The first studbooks from 1883 until 1900

The "Journal of Genealogy" supplements our collection of the "Journal of History" by adding very useful information for both historians and genealogists of our Belgian dog breeds. 

The first studbook, published by the Saint-Hubert Society for the improvement of Belgian dog breeds, dates back to 1883. The first registered dog is called "Hercules", a St. Hubert Hound or Bloodhound.  The Saint-Hubert dogs indexed during the period 1883-1900 all came from English breeders.

For the Belgian breeds, apart from the few representatives of our hunting dogs, the St. Hubert Hound, Belgian Braques and Spaniels (these two breeds have been long extinct now), the inscriptions in the Saint-Hubert (L.O.S.H.) studbook essentially deal with Schipperkes and Brussels Griffons.   

F. Reusens very much influenced the breeding of Schipperkes from the start until 1910. He was the owner or breeder of more than 40 dogs, a lot of which had unknown origins. He biggest success came in 1892 with the acquisition of two males. One is Franz (L.O.S.H 3055) who will become the founder of his line, the other is Hubert (L.O.S.H 3056).

Only once did he use a stud from another kennel Joseph II (L.O.S.H 5528), but he was a son of Exter Menne II (L.O.S.H 4793) and he was the son of Franz (L.O.S.H 3055). The female line is mostly based on Tike (L.O.S.H 4483), a daughter of Hubert (L.O.S.H 3056) and Jeanette of unknown origin. 

Because of his excellent reputation, F. Reussens sent a lot of dogs from his kennel to England. That is how in that period Hubert was sold for the princely sum of 1.000 Belgian francs.

The painting by the animal painter Alexandre Clarys, included in the « Journal of History » N° 2, represents three Schipperkes that belonged to F. Reusens who lived in Brussels. In the middle, Franz (L.O.S.H 3055), is born in December 1889, from an unknown origin. On the left, Exter Menne (L.O.S.H 3488), born in September 1892 (Franz x Mieke). On the right and lying down is Spitz B (L.O.S.H 1605), born on 25 December 1885 and also from an unknown origin. 
 
As for the Belgian Sheepdog, there is no trace of him apart from one inscription in 1883, under the heading of "Sheepdogs, with long hair of the country", a bitch called "Lionne" with pearly grey streaked colour.  

Let us recall that on Sunday 25 October 1896 a meeting of forty Belgian sheepdogs took place in the public medicine-veterinary school in order to allow the committee of the Royal St-Hubert Society to come to a conclusion about the request to enter Belgian sheepdogs in the studbook (see Journal of History N° 3  - article of Chasse et Pêche dated 1 November 1896).  Only in 1901 will we see the first inscriptions appear of our shepherds with fawn-coloured short hair with black overlay and black mask, with dark ashy grey hair hard and black long hair. 

During the meeting of April 1, 1900 we know that the "Club du Chien de berger belge" adopted a motion for inscription in the club's studbook.  The "Berger Belge Club", founded on 18 July 1898, also had a book studbook but, to my knowledge, there is no longer any trace of these.