MyDogBreedsNorth Country Beagle is originated from United Kingdom but Belgian Shepherd Dog (Groenendael) is originated from Belgium. North Country Beagle may grow 21 cm / 8 inches shorter than Belgian Shepherd Dog (Groenendael). North Country Beagle may weigh 19 kg / 41 pounds lesser than Belgian Shepherd Dog (Groenendael). Both North Country Beagle and Belgian Shepherd Dog (Groenendael) has same life span. North Country Beagle may have less litter size than Belgian Shepherd Dog (Groenendael). North Country Beagle requires Low maintenance. But Belgian Shepherd Dog (Groenendael) requires High maintenance
Known also as the Northern Hound or the Northern Beagle, the North Country Beagle hailed from Britain and is extinct.
It hailed more specifically from- and was native to the Yorkshire and Northumberland regions of England. As a scenthound it was known for its hunting skills.
There isn’t much known about the dog but it is one of England’s oldest hound breeds, with much of its ancestry been lost. There are many theories surrounding the origins of this dog. Also, the date at which the North Country Beagle was developed is also debatable but it has always been a good hunter.
Looking much like a pitch black German Shepherd dog, the Belgian Shepherd is a beautiful looking dog. Their roots go back to the 1800s to Groenendael, Belgium. This is where they were bred by a certain Nicolas Rose in 1910. The Groenendael is one of four different Belgian Sheepdog varieties but the Groenendael is sometimes treated as a distinct breed.
They have always been used for their intelligence, serving for instance in the police force and being message carriers in war situations. Originally, Belgian Shepherds were used to herd livestock. It was in 1911 that the Groenendael was registered in the United States, and not much later the first Belgian Sheepdog Club of America formed. The breed was recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1912.
The North Country Beagle seemed to vary quite a bit in size and because there isn’t much information on this extinct dog, we can assume he was much the same size of the Beagle we know today which is roughly 33 – 45cm in height and weighing between 9 and 11kg.
Not much is known about the dog’s appearance but it is believed that it looked much like the Southern Hound and English Foxhound. It was likely a medium sized dog with longish ears, thick bones but always agile and athletic.
There is very little known on what this dog’s temperament was like. He was strong willed and if you owned such a dog you would have had to have him trained and socialized. It was a dog that showed very little signs of aggression. It seemed the dog was friendly, social and loving to his human family.
With his alert, bright brown eyes, the Groenendael, referred to often as the Belgian Sheepdog, has erect ears with a long, feathered tail. The straight, strong legs are also feathered. He is well proportioned, athletic and strong. He has a dense double coat, and this working dog’s coat is black, but you sometimes find some small white markings around his paws and muzzle. The size of the Groenendael is roughly 60-66cm at the withers with the females sometimes being slightly smaller. The weight of the dog is roughly 25–30 kilograms.
The Groenendael is an active, intelligent breed and training and socializing will be necessary to ensure he knows how to behave around his human family. He is a big, social dog and won’t do well when left alone day after day in the back yard. In fact he may even show signs of separation anxiety if you leave him indefinitely. He makes for an excellent family dog, just loving their companionship and he becomes very protective of them.
He is used to making use of his intelligence and therefore he will need mental stimulation as opposed to lying around all day. He gets on well with adults, children and other pets, but he needs to grow up with children and not be put among children when he is already an adult. He is loyal and loving to his human family, forming a deep bond, especially with just one member of the family.
The North Country Beagle was a social, energetic dog who loved spending time with his human family. They were intelligent too, so training and socialization were possibly easy for him.
They weren't regarded as raucous kind of dogs and were fairly quiet. They were quite social and didn't like being left alone for too long. They were adaptable too, slotting quite easily into country- or city life.
Coolish with strangers, the North Country Beagle made a good pet and companion with a generally happy, contented disposition.
Your Belgian Shepherd is an intelligent, active, loyal companion for you. He is highly intelligent too, and will need the right owner who can meet his energetic needs. He therefore wouldn’t do well with in a small place where the owners are couch potatoes. He is a working dog and will require being kept busy.
