# Laekenois - an appeal for information



## Jane King (Nov 24, 2007)

It's Friday evening. Tomorrow Dill and I are going up to the Lakes and I'm spending the weekend bodying with the trainee search & rescue dogs. The forecast is rain, followed by more rain:-({|= 

Please, some kind person tell me they have seen Laekenois working and post some pictures / links. The more I read about these dogs, the more they appeal to me.

Just think of me in my goretex bag on a soggy mountainside tomorrow. YOU can make me feel so much better on Sunday night when I get back if I log on and find some pictures and eyewitnes accounts.

8-[ I'll have a brilliant time really: I just love it when I'm with the younger dogs!!!


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## Mike Scheiber (Feb 17, 2008)

Sorry to be a buzz kill but you asked for first hand account JMO that has to be one of the ugliest dogs I personally have ever laid eyes on. I refer to them as the opossum dog. Though I haven't seen to many it looks to me little effort has been put into breeding good work into them ether. What attracts you to this animal.


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

Hi, the World Champion in Rescue Dogs, Denise Affolter, has/had a Laeken, see following:

http://www.working-dog.eu/dogs-details/60628/Flip-vom-Albisblick

She is a member of the Swiss Rescue Team.


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

Maybe it's *ugliness* has prevented it from being exploited.

Truly, though, I don't know anyone in Switzerland otherwise who has one.


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## Lisa Geller (Mar 29, 2007)

I don't know Mike, I think they're kinda' cute!

I see that one is only 1/2 laken and 1/2 mali


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

Arbeitsleistungen im Sportbereich

folgende Prüfungen mit sg - v AKZ bestanden: BH 1-3, SchH 1-3, SanH 1-3, LawH 1-3,
folgende Prüfungen mit g AKZ bestanden : IPO 1
Arbeistleistungen im Rettungshundebereich

folgende Prüfung mit v AKZ bestanden : KH
Einsatztest als Katastrophenhund im Sept. 1995 bestanden
Wiederholung des Einsatztestes im Sept. 1996 bestanden
Wiederholung des Einsatztestes im Sept. 1999 bestanden - Einsatzfähig noch bis Sept. 2002
Teilnahme an Weltmeisterschaften im Schweizer Team: REDOG
1) 1999 in Slovenien
2) 2000 in Österreich : Weltmeister der Rettungshunde im Bereich Trümmersuche
3) 2001 in der Tschechei : Vize-Weltmeister in der Mannschaftswertung
Rettungseinsätze

August 1999 in Izmit / Türkei: Erdbeben 7.6
Ausgerückt mit REDOG und der Rettungskette Schweiz (weltweite bekannte und hoch angesehene Rettungsorganisation)
November 1999 in Düzce / Türkei: Erdbeben 7.1
Ausgerückt mit REDOG und der Rettungskette Schweiz (weltweite bekannte und hoch angesehene Rettungsorganisation)
Oktober 2000 in Gondo / Wallis : Erdrutsch
Ausgerückt mit REDOG
Dezember 2000 in Nendaz / Wallis : Erdrutsch nach Stollenbruch der Grand Dixense (Staudamm)
Ausgerückt mit REDOG
Steckbrief


Wurfdatum:2.10.91 HD-Grad gemäss FCI-Einteilung:B / A Widerristhöhe: 60 cm Zuchtauglich: ab 30.9.95 unbegrenzt 








Für weitere Auskünfte und Unterlagen stehe ich Ihnen gerne zur Verfügung.
Denise Affolter
Gafnermatte A
3946 Turtmann
Schweiz 

++41 27-932 16 73 
[email protected]

BH + VPG are Swiss National Trials but he also got Avalanche 1-3 and IPO 1 title plus disaster dog (Excellent). Denise has been actively involved with him in disaster areas in Turkey and Switzerland.
She can surely speak english - her email îs above - I'm sure she'd be glad to give you some info. 

