Search
Close this search box.

About the Club

The American Belgian Tervuren Club (ABTC) is the AKC-recognized national breed club for the Belgian Tervuren breed. Its goal is “to do all in its power to protect and advance the interest of the breed” (from the ABTC Constitution and By-Laws). To further this goal, the ABTC

  • Holds a National Specialty Breed show annually which also includes obedience, herding, agility, and rally trials as well as tracking tests. The most recent addition to this lineup is a Scent Work trial.
  • Encourages the formation of independent local area clubs
  •  Publishes a bi-monthly magazine Tevuren News Tales (TNT) which is sent to all members
  • Supports responsible ownership and breeding of the Belgian Tervuren

The club was founded in 1960 shortly after the AKC designated the Belgian Tervuren as a separate breed from the Belgian Sheepdog. The AKC had wanted to put the breed back into the Miscellaneous Class but was convinced by a dedicated group of Tervuren owners and breeders to allow them into the Working Group (The Herding Group was split from the Working Group in 1983.). The original name was simply The Belgian Tervuren Club because the original members wanted to make sure that Canadians were allowed to join. When the club applied for American Kennel Club recognition as the national breed club, the name became the American Belgian Tervuren Club. (From The Complete Belgian Tervuren, 1990, by the ABTC Education Committee).

Today the ABTC has many active members across the US and 17 local area clubs. Behind the success of the  Belgian Tervuren are the breed fanciers. These dedicated people own show dogs, obedience dogs, family dogs, and working dogs (sometimes these are combined in a single dog). They love the breed for its beauty, its versatility, and its excellence in all the areas of dog show competition. This rare combination of virtues is the inspiration for the ABTC’s motto: A well-balanced Tervuren has a CH (Championship) on one end and a UDT (Utility Dog Tracker) on the other. At the time, these were the highest conformation and performance titles available.

 Messages to the membership from the ABTC Board are sent through a Groups IO Announce List and a Facebook Announce List. Membership in the Groups.IO list is automatic if the member includes an email address.  The  Facebook Announce List  requires you to ask to join. There is also a Facebook ABTC Photo Archives group which contains photos from past specialties and collections donated by members.

Contact the national club secretary or local area clubs to find out how to get involved. Or check the Events calendar for possible events in your area.

There are three levels of Membership:

  1. Associate Membership:  Associate membership is open to all persons who are in good standing with the American Kennel Club and who subscribe to the purpose of the American Belgian Tervuren Club.  As an Associate member, you shall have all the privileges of Regular members except that you may not hold office, chair a committee, vote, or sponsor an applicant for membership.   After completion of a one-year Associate membership, you may apply for a Regular membership.
  2. Regular Membership:  After completion of your one-year Associate membership, you are eligible to apply for a Regular Membership.  With a Regular membership, you will have the privileges enjoyed as an Associate member as well as being eligible to hold office, chair a committee, vote, and endorse an applicant for membership.
  3. Junior Membership:  Junior membership is open to all persons under 18 years of age who are in good standing with the American Kennel Club and who subscribe to the purpose of the American Belgian Tervuren Club.  As a Junior member, you will have all the privileges of Regular members except that you many not hold office, chair a committee, vote, or sponsor an applicant for membership.  At age 18, your membership will automatically convert to an Associate Membership the next full Club year.

Download membership requirements and application forms

Regular

Associate

Junior