2 min read (Articles narrated by Mabel)
There are a lot of dog breeds out there. In fact, there are so many dog breeds that most people haven’t even heard of them all. However, that doesn’t mean that they’ve all been discovered. Recently, the AKC announced that they are now recognizing a new dog breed: the Belgian Laekenois.
What is a Belgian Laekenois?
The Belgian Laekenois might be considered a new breed by the AKC, but they’re far from new. This breed was used in both World Wars as messengers, but they were originally bred to guard livestock.
They look kind of like a curly-haired German Shepherd, but they’re more closely related to the Belgian Malinois, Belgian Tervuren, and Belgian Sheepdog.
A lot of people might fall in love with this dog’s looks, but it’s important to note that this breed is not easy to care for. They’re not as used to a family setting as more popular breeds are, so they need a family that’s willing to spend lots of time working on training and socialization. Therefore, they might not be cuddly right from the start.
Being bred as working dogs, this breed also requires a lot of exercise. They need a home with lots of space to run around, ideally with a fenced-in yard. If they don’t get the exercise and mental stimulation they need, they could develop destructive behaviors. A lot of humans don’t consider the hard work that goes into raising a rare puppy.
Despite being a new breed, these dogs are rare. The World Wildlife Fund estimates that there are only about 1,000 of these dogs today. However, I suspect that they will grow in popularity after being recognized as a purebred. Unfortunately, that’s not necessarily a good thing though.
What to Be Careful of
Since these unique new dogs are now considered the newest purebreds, that might make them more desirable to people. However, that’s not a positive thing. It likely means that people will start breeding them more rather than adopting dogs in shelters.
So, if you think this new breed is adorable, then please don’t rush into buying one. There are lots of beautiful dog breeds out there, but dogs are so much more than just looks. Our personalities are more important than anything else.
Therefore, instead of getting your heart set on a rare purebred dog, meet with shelter dogs first. Spend time with them and see if you can find a dog whose personality perfectly matches your own. Just because a dog is pretty doesn’t mean they’ll automatically be the right fit for your family.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to see that this unique breed is finally being recognized. However, I hope that this news doesn’t make people buy instead of adopt. So, as desirable as rare purebreds might be, always choose to adopt instead.
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Featured Image by Canarian Wikimedia Commons
Mabel the Rescue Dog 