Gillian


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## Kadi Thingvall (Jan 22, 2007)

There are some Laekens out there that work, and some breeders breeding for work. But for the most part the are in the worst shape of the Belgians. They have a very small gene pool, which has resulted in a lot of health problems. It could be expanded, but it doesn't happen enough. In part because many breeders won't IV (intervariety) breed with Malinois, because the coat on the first generation usually isn't "proper". If the offspring of an IV breeding are taken back to a dog with a proper Laeken coat though, the second generation are usually correct. 

I think they are kind of cute, but I think you'd have a hard time finding one that could work and be healthy. Although I did see a SUPER nice in one S CA a few years ago. It was an older dog, still going strong, a banger on the bite, full grips, nice character, etc. But the owner wouldn't breed it, because it was missing a premolar.


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## Russ Spencer (Jun 2, 2008)

A couple of breeders:

http://www.everyoneweb.com/lakenois/

http://www.working-dog.eu/wurf-details/718/Tjammes-End


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## Mike Schoonbrood (Mar 27, 2006)

This is one of those "stack the odds in your favor" situations. Why get a dog from the weaker stack?


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

L'escault out of Quebec Canada breeds Laekens. He has a short supply of them and throws in Malinois into his Laeken lines, as in Canada CKC only recognizes 'The Belgian Shepherd' there is no 4 different strains recognized by CKC. 

We had one of L'Escault's Laeken/Mal out for awhile training with us at French Ring. I really liked the dog but Lucien brought him back on a trade on a Grondael for an unknown reason. 

http://www.lescaut.com/entree_de_lescaut.htm


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

The UKC here in the states recognizes only the "Belgian Shepherd" with varieties Mal. Terv, Groen, Laek. 
I have no idea how many Laeks are registered with them.
Both Mals that I have had were "Belgian Shepherds" variety-Mal


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## Jane King (Nov 24, 2007)

Thanks everyone! I've looked at all the links and from what I've seen, I can't help but like them! However, the warnings about small gene pools etc., has been duly noted too...

For now, I'm having great fun working Dill and he's a fantastic dog to hone my handling skills with. Our first working trial (CD) will be in November. If all goes well and circumstances allow, I'd love to train another dog in a few years' time, with a view to being able to go on past Utility Dog, which small dogs can't do. Again, if other circumstances are right, I'd also consider training a search dog. Anyway, I'm starting the research now, so I can keep an eye on the progress of several breeds and when the time is right, I can make a proper, informed decision.


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## Axel Van der Borght (Jun 15, 2008)

Hi,

I don't know much about Laekenois but I have a friend who is a famous breeder of working malinois but some people don't know he also breeds working Laekenois : http://www.vandeduvetorre.be/
Some of his Laekenois had much succes in sports as well.

I also know that their are not much working lines in Laekenois because the few breeders breed for show.
I happen to see two young dogs last week , very rare in my city, of the same litter. The dogs were scared of anything. I talked to the owners and the dogs were from show-lines. Don't know which breeder anymore.

Please have a look at this site : www.belgiandogs.org/
This is a website made by a very nice man who did lots of research about the belgian dogs, especially the Belgian sheperds.
There is some nice information about Laekenois as well.

Hope I was a help.

Axel


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## Lisa Maze (Mar 30, 2007)

Kadi Thingvall said:


> There are some Laekens out there that work, and some breeders breeding for work. But for the most part the are in the worst shape of the Belgians. They have a very small gene pool, which has resulted in a lot of health problems. It could be expanded, but it doesn't happen enough. In part because many breeders won't IV (intervariety) breed with Malinois, because the coat on the first generation usually isn't "proper". If the offspring of an IV breeding are taken back to a dog with a proper Laeken coat though, the second generation are usually correct.
> 
> I think they are kind of cute, but I think you'd have a hard time finding one that could work and be healthy. Although I did see a SUPER nice in one S CA a few years ago. It was an older dog, still going strong, a banger on the bite, full grips, nice character, etc. But the owner wouldn't breed it, because it was missing a premolar.


