The Malinois is a short-coated (dual-colored) breed which sheds all year round and with more intensity during seasonal transitions. These cannot be handled through shedding, and to control shedding the use of slicker brush or grooming mitt comes in handy to brush 2-3 times a week.
Continue to have your Malinois put on regular heartworm preventative, flea and tick treatment as a way of limiting environmental allergies. Exercise, obedience training, and balanced diet will put him at a healthy weight which will aid in keeping his joints healthy, his skin and coat healthy.
Learning about the Belgian Malinois Coat.
Belgian Malinois are energetic dogs and require a responsible owner with the time, energy, and space to exercise them. These world ranking athletes are extremely bright and grasp the art of training within a short time.
They develop very strong attachments with their owners and will desire to be with you throughout the day and night. Such a close connection, though, may predispose them to develop separation anxiety.
Although they have short coats that are weatherproof, similar to any dog they may get allergic or infected to the skin. By regulating how they brush their cat and bathe them, using a light cleanser will keep their coat and skin fresh and lessen allergens. Besides this, ensuring they are on year-round heartworm and flea prevention will also ensure that they are healthy particularly in case they spend most of their time outside.
A fawn to orange-red and red is the range of the phaeomelanin present in malinois, which determines their color. Diluted fawn or light grey is a great flaw to the All Kennel Club and FCI, seeing that they demand that the coat must be a deep shade.
Average shedding of Belgian Malinois?
I would call the shedding of the Belgian Malinois as a moderate shedding, neither a light shedder like the long-coated breed nor a heavy shedding breed. They have low constant, light shedding throughout the year with excessive shedding in spring and fall known as blowout.
They shed more readily than happens with dogs of fluffy breeds since the short and coarse hairs use up excessive time in clothing and furniture rather than forming clumps.
All dogs with a double coat are not hypoallergenic but loose hairs and dander are minimized by regular grooming and bathing, more than any kind or length of coat would stop these troubles. The biggest thing about that is to ensure that you use shampoos and conditioners that are dog-formulated otherwise the skin of your Malinois will be unhealthy and shedding will harm the coat of your dog and the sensitivity of your family members as well.
This is a strong, comfortable, intelligent breed, which is fragile in large quantities of intense activity in the intellect and body. They require a loving pet parent who will invest time in early and regular training with a professional and offer herding, agility, tracking, and obedience training and activities in addition to daily exercise.
Belgian Malinois Shed the Most when.
Belgian Malinois moderately sheds throughout the year, and has two major seasonal coat sheds when their undercoat renews. Precise timing of these cycles depends on the unfortunate environment, climate, age, and health. However, the majority of owners observe low background shedding and two distinct spikes in high shedding as the year goes on.
Most individuals think that having a short-coated breed translates to hardly any shedding but the truth is that it is somewhat more intricate. Their hair does not clump into balls, but is more prone to get into the crevices of garments and furniture, making a Malinois shed less when compared to a more fluffy breed.
These are not couch potato dogs but need a lot of physical exercise, such as long walks, agility and even herding. Their confidence and motivation qualify them great police dogs, bomb and drug sniffers and service dog candidates.
These high-energy jobs require lots of mental stimulation, too, in these high-energy pups. A loyal owner may maintain his energy levels inasmuch as he/she arranges a daily walk and provides them with various training activities such as tracking classes, obedience classes and agility classes.
To keep them in action also helps to avoid herding disorder which is the situation when the dog loses control of the herd. In case the pet parent thinks herding disorder is present in his Belgian Malinois, he/she should find a consultation with a veterinarian.
Best Brushing Schedule of Belgian Malinois
Malinois are Belgian and their coats are easy to brush and maintain. They do not shed heavily in the seasons, but instead each fall and spring have two heavier periods known as the blow seasons when their coat is shedding.
Their physiques are muscular and well-proportional displaying their heritage as herders and police workers. They are tall with confidence and alertness in their head and neck carriage and their eyes are medium sized, set obliquely and dark (light eyes are a disqualification). Their ears are small and triangular, but erect, rigid and well-cupled, and are borne in an alert rather than an over-erect position.
