Q: What is his name?

A: “Real”. In full it’s DuCharmer Ever So Real.

 

Q: What is he?

A: Many things. Mostly unsavoury things.

 

Q: No, I mean what breed is he?

A: In Britain he’s a Belgian Shepherd Dog of the Tervueren variety. That means he has long hair which isn’t black. In the breed’s Vlaams (Flemish) and Nederlands (Dutch) speaking native lands he’s a Tervurenseherder. In Britain the French spellings and terminology have largely been adopted, in spite of French being a minority language in Belgium. Don’t ask me why, I didn’t ask to be British.

 

Q: How old is he?

A: To avoid the need to rewrite this page every birthday... He was born 28-Nov-2002 in Pusula, Finland. (Moi Suomi!) His breeder is our good friend Miss Ulla Mattila, owner of the internationally successful DuCharmer kennel. (Moi Ulla!)

 

Q: So how did he Finnish, sorry finish, up in England?

A: I often ask myself that, usually with a ‘why’ rather than a ‘how’. He was imported along with his brother “Jori“ (DuCharmer Ever So Famous) by Janet & David of the Delator kennel. They established one of the first successful Tervueren kennels in Britain more than 30 years ago and sometimes look to foreign lands to obtain tip-top quality breeding stock in their continuous efforts to improve British breeding - not that there’s a shortage of good quality here, but there’s always room for improvement by out-breeding. Nobody has yet bred the perfect dog. Janet was the first (I think) to take a bitch to Belgium to be mated, whelping the litter of pups under Britain’s quarantine.

 

Q: Did Real & Jori have to endure six months quarantine?

A: No, they have their own passports, microchips and perforated skin following all the injections. My passport has expired though, thanks for the reminder.

 

Q: Do you take him to shows?

A: Very infrequently. We’ve had Belgian Shepherds for more than 20 years and got over the showing bug in favour of boating. Ask Real the question: ”Would you prefer to travel hundreds of miles by car for a few minutes in the show ring, or would you rather go a-boating and running along the riverside?“ No contest. He gained best puppy and was graded 1st Excellent in Finland then qualified for Cruft’s at his first championship show in Britain, competing in the ring at Cruft’s 2005. That’s enough, now let’s go running through the reed-beds. That’s much more fun!

 

Q: If you kept on showing him, would he go to the top?

A: Unlikely. There is a modern fashion for very long narrow over-emphasized skulls and although Real’s construction is very well balanced, he isn’t that. We prefer a male dog to have proportions similar to Real’s with room for an intelligent brain. Ask a working Collie handler what they look for in a prospective choice and they’ll say a dog needs a head big enough for a thinking brain. A Belgian Shepherd should be a working dog first, pretty comes second - although a frame, limbs, coat and organs capable of massive endurance are vital. Without such qualities a BSD isn’t a BSD.

 

Q: So is Real intelligent?

A: Incredibly so. We’ve never known a dog so easy to train - he has an amazing command of English and understanding of hand signals!

 

Q: Should I consider adopting a Belgian myself?

A: No. Sorry, but no. You have a life and you need to keep it. Belgians are 24/7 dogs who demand constant human company and lots of work. They thrive on work, needing to keep all that intelligence busy. Leave him at home while you go out to work and he’ll eat the house. I work at home and Real is always with me, he knows to settle for a snooze when I’m busy - or he’ll sit in the garden keeping the local cats away from the bird table - and we run and run over wild country when we get a break. Nothing less will do for a BSD, he would go crazy with frustration. If you are really serious about devoting yourself to obedience training or competitive agility (Flyball is great!) think about a Belgian, otherwise select a less demanding breed. Look what can happen to the Border Collie - a fabulous working dog, often seen to be completely bonkers when owned as a pet. Working dogs are built to work, not to be locked up in a house.

 

Q: I absolutely want to commit my whole life to a dog. I am physically quite fit and not embarrassed to roll in mud or snow in a mock fight with my dog. Where can I find out more info?

A: Hit the links below, but never say I didn’t warn you. If you do become adopted by a BSD, good luck. You’ll be proudly owned by the most naturally conformed breed there is - the closest thing to a wolf in physical terms, but with MENSA brain power and an overwhelming need to make you happy. Show him that he does make you happy and he’ll do it again and again. Ignore him and he’ll rebel. Control him and he’ll obey, gladly. Neglect him and he’ll dominate - he believes that he’s King of the World, you’ll have to maintain a higher throne or he’ll be out of control, unruly, damaging and a potential risk. BSDs are certainly not violent by nature, but they can be very headstrong and they will guard effectively. Now, think long and hard about that lovely fluffy cuddly Cavalier before you make another move.

 

 

We had thought about including an apology to the BSD breeders we know and respect, for damaging their puppy sales. But the only customers we have sent packing are those who would be unsuitable for a Belgian, so we’ve done everyone a favour. Especially the puppies - and that’s what matters most.

 

Caress’s Crew

 

OK, so you’re more interested in the dog than in the boat. He doesn’t need this kind of encouragement, being full of his own importance already. So please don’t tell him that he’s handsome or clever, he’s difficult enough to keep in his place without that.

 

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