Oh Kadi, that is such a shame becaise this was a very nice dog indeed. I was very impressed with its work and did not hear one person say "Not bad for a Laekenois." 

I know someone interested in breeding their Laeken female in the future adn had planned on trying to find the owner of this male. I believe her name is Margaret or Marge and I know she is/was an AKC earthdog judge and bred Wire Hair Dachshunds.

Imagine, not breeding a working dog because of a missing premolar.

Lisa


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## Jessica Fry (Jan 4, 2007)

Check out this girl's web-log, she breeds Laekenois: 

http://laekenseherders.web-log.nl/

If you scroll down, you can see a Laekenois doing bitework. The adult dog in the pictures doing the bitework just passed his IPO III exam (so she wrote on a Dutch dog forum - the dog's not hers btw). The pictures were taken during a demonstration.


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## Carole Goetzelmann (Jun 7, 2007)

I have a Laekenois. I didn't used to like the curly hair, that was when I got my Malinois. Then one day it hit me and I started looking for one. 

Yes, the gene pool is small. Malinois are occassionally tossed in for some added variety. A lot of people do protection work with theirs, It's very common in Europe. I can't imagine doing protection with my little guy, he's such a sweetie, but he's tough, too. I think he'd have no problem hitting a sleeve hard. But I can't get past the goofy look on his face. It makes everybody smile. 

You need to ask around to find a suitable dog. I've heard the word "difficult", as in "the nature of Laekenois can sometimes be difficult", from people for whom English is not their first language. 

Laekenzine has a page of breeders. http://www.laekenzine.com/

http://home.earthlink.net/~hrpmann/dogs/balto/index.htm

Oops, got to go. If I think of anything useful, I'll post it tomorrow.

BTW, there are also wirehaired Dutch Shepherds. These guys breed some. 
http://www.roughrags.com/index2.html


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Seeing the wire haired Dutch shepherds reminds me...isn't the Bouvier des Flandres not too awful far removed from the Dutch/Belgian shepherd? Kinda look vaguely similar.


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## Carole Goetzelmann (Jun 7, 2007)

I've heard that, Maren. 

"The Laeken is considered the oldest of the four varieties of Belgian Shepherd Dogs. The Bouvier and Dutch Shepherd also trace their pedigrees back to the fawn wire-haired shepherd dog"

http://www.bogartsdaddy.com/Bouvier/History/Laekenois.htm

"The Laeken is a high-energy, high-drive breed, especially suited to working. There are exceptions in every breed but the Laeken, in general, is for the experienced dog owner, they are not suitable for the novice or first time dog owner. They are very intelligent and agile. They must have both mind and body exercised daily. They thrive on activity and owners must give the Laeken plenty of their time. They are very devoted, loyal, and protective of their families. Training must begin early and firm guidance given. They tend to be overactive and a little short on their attention span up to about the age of 2 years, then they become more settled and calmer in going about whatever is asked of them. Full maturity is reached by the age of 3 years. Until then they just might drive you crazy trying to channel their energy in a positive direction! "


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## Jane King (Nov 24, 2007)

from the above description, they sound very like my heeler in character! I've had a great time looking at all the links,especially the Belgian dogs site with the other types of Bouvier, besides the Flandres. The dog with the naturally bobbed tail was interesting as the Old English Sheepdog over here (now that IS an example of a breed being ruined!!!) is also sometimes naturally bobtailed and in days gone by, there were drovers' dogs called Smithfield collies who looked a bit like the Bouviers. It's such a shame how so many pastoral breeds fade into oblivion - having said that, I think it is better for a type / strain / breed to die out with dignity than to be turned into a parody of its former self for the show ring and the pet market.

I'm going to keep up the research anyway (I do like those Dutch Shepherds too!)


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