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LargeHerding Group

Belgian Tervuren

The Belgian Tervuren is the long-coated fawn-to-mahogany variety of the Belgian Shepherd family, distinguished from the Groenendael (Belgian Sheepdog) by coat color alone.

Calculate Belgian Tervuren age
Lifespan13.8 yrrange 12–15
SizeLargeHerding Group
Weight45–75 lb20.4–34 kg
Senior at6 yrgeriatric at 10

Gallery (3)

About

About the Belgian Tervuren

The Belgian Tervuren is the long-coated fawn-to-mahogany variety of the Belgian Shepherd family, distinguished from the Groenendael (Belgian Sheepdog) by coat color alone. Named for the Belgian village of Tervuren.

Aging

How Belgian Tervurens age

RVC VetCompass places median lifespan at 13.8 years (n=263). Elbow dysplasia (4.7%) and cataracts (5.3%) lead OFA findings; the breed shares idiopathic epilepsy risk with the other Belgian Shepherd varieties.

Lifespan deep-diveAvg 13.8 yr · range 12–15Senior careSenior at 6 · geriatric at 10Common health issues7 tracked conditions
Physical

Physical characteristics

Weight
45–75 lb(20.4–34 kg)
Height
22–26 in(55.9–66 cm)
Coat type
Long
Colors
Fawn & BlackMahogany & BlackBrindleGray & BlackSilver & BlackBlackCream & BlackFawn & LiverMahogany & Liver
Temperament

Temperament

How Belgian Tervurens tend to show up around their people, other dogs, and the world.

courageousalertsmartsensitive
  • Energy
  • Trainability
  • Good with kids
  • Good with other dogs
  • Shedding
Health

Common health issues

Full health profile
  • Moderatetypical onset ~7 yr

    Cataracts

    Description and veterinary guidance for Cataracts land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~5 yr

    Periodontal Disease

    Description and veterinary guidance for Periodontal Disease land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~2 yr

    Elbow Dysplasia

    Description and veterinary guidance for Elbow Dysplasia land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Exercise
60min
per day

About 60 minutes of activity per day keeps a Belgian Tervuren physically and mentally satisfied. Split it between a structured walk and free play.

Related

Related breeds

Breeds with a similar size and group profile, for readers comparing options.

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References

Sources

Lifespan and health figures on this page are drawn from the peer-reviewed and organizational sources below.

  1. AKC breed standardAmerican Kennel Club breed page

    Breed size, weight range, height, AKC group, origin, coat type, and temperament baseline.

  2. RVC VetCompassRoyal Veterinary College VetCompass life-table research (McMillan et al. 2024)

    UK primary-care records; source for the median-lifespan and mortality figures.