Belgian Malinois may become a great companion to a first time owner, yet they are not all. They are high energetic dogs which require regular and intensive training as well as socialization in order to put the energy to constructive uses.
They also require much exercise and stimulation in a day, such as going out to the park and playing in the backyard. Otherwise, they may get restless and take destructive behaviors.
Belgian Malinois as a Family and Working Dog
Belgian Malinois are social and clever work dogs and suitable for an organised household with regular exercise per day. But due to their energy and exercise requirements they have, they may prove difficult to be handled in a home set up unless handled well by a trained professional.
The most overlooked dedication when it comes to having a Malinois is their non-negotiable dayly exercise needs. This breed does not have even a thirty-minute walk as enough.
Aerobic work and mental work should take the form of 90 minutes each day and 30-60 minutes of the working-sport sessions should be provided once every week, the most effective result. Those owners who believe that a stretch ahead or increase will be adequate tend to illuminate destructive ways and rescue submit.
Having a herding past, Mals have a natural tendency to take care of their flock (family members in a domestic context). This may lead them to be pushy with other pets or young children if not properly socialized. Nevertheless, they also are capable of providing confident and protective family dogs when guided.
This working dog needs high-quality and a healthy diet. Do not over-indulge your pup with treats as they might disrupt his diet allowing him or her to be at risk of getting overweight and obesity. Usually, no more than 10 per cent of what your pet consumes is treats.
Besides healthy food, the presence of a plethora of puzzle feeders, snuffle mats, and interactive toys will keep your Malinois mentally active and will improve the amount of time spent on play. This contributes in reducing their natural disciplinary approach of chewing and diggings as part of amusement.
Exercise- Vigorous and High Energy.
A healthy Malinois has an almost unlimited source of energy and unless they find out an outlet, it will be whichever way goes; it will become destructive or reactive to the people or animals that they are not accustomed to.
The energy of the dog can only be used in a proper and controlled exercise which is similar to work to the dog. An excellent example of this is when you play tug with rules, the dog is aware that it is required to play with the person, wait until given direction and not go to the extent that you choose.
This helps the dog to understand that there are boundaries to high-arousal states and this is a valuable lesson to a working breed.
Stated briefly, a Malinois will need to be exercised for at least two hours daily, in a vigorous fashion. The dog can be given the physical workout through running, organized fetch, swimming, biking, agility training, scent games, and obedience training. Working on 2+ hours a day demonstrates the ability of many dogs to flourish and even police-like bite/recall/scent work can be taught if appropriately guided.
Most owners will include brisk walks or time at a dog park as exercise to their Malinois, however this is not exercise. The dog will just pace or patrol its fenced yard and this will not be sufficient to increase the heart rate and maintain it an hour long. This is the main cause of Mals to be having chewing, digging or barking at times when they are not exercised well.
Training
This is an incredibly intelligent breed that is keen to learn. With an acute mind and a concentration, keen disposition, the Malinois learn commands and tricks easily. Mental activity can be approachable on a regular basis, i.e., by tasks or puzzles, to keep this herding breed entertained and less likely to exhibit negative activity, e.g. through boredom or anxiety.
Malinois, particularly those that will work or live in herding areas should have a good training program. Training with reinforcement is desirable, with a consistent and positive approach, than severe corrections and punishment. Such dogs are most responsive to training by a patient trainer who can handle their energy and intensity.
Malinois can also be well-trained and behavior around strangers, with proper training. Nevertheless, they should be socialized at an early age to avoid undesirable types of herding behavior like running or guarding dog barking.
Malinois tend to get overstimulated very easily, and some situations may be unusual. To reduce this, they can have simple impulse control games such as waiting at doorways or sitting in position as a handler holds a toy so that they become calm and attentive.
This breed has quite low maintenance when it comes to grooming and sheds only in moderation on a yearly basis. Frequent grooming (at least once or twice a week) may help to pull out any unwanted hair, keep the coat in beautiful shape and spread the oils that the dog has to help keep its skin healthy.
Besides taking good care of the coat, it is advisable that the ear cleaning and nail trim should be done frequently to prevent infection and overgrowth.
Socialization
Malinois being working dogs are concentrative and alert when they are tasked with a duty. When provided with an abundance of exercise and diversity of mental activity, they are in their most healthy condition.
The secret of producing a balanced dog which is not likely to overreact or indulge in illegal acts is early socialization. The bond that these dogs require with their owners can be built through a consistent training program by use of positive reinforcement. Rude corrections are counterproductive and spoiling of the uniting between a handler and his/her dog.
Malinois are highly prey-driven and may be harmful to other small animals, particularly cats, even on a leash. They have a propensity to be hostile to other dogs, unless the dog is socialized at a young age. Your Malinois should also be kept on a leash and you should watch them when they are around other dogs, mostly when you are at the dog parks.
The Malinois is able to consume a lot of food during the day due to their high work rate. Unless checked this may cause weight gain and other health issues. Regular monitoring with a check up test by a veterinarian and a feeding schedule that will enable the monitoring of the body condition to maintain healthy weight in your pet can help in keeping your dog at the right weight.
Time
Belgian Malinois is a very smart and self-assured kind of breed, and renowned in its work commitment. Loving to their family members, these dogs are also military and police dogs all over the world. The instinct to nurture their flock, in this case, their family has been instilled in them by a herding background. This may make them be a bit pushy with kids and therefore, supervision is essential when they are with children.
These are also highly observant dogs, which tend to be suspicious of strangers. These prey drives can be calmed down with some early socialization and frequent obedience training. They are excellent guard dogs because of their protective instincts but will overly bark when left alone and over of time.
In order to ensure that they are happy, Malinois require considerable exercise and cognitive stimulation per day. This hardy breed will not take a short walk around the block so be ready to invest much time with them, walking them long distances, doing agility practice and playing with them games such as fetching and Frisbee. Such intensive exercise may also assist them to put their energy to productive uses that are healthy to them.
The short coat of the Belgian Malinois requires moderate care and may require brushing a couple of times per week as well as bathing a few times in a year. Clean the nails when necessary and clean ears to prevent ear infection. You will also begin to monitor this breed on herding related types of conditions such as arthritis and hip dysplasia.
Lifestyle
Malinois (Belgians) are very intelligent breed of dogs and are able to learn new commands in a short time. They are also highly active and sporting dogs that are likely to exhaust its energy sources quickly, that is why it is necessary to exercise them every day. That is why they can be used as police and military dogs, and their abilities and ferocity are tested in this case.
This is their vitality and acuity, and they are natural dog sport performers, who can excel as herding dogs or agility entertainers. They can even compete at a considerable level in Dock Diving where a dog jumps off a dock in a body of water and collect tennis balls in the water. It is an activity that needs much practice and therefore must have a trained person to guide him/her on the kind of dog to have.
They are mostly loving to family members in spite of their herding instincts and create tight bonds. Their inherent protective instinct may lead to them being suspicious of outsiders and will be determined to keep invaders out of their families. That is why, such herding dogs need early socialization.
Other than exercise, Mals do not require much maintenance. They shed a moderate amount and therefore have to be brushed to appear healthy though with heavy shedding every six months. They should also trim their nails, clean their ears once in a week to avoid build up of wax.