Provide him with good food, look after that thick, lustrous coat of his, provide him with a warm, dry place to sleep and plenty of exercise, love and attention and he will turn out to be the wonderful pet that makes him such a popular breed.
The North Country Beagle had a lifespan of 12 to 15 years, and while he was a fairly healthy dog breed, there were some common health issues to look out for. Some of these were patellar luxation, epilepsy and glaucoma.
This is a condition where there is pressure in the eye and where there is inadequate fluid drainage as well. Left untreated, it can lead to permanent damage to the optic nerve which can lead to blindness.
It is fairly common in certain breeds. There is primary and secondary glaucoma and symptoms for instance with primary glaucoma can be this high pressure within the eye and also a cloudy appearance in front of the eye along with redness of the blood vessels and dilated pupils. There can also be headaches and loss of appetite.
The Belgian Groenendael is a healthy, strong breed with no major health problems and with an average lifespan of 12-14 years.
As with every dog breed, there will be some health issues to be aware of. Skin allergies, epilepsy, eye problems and hip- and joint dysplasia are some areas to look out for
Dental disease for instance, is a common problem with pets, and your Belgian Shepherd can have serious problems with their teeth. Tartar build-up on the teeth ca take you down a trail of infections and gum disease. If you don’t want to make use of a special canine toothbrush and toothpaste, your vet will do it for you.
Your Groenendael will also be susceptible to ticks, fleas and bacterial and viral infections. As a puppy of 6 – 8 weeks, vaccinations for parvo, rabies, and distemper will be necessary. You’ll also need to be generally watching your pet’s health and to get him to the vet when he shows signs of being run-down and ill.
Your North Country Beagle was a social animal and he always had a whole lot of love and friendship to offer his human family.
Today, if you bring such a dog into your home, its your responsibility to care for him and provide him with love.
A puppy such as this would have been fed 4 times a day. As he got older he would have had his meals cut down to one or two a day. His owners would have chosen a dog food according to age and activity levels, but always made sure that the food was rich in vitamins and minerals.
Dry kibble has the advantage of keeping your dogs teeth clean. Home-made food was and is always a welcome treat and can occasionally be added to the dry kibble. Keep the food consistent and simple to avoid stomach upsets.
Boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and some cooked vegetables such as carrots, sweet potato and spinach would have kept the Beagle happy and healthy and is an excellent diet today for modern dogs. Sometimes you can also give a little bit of raw meat. Never leave any dog without a constant supply of fresh, cool water.
Your North Country Beagle would have required lots of energy and will have required being exercised. His owners may have taken him for walks every day, and modern Beagles today would require ball games and games that also provide him with the chance to think and work things out.
If you bring a pet home such as what the North Country Beagle was like, as a puppy, you would have had to make a vet appointment to ensure he had his vaccinations to protect him from deadly diseases.
General grooming of your North Country Beagle would have required you brushing him twice a week, checking inside and outside his ears for infection. This is particularly of importance with floppy eared dogs like this. Check his eyes and teeth too. His nails couldn't be neglected either, as left long, they could have hooked onto objects, tearing and causing pain and bleeding.
The Groenendael has a double coat and because it is also fairly long, his black coat may well be high maintenance and brushing every 2nd day will be necessary to keep the coat unmatted and to also get rid of those loose hairs. In fact, heavy shedding is part of this breed’s life and while heavy shedding happens twice a year, light shedding continues throughout the year. Sometimes is may be necessary to send him to a dog grooming parlour to snip his hair and to wash it.
A healthy, quality diet it absolutely imperative. Speak to your vet about the best kind of wet- or dry food suited to an energetic breed like this and appropriate to his age. You need to include raw meat into your pets diet every day now and then to avoid skin problems. Always ensure a bowl of clean, cool water is available, The bowl will need to be washed out every other day.
make sure his ears are cleaned. Once again you have to be careful when prodding in a dog’s ear and your veterinarian will show you how.
keep him well exercised with long walks and ball games.