I will try hard to hold the parents and their littermates to the same standard as I do the individual dog's that I wish to breed. I also believe that allergies and thyroid problems are inherited, and I will make an effort to breed away from dogs that show these problems. The Belgian Shepherd should not be a challenge to keep healthy, and for this reason health will be a priority in my breeding program. When a breeder talks about structure, they are referring to the way the bones and muscles connect and combine to produce the bone structure of the dog. The dog with good structure should be able to withstand significantly more stress to its bones and joints than a dog that displays poor structure.
Good structure allows the dog to jump over high obstacles and land with ease.
While some breeders can look at a beautiful headpiece all day, I can watch a dog with good movement all day. Really good movement and structure are fairly rare in our breed. While it can certainly be found, it is not the top priority in most breeding programs. But be careful about using the picture of a square to determine if a dog has good structure. The back may be relatively long, but the shortened front and rear quarters will allow the dog to both measure and appear to be shorter overall.