The Belgian Shepherd Dog is also known as the Belgian Shepherd by the American Kennel Club. Groenendael is one of the four varieties of Belgian Shepherd Dogs, which also includes Laekenois, Tervuren, and Malinois and is named after the village of Groenendael in Belgium. The Groenendael is a strong, intelligent and athletic dog. The Dog Breed Standard specifies that the Groenendael must have a black coat, with limited amounts of white on the chest, between the pads of it's feet, and on the tips of it's hind toes.http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/125

This breed of dog has a long straight outer coat, and a dense under coat which requires daily brushing. When the dog is shedding, extra grooming may be required as the dog loses a large amount of fur.

The Groenendael and Belgian Shepherd Dogs in general are herding or guard dogs, and in addition to needing a large amount of exercise they should be given daily training to exercise their strong work ethic and to mentally stimulate them. The Groenendael is a good family dog and is very loving, it is also tolerant with children provided that it has been raised with them. Some caution is advised as the Groenendael bonds strongly with it's family and for this reason should not be kept outdoors or in a kennel as it may experience separation anxiety if it is left alone for long periods of time.

This breed of dog is typically strong and energetic, and has few major health problems. The Groenendael can have some minor health concerns, listed below.

• Epilepsy is fairly common with this breed of dogs
• Hip Dysplasia and Elbow Dysplasia is less common. Hip and Elbow Dysplasia can lead to Degenerative Joint Disease which cases pain and decreased mobility
• Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) which is gradual deterioration of the retina. PRA first affects the dog's ability to see at night and later on affects it's ability to see during the day
• Sensitivity to Anaesthetics - this breed is particularly sensitive to anesthesia because of it's low fat to body weight ratio
• Overeating/Obesity - if overfed this breed of dog can become obese and lazy

All four varieties of Belgian Shepherd Dogs are used in various types of police work including search and rescue and drug and bomb detection. In Mexico the army has trained almost 1,800 dogs to sniff out drugs, two thirds of which are Belgian Shepherd Dogs.http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=353752&CategoryId=14091

This breed of dogs is also very talented at sled and cart pulling is often used as a guide for blind people and assistant to the disabled.

They are also born with a natural herding instinct, as they were originally a working farm dog often used to herd cattle and sheep and often to guard the owner's property. A bored Groenendael will often try to herd anything it can including cats, children and it's owner, although this should be discouraged as it can lead to aggressive behavior.