There is quite a lot to consider when choosing a breed of dog to keep as a pet. To anyone who already has pets, one of the first and most important questions one should have answered is, of course, how does this breed of dog usually get along with other animals? Is he territorial? Friendly? Anti-social? Some pets are downright incompatible with one another and may try to keep a safe distance to avoid conflict, while some may even become hostile or violent. Obviously, this is not what any true dog lover wants.

Checking the facts isn't just ethical, it's smart. Just a few minutes of research can spare both the owner and their pets from a lot of headaches and heartache down the road. The Belgian Tervuren is fortunately a fairly compatible breed of shepherd. They tend to get along famously with other Tervurens, other breeds of dog and even cats. This doesn't mean that it's safe to just grab a Tervuren and expect everything to work out perfectly though. As with any decision as significant as selecting a pet, there are always some important things to consider.

First and foremost, what are your pets like? Do you have a cat that'll take off running the second he's introduced to your new dog? Every dog in the world is born with that chase instinct built right in, so while a properly raised Tervuren will get along just fine with most cats, a Tervuren is still a dog and a young dog who hasn't been trained yet can't be expected to do anything but give chase when a small creature runs past them at top speed.

Do you have a dog that's getting on in years? The Tervuren loves playing, as much as possible. Give them half a chance and a Tervuren will run until his legs fall off and then he'll run some more. Older dogs suffering from arthritis or just plain old tiredness will probably develop a dislike for their new roommate and tend to avoid them. This probably won't become an antagonistic relationship, though, as Tervurens tend to give people and fellow pets some space when it becomes obvious that their intended playmate isn't in the mood to goof around. Still it's something to keep in mind.

Second, where did this Tervuren come from? The Tervuren needs a lot of human attention in their first weeks or they may grow into aggressive, hostile dogs. That's not to say they're completely without any redeeming characteristics, but it certainly means that raising them is going to be a challenge, to say the least. If a dog was born into a pet shop or puppy mill, it may not have received the unusually high amount of attention it needed and may become violent with other pets. This isn't a fair situation to put any animal in. Make sure you know the dog's background. These are some basic, simple questions to get answers to. If everything is in order and you choose to adopt a Tervuren, the breed is known to be protective of, and playful with, its fellow pets. A lot of Tervurens tend to be a little on the shy side in their youth, but this is most often just a brief phase before their friendly, playful personality really shines through.

comments powered by Disqus