The ideal shoulder height of a male Belgian Tervuren dog should be 24~26 inches; females about 22~24 inches. Males under 23 inches or over 26.5 inches are disqualified; females under 21 or over 24.5 inches are disqualified. The body proportion is square.
　　 Morphological Characteristics
　　 Head
　　 Clear contour, tight skin, long but not exaggerated head length. Expression: appears intelligent and puzzled, showing alertness, attention, and readiness to act. Eyes: brown, medium size, slightly almond-shaped, not protruding. Light-colored, yellow, or round eyes are disqualified. Ears: triangular, cup-shaped, firmly upright, height equal to ear root width. Ear base is high; ear roots must not be below the eye centerline. Drooping ears like hounds are disqualified. Skull and muzzle: measured from the stop, the length of the skull and muzzle are roughly equal. Overall size proportionate to the body. The crown is slightly flat, not domed, width roughly equal to length, width must not be greater than length. The stop is moderate. Seen from the side, the muzzle profile runs parallel to the skull profile. The muzzle is slightly pointed, not truncated or thick-faced. The jaw is solid and strong. Nose leather is black, without spots or fading. Nostrils are clear. Lips: tight, black, no pink visible when the mouth is closed.
　　 Teeth: complete, strong white teeth, evenly distributed, scissors bite or pincer bite. Overshot or undershot bites are faults. Undershot bite with two or more upper incisors not contacting lower incisors is disqualifying. If the middle incisors are short causing no contact but other biting parts are correct, it is not considered undershot bite. Broken or discolored teeth are not faults. Missing teeth are faults.
　　 Neck, Topline, Body
　　 Neck: round, muscular, long and elegant, slightly arched, tapering gradually from body to head. Skin tight, no laxity. Withers are prominent. Topline: flat, straight, and firm. The rump is moderately long, sloping gradually towards the base of the tail. Chest: not wide but not particularly narrow, quite deep, depth extending to the elbows, forming a smooth, graceful curve extending to the abdomen. Abdomen: moderately developed, neither excessively tucked up nor potbelly. Ribs well sprung but flat on sides. Loin, seen from above, appears short, wide, and solid, smoothly connecting with the back. Tail: sturdy at the base, tail bone extending to the hock. At rest, the tail hangs down with the tip near the hock. In motion, tail curls to the topline height, slightly curved, but cannot form a hook shape. Tail must not be raised above the topline nor twisted to either side. Docked tail is disqualified.
　　 Forequarters
　　 Shoulders: scapula long, sloping backward at 45 degrees, laying flat against body, forming a right angle with the humerus. The distance between the tops of the scapulae is about two finger widths. The movement direction of the upper arm aligns with the body's longitudinal axis. Forearm long and muscular. Forelegs: straight, parallel to each other, vertical to the ground. Bones are oval-shaped, not round. Carpus short, firm, slightly inclined. Dewclaws may be removed. Paws: round, cat feet, neither turned in nor out. Toes curved and tight. Pads thick, nails strong.
　　 Hindquarters
　　 Hind legs: powerful but not heavy, similar style as forequarters. Bones oval-shaped, not round. Thighs wide and very muscular. Stifle clearly defined, the angle between upper and lower thigh is right angle. Hock: moderately sloped, short metatarsals, viewed from behind, vertical to ground and parallel to each other. Dewclaws removed. Paws: slightly long, toes tight and curved, foot]
　　 The Belgian Tervuren dog has unique adaptability to extreme climates and temperatures. The outer coat must be long, fitting, straight, and thick. The coat texture is medium coarse, not silky or harsh. Wavy or curly coats do not meet requirements. The undercoat is very dense, adapting to various climates. Hair on the head, outer ears, and lower legs is slightly shorter; open ears protected by tufts of hair. Furnishings: longer, thicker hair such as collar around the neck; feathering on the back of the forearms; long furnishings on thighs and “pants” area; long, thick, and full hair on the tail. Females rarely have furnishings as pronounced as males. This difference must be considered when judging females.
　　 Color
　　 Body color ranges from various shades of fawn to reddish-brown or mahogany. Coat coloration is characterized by a very unique bicolor pigment: the tip of each fawn hair is black. The Belgian Tervuren’s feature is the color deepens with age. Adult males especially show black tips on shoulders, back, and ribs. Having only small patches of black tips is insufficient. Females and young males are allowed to lack black tips, but adult males lacking them is a serious fault. Fading toward cream or gray is a very serious defect.
　　 Chest: usually black but black-gray mixes are allowed. A single white patch on the chest is allowed, but it cannot extend to the neck or lower chest. The face has a black mask, and ears are usually black. A face completely lacking black is a serious fault. Frost or white on muzzle or chin is normal. Lower body, tail, and “pants” areas are cream, gray, or light beige. Tail tip is dark or black. Paws: toe tips may be white; nails are pure black or liver color. White in any area other than chest, muzzle, chin, and toe tips is disqualifying.
　　 Gait
　　 Lively and graceful, with long, effortless strides. Always active, appearing tireless; agility is more important than raw power. When running fast, the Belgian Tervuren’s tracks are single-tracked, with front and hind legs converging under the body due to gravity. From the side, the front and hind legs fully extend, the topline remains level and steady, aligned with the direction of movement. This breed runs better in circles than straight lines. Stiff gait, pacing, crossing gait, crab gait, and similar gaits are faults, with points deducted depending on how much they affect working ability.
　　 Temperament
　　 Its relationship with humans is alert and constantly attentive to strangers but not worried. Should not appear fearful or shy. Must not show unprovoked or unjustified aggression. It should appear friendly, standing confidently. It is known to be amiable, friendly, enthusiastic about things it cares about, and possessive.
　　 Disqualifications
　　 Male under 23 inches or over 26.5 inches; female under 21 or over 24.5 inches.
　　 Ears drooping like a hound.
　　 Undershot bite with two or more upper incisors not contacting lower incisors.
　　 Docked tail
　　 White anywhere besides chest, muzzle, chin, or toe tips on a coat that is pure black or liver color.