 Barked: Mon Feb 4, '13 5:18am PST |
 | |  | | We had two when I was a kid and I used to walk and train the younger one when I was a teenager.
My mother took them to agility classes but she stopped when they were still pretty young. Thereafter they were just family pets. I would have loved to continue with them but my mom didn't allow. I was pretty bitter about that. I wish I could have had classes with Netta.
Especially the younger one... Netta was very active. She pulled on leash, barked when left alone, chased everything that moved and chewed a lot of stuff. Belinda was a bit calmer when she was young. Like the ate our sofa, some other furniture, countless shoes, books, and plush toys. I can tell we kids learned to pick up our things and close the doors of our rooms. Then Netta turned 3 and it stopped. No more pulling on leash, less barking and less destruction. And she didn't chase even rabbits any more. I don't remember if she had any training for that (for barking they had citronella collars). But anyway, the rest of her life she was a dog I want to own again.
They were guarders. Anyone who came into our home they barked at. If the postman changed they knew it and then we knew it too. But they learned who was a regular passbyer and did not bark them.
Netta was a bit suspicious towards unfamiliar people. If people were familiar with dogs she went well along but if someone was scared of her she tend to scare them even more. Not to mention, if someone behaved suspiciously... No way she should have been allowed to meet unknown little kids. If people ignored her, she ignored them too. So she wasn't lunging at anyone.
But why I liked her so much, was that she was very trainable. She knew many tricks I had taught her and learned quickly. She was easy to reward because she accepted food and toys and I never had any problems with her focus. And she was very obedient when she was older. I could easily let her off-leash. She ran fast and I think she would have done well in agility courses of that time. And she loved that sport too. But she was show line and was not as intense as a dog of working lines.
And a Belgian is very quick in their actions. You must stay one or two steps ahead of them. My current dog is a rough collie and after the Tervs she feels like she is half-asleep.
Belinda was Netta's aunt and her temperament was calmer. I don't remember her so well because I was so fond of Netta. She was dog aggressive (Netta liked to play with others) and she had mild epilepsy.
My next dog is maybe going to be a groenendael. There are other options too, but a groenendael is a strong candidate. I live in a country where Tervuerens, Groenendaels, Malinois and Laekenois are considered as varieties of one breed and lately crosses have been more allowed. So the gap between the varieties temperament isn't that big but then there is the difference between working line and non-working line. I don't want a Terv because I fear I'd compare it too much with Netta and that would be unfair to the puppy. Another reason is that I don't like how they look nowadays and the breeders I have in mind breed more for sports than show.Edited by author Mon Feb 4, '13 5:23am PST
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