The Groenendael (in English, approximately ) is a variety of dog that is included in the Belgian Shepherd breed, but sometimes treated as a distinct breed. The Groenendael is recognized, either as a breed or a variety of the larger breed, by all major kennel clubs, such as the Kennel Club of the UK. In the American Kennel Club, it is called the Belgian Sheepdog, a term otherwise synonymous with Belgian Shepherd Dog more broadly. They are a sensitive breed and cannot be trained using harsh training methods. They do not need much grooming, however when shedding (which happens once or twice a year) they lose massive amounts of coat and need grooming every day.