To be physically and mentally stimulated they require a lot of exercise, much more than other dogs. Assure them not less than 2+ hours of high intensity exercise per day (divided into several spurts).
Run them, play endless games of fetch or utilize formal schooling workouts or scent games with the assistance of a professional. Keep them mentally engaged with puzzle feeders and snuffle mats, as well. Wash them according to their condition and needs on a schedule, with a dog-formulated shampoo and rinse them out.
Bathing and Coat Care.
Malinois are very smart animals, which create an immanence that cannot be broken with their owners. They are also energetic dogs, which require considerable levels of daily physical activity, both mental and physical. Herding, agility, scent walks and tracking events are all good activities that they excel in.
Belgian Malinois have short hair and thus do not require much maintenance, although they shed moderately. Other proprietors notice two distinct seasons or periods of blow every year when the undercoat is replaced.
The degree to which this cycle is evident is influenced by indoor climate, geography, health and grooming products. Dogs: Do not shave the dog coat under any circumstances since it will interfere with the regulated temperature and will lead to an uneven growth or an abnormal growth.
Wash your dog regularly in a manner that helps to maintain their coat. An example would be a healthy coat will require a bath following outdoor adventures or when they come inside a wet-dog smell. However, excessive bathing may cause dryness and itchiness of the skin and accumulation on dirt and debris, thus making brushing more challenging.
Remember, not even the responsible breed guide can assure you that a dog will shed little or not at all. Shedding is a standard aspect of life and even low shedding breeds are able to leave hair on furniture or even clothing. However, there can still be measures you can take to trim the pile in your house by ensuring that your grooming schedule is on time and that your dog is fed a balanced meal.
Diet and Nourishment of a Stylish Coat.
The health of the coat is based on the diet of a dog. A veterinarian is able to inform you on how much nutrients and calories your pet requires to keep its skin and coat healthy and offer ideal food to the specific dietary requirements of your dog.
The majority of the Belgian Malinois require high-protein grain-free diet, which is best at keeping the coat and skin healthy. Discuss the diet plans that suit your dog better with its health and level of activity with your vet.
Although it is a common misconception that due to their short, double coat, a Belgian Malinois sheds very little, the dog sheds fairly low throughout the year and has two more massive shedding events before their fur sheds, also known as the blow.
Despite this, they might shed more loose hairs than longhaired German shepherds and other groups with a thick coat of hair. Such short guard hairs have a higher possibility of weaving into clothes and fabric hence an average rate of shedding will still result to shedding of visible portions of hair on furniture, clothing, floors and car seats.
In case your dog is an active family member, they will require being exposed to so many exercises and outdoor activities. This becomes more so the case when there is a coat blow period. The smell of a wet dog following a swim in the water or a rain may be normal, but any persistent odor along with greasy hair, redness, debris, itching, or ear pain merits a trip to the doctor instead of more deodorizing baths.
When Shedding May require Veterinary Treatment.
As is the case with all dogs there are certain indications that could point to more serious problems than the rest. Any symptom or behavior change that is not usual should be taken to the veterinarian immediately.
As an illustration, a Metabolic issue or toxin can cause seizures in Malinois. They can also be caused by a brain tumor or stroke. In the event of seizures in your dog we can perform a work up to determine the cause and treat the dog with lifelong medication to keep the seizures under control.
Malinois also have the hypothyroidism condition whereby the body fails to produce the necessary thyroid hormone. It may lead to dry skin and hair, prone to other illnesses, gaining or losing weight, being fearful or aggressive or exhibiting other behavioral change.
To screen this common disease and prescribe replacement hormones to it there is a screening test that we can have once a year that screens and tests blood screening.
Malinois are also susceptible to progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) like many other herding and working breeds. This is an inherited disease in which the retinas degenerate eventually resulting in blindness.
A basic genetic testing procedure can help us to identify herding breeds with high risks of developing PRA and screen them against this disease when they are still young (pupxies). We also have the opportunity to conduct a visual check-up and prescribe a treatment course to any eye issues that require it.