The man in the E?

His name is Kokopelli, known as "The Joy Bringer" to ancient Native American tribes of New Mexico. He travelled from village to village spreading happiness with his music and good humour. One of his greatest lessons was showing us that we shouldn't take life so seriously. Don't our Belgians do that to us sometimes?

This site is dedicated with love to
Fancy, Binty & Rosey.
Always in my heart...

Welcome to my cyber home. I hope you spend some time perusing my site, and while here you enjoy my pictures and some information on this breed that has wormed it's way deeply and permanently into my heart.

I live with my 3 Belgian Shepherds in the small town of Sutton, Ontario which is positioned about an hour north of Toronto, on the southern shores of Lake Simcoe, Ice Fishing Capital of the world. My kennel name "Bergique" comes from a combination of the French name for my breed, the Berger Belgique.

I chose the Tervuren variety of this breed because the luxurious, thick coat and the elegant appearance appealed to me. The intelligence of the Belgian Shepherd can be a blessing or a curse. From the outside Belgians appear to be just a normal - albeit gorgeous - dog; but don't let this fool you. They can calculate, figure you out, and react in ways that make you laugh your head off for having thought that you were the smarter member of the team. Belgians have a vast sense of humour and love to make you smile, repeating an action over and over if they think it was the one that made you happy.

This same intelligence and sensitivity can also be a curse, if the dog is not handled in a firm, and at the same time, soft manner. The amount of time it takes for them to learn something new is as fast as they can learn that their trust in their beloved owner may have been unwarranted. Too firm a hand creates a lack of trust that isn't soon repaired. Too soft a touch can cause an adolescent dog to try to assume the upper hand in the relationship.

The coat of these beautiful dogs is easier to maintain than it looks like. It's not as thick as a collie's coat and does not tend to mat. (The altered dog, male or female can have a softer coat which could mat.) It is dense, with a thick undercoat and a coarse overcoat that resists rain, snow and heat. It requires a daily going over to make sure everything is healthy and hale, and a weekly brushing. Plus, of course, the nails need to be trimmed regularly. Other than that - a Belgian Shepherd, Tervuren, can go from the field to the show ring without needing hours and hours of grooming. The standards state that the Belgian should be shown in it's natural form and without too much human contact.

The Belgian Shepherd Dog is not really a dog for the first time dog owner unless they are willing to spend the necessary time studying the temperament, training methods and socialization requirements of the breed. Many a dog has been re-homed because someone fell in love with the appearance - or the wonderful behaviour of a well-trained specimen - but didn't do their homework to find out how this intelligent animal would - or would not - blend in with the home life.

I became involved with this wonderful animal in 1995 when I got my first Terv, a stunning, dark red girl named Fancy. I have had a variety of breeds in my past, PCB (Proudly Canadian Bred), shepherd crosses, a greyhound cross, a show German Shepherd girl, a couple of Shih Tzu'. When Fancy turned two I got her a Shih Tzu puppy (lol), Binty, the grand-daughter of my first Shih Tzu, Teebo. After Binty came Rosey. February 11th will always be burned into my heart - quite literally. On that dreaded day in the year 2000, our family home was flattened by an all consuming fire. My precious friends, Fancy, Binty, and Rosey, whom I thought were safe in the home while at work, were lost in that fire. This website is dedicated to them.

This website is currently a work-in-progress. Please drop by often to watch the progression. I am working with Charlotte Myers who has kindly agreed to help me along this road. Please browse around and visit with Trixie, Dite and Lily.

Susi Wilson
P.O. Box 644
Sutton, Ontario
L0E 1R0