Had to add some more now that I've had time to re-read and think over your previous post;
I would think that depends more on the individual dog and how close the lines are being bred as well. I know of many Belgians in my area that eat Eukanuba and do fine on it...not my choice of food of course It has Corn and I believe Wheat in it as well...that would be like my saying you can never feed a Rottweiler Turkey or Chicken as it will make them bloat...that may be a problem with "some" Rotties, not all.
It is possible that their breeder never informed them of this because I know Belgians over here do not to well on the wheat or corn. its not to say that they wont live on it.. kids could live on candy, but its definately not healthy for them. I just recently learned of this through another Belgian owner and my breeder. I dont know why your friends that have Belgians dont know this fact. and No its not just "lines up here" a friend of mine that owns a Belgian Tervuren imported hers straight from Belgium and the same thing applies.
Is that all Belgians or just your dog? I do know of some people who have thier Belgians on raw food diet and feed chicken...and have been doing so for years...funny. They also have them on chicken meal based kibbles with no problems even into old age.
This would also be newly learned information, so i thought I'd share to everyone. Apparently the Belgian Tervuren can have chicken, but if its fed to them daily they run the risk of having problems with their pancreas.
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3. - They need consistant socilization or they will become aggresive or extremely shy
That is a must for any dog.
yes it is, BUT.. some breeds are more PRONE to this behavouir then others. Ex. would be a Lab... without extreme socilization this breed can still thrive and be very lovable. but, if the beligan did not have consistant socilization they will NOT do well in the outside world beyond their backyard.
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4. - They are unreal smart, and catch on to things you didn't even know that you trained them.. ie. - what swear words mean lol
All dogs catch onto the tone of their owners voice, and body language. I hear this from all dog owners.. Oh he just "knew" he was coming to the Vet office today...we even spell the word out and he just "knows" most times it's the actions of the owners leading up to the event.
This part was meant to have humor in it.. obviously you didn't get that part.
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5. - They think they are a teacup poodle size, so sitting on your lap on the couch is completely fine for them
Just depends on house rules and manners. My Newf's would do this as well if they could get away with it...same with my Dobe and Rottie....not breed specific at all
Again.. humor.. but once again.. didn't catch on I guess.
That is normally a sign of poor socialization during the critical period. A puppy between the ages of 8 - 16 weeks should have introduced thier pups to odd walking people, people with hats, different races etc. It's crititcal for a puppy to imprint...a fear reaction is going to happen when the dog has never seen it before...it's called "fight or flight" response.
yes, thats a given fact. But, again, some breeds are prone to territorial actions then others. Our Sheltie would let anyone in the door, but Riot would be wary and unsure until he was told it was alright, YET both Shelties have not had as much socilization as Riot has, because this is something we are STILL working on.
Double coated breed, that's a given...with our Newf's we are able to blow all the undercoat out for summer to keep them coooler...or with a Newf we had years ago we shaved her to keep her cooler as she did not like being groomed. She did fantastic shaved and she was a double coated breed...she never had a "heat stroke" and lived to a ripe old age of almost 16
Thats fabulous for your Newfie and i'm glad she did well like that, but you can not shave a Belgian show dog. They'd end up looking like a Maly. So, obviously you'd have to go with other options. They do not tolerate heat well.
Rottie's and Dobe can be one person dog as well...that's why I went extra lenths to socialize them properly and have other people play/work with them...my Rottie repsonds equally as well to my friends, family as she does to me.
again, this doesn't completely apply to Riot, I just know that he'd respond better to me b/c of the fact that I trained him. The last comment, was supposed to have humor in it..guess you missed it.
9. - Their minds need to be constantly proded with new ideas and adventures or they will grow very bored and decide to rip everything of yours into such small pieces it would be impossible to sew back together.
Most dogs require mental stimulation. House manners and training are also very important in keeping a well behaved dog.
Alright, I'm saying here that if they aren't worked and just become another piece of furnature in the house, they will get destructive/very bored and think of things they can do on their own. Riot does not touch any of my things now(did when he was a small pup b/c he didn't know better then). And yes, your right - mental stimulation should be used on all dogs to keep them sharp.
That would be seperation anxiety, sometimes a learned response to how their owner go about departures. Sometimes it's just an exceptionally stressed dog and I have heard/seen dogs of all breeds suffer from seperation anxiety..especially insecure dogs or dogs that have gone through mulitiple homes. There are desensitizing techniques you could follow. I have seen many owners create a dog with seperation anxiety due to how they depart...oh my poor baby,your going to miss mommy arent you...poor little baby...the dog picks up on this new demeaner of their owner and become insecure.
You can't base an entire breed on one dog...I know many people with Belgians and they have never had any of the above complaints.
Again.. did you not see the slight humor in this? also, again.. yes some breeds are more prone to this then others. Ex. Cocker Spaniels. I have heard that this breed is slightly prone to it(this statement is from several cocker owners I know). I know when I leave the house, I have Riot stay at one end of the house and then I go, no fuss over him at all and he still sits by the door and lets out a howl.
) that we were going outside.