belgian Shepherd Dogs with long hair, named Groenendael, has just passed away, tragically killed by a gunshot in the Sonian Forest, not far from the Lorraine Avenue. One of his sons, Carlo, also a beautiful specimen of this variety, had returned to the kennel, some days before, wounded by a gunshot. Is it possible a breed that is becoming more and more popular has made enemies who are determined to stop the breeding? An investigation seems necessary because the Groenendael is one of the most successful va-rieties of the Belgian breed.’

Petite mated with Picard d’Uccle, gave birth to a whole family of superb black dogs, among which, the famous Duc de Groenendael, born on the 1 May 1893. He had beautiful small ears, but an enormous white spot on his chest.

Duc de Groenendael

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Edmond Moucheron (right), with his dogs Dax, Boby-Dax, Murke, Miss-Pratique and Nick

T H E B E L G I A N S H E P H E R D D O G • 119

Working trials during the third period

The supremacy of the Malinois as a working dogSnap was born on 10 August 1917 under the name of Fram de Jolimont (breeder: Arthur Hanappe). After a short stay in the kennel des Bas-Jardins (breeder: G. Dupuis), he moved to the kennel du Lion d’Or of Henri Hanssen from Antwerp.

Four Malinois (two males and two females) predominated every discipline during the years after the war: Snap, Rita de la Campine, Margot du Rupel (Margota at the SRSH) and Duc du Rupel. In the field trials, Snap was unbeatable.

Snap (LOSH 10050), né Fram de Jolimont

Margot du Rupel, born 30 March 1914. This picture appeared in L’Elevage of 26 November 1933. She was champion for the years 1917 and 1918.

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Working trials during the fourth period

Tracking and field trials (SRSH)As far as the working dog after the last war is concerned, if we take into account the ever-increasing number of societies dealing with police dog training, this sport tends to spread more and more. Ring sport, in particular, is popular with the public. Field trials are becoming increasingly rare. However, if we want to make progress and train real police dogs who are called upon to provide serious services, it is in this sense that training should be oriented. Tracking trials seem to become less popular, but it is still a most interesting activity. We had managed to form families of trackers, and when we were entitled to have the highest hopes, we saw this sport going downhill.

On 24 March 1946, the Club Pisteur Gantois organised tracking trials. The first prize with the award of the CAC (92 points) went to the female Malinois Rap (LOSH 109141) belonging to Auguste Vereecken. This work was the result of two years assiduous training of a quite talented dog. Rap was also trained as defence dog. The second prize with 85 points was for the Malinois Rési de la Brigade (LOSH 108421)

Rap Sorami

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belonging to Ph. Van den Eynde. An enthusiastic and very talented female but excessively nervous.

By winning the Kontich field trials and numerous CACs in dog shows, Sorami was declared champion in 1948.

When we look at the proportion of ring events compared to field and tracking competitions, we can only regret the loss of interest for these two branches of sporting activity. The tracking trials were the exclusive preserve of the Walloon part of the country and were concentrated mainly in the Liège region. The sharp decline of ring competitions in 1964 in the Flemish part of the country was due to a significant dissidence in the URRCSH which led to the formation of a new federation called “Nationaal Verbond van Belgische Kynologen” (NVBK).

Grand Prix de Belgique (SRSH) - Tracking and FieldA first Grand Prix de Belgique (tracking) was organised in 1947, but the winner is unknown because there is no reporting available. The second Grand Prix de Belgique (tracking), organised in March 1954 was won by the female Malinois Benedict de Fola (LOSH 161902) belonging to J. Rollin from Ougrée (Liège).

The organisation in 1954 of the first Grand Prix de Belgique (field trial) in 1954 was attributed to Arthur Peffer. Only three dogs were presented. Yonny des Chenapans (LOSH 157898), belonging to J. Peffer, won this competition. Yonny was the first fawn rough-hair to become both Beauty Champion in 1954 and Working Champion in 1955 since the new championship rules came into force. To find an equivalent, it would be necessary to go back to 1930 with Champion Sady de la Redoute.

The second Belgian Grand Prix for field trials took place on 4 September 1955. The weather was beautiful. The very close competition provoked the public’s enthusiasm. It was a pity that the winner of the previous edition did not participate. The winner of the day with CAC was the Malinois Yankee (LOSH 149393), owned by A. Verduyckt from Kontich (Antwerp) ahead of the Malinois Ubanco du

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Aurore du Mont Libre