Belgian Malinois Dog : Temprament Training and Nutrition

Belgian Malinois is often seen with police and army, serving as police and military dog. Although Malinois is originally a herding dog but, right now they are most opted and top dogs for police and military after German Shepherd. Malinois is intelligent and not for those who believe that dogs need twice walks around the block as a physical activity.

If you are opting for a Belgian Malinois then keep in mind to give them loads of physical and mental engagement and exercises to keep them happy. So, if you’re not so active or average active then never opt for a Belgian Malinois as it comes from herding working background. Often when you see this tan short haired dog, you will confuse it for German Shepherd of smaller size. But, Belgian Malinois is a distinct breed from Malines, Belgium among four types of shepherd dogs found in Belgium.

Belgian Malinois Origin

From ancient times Balgae tribe used herding dogs to drove, herd and protect their livestock. There was no any distinctive shepherd breed before late 19th century. After independence of Belgium in 1891 there rose a craze to find the national dog for the country as was going on in whole Europe. The Club du Chien de Berger Beige was founded in Belgium in 29 September 1891. Professor Adolph Reul of the Curegham Veterinary Medical School, collected 117 dogs to find a specific breed.

There were many physical similarities in around 40 dogs but, there was variation in coat length, texture and color in dogs according to regions of their origin. These dogs were then divided into four types as Groenendael, Malinois, Tervuren, and Laekenois according to coat variation and place of origin and then promoted to breed according to coat type to have standardized breeds. In 1891 some dedicated breeders of Malines promoted Belgian Malinois. Dewet sired by Vos des Polders was the foundation of standardized Belgian Malinois. American Kennel Club recognized Belgian Malinois in 1959.

Belgian Malinois Temperament

Belgian Malinois are known for their guarding skills among other all-rounder skills making them popular in many fields other than herding and companion dog. This alert, intelligent and watchful dog loves to guard your property and you out of protective and territorial instincts.

They are obedient, loyal and intelligent making them easy to train. If you love to involve your dog in sports or in agility then this dog is for you. This will keep your pooch and you happy. Due to their stubborn nature, they want a firm and confident owner. It is best to have this breed if you have good experience over dogs before. With proper socialization, they can be wonderful pets with you, children, strangers, and other pets.

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They should be socialized to be with other dogs due to dominance issues. As a herding background, they are very highly active. They need a good amount of exercise every day like running, jogging etc for long distances to keep them from becoming destructive at home. They also need mental engagement to be content. So, if you want to have a Belgian Malinois then be prepared for a good active lifestyle. If well trained and raised then they will be friendly, active, loyal, hardworking and protective companions. Never kennel your Belgian Malinois and keep them with you inside the home.

Belgian Malinois Physical Appearance

Belgian Malinois is a deep-chested medium sized dog. They are square-proportioned. The length of muzzle and top of the skull is same with a pointed muzzle. Ears are triangular and erect. Ears are black. The coat is double layered and short. Coat colors come in fawn, red, mahogany and black. The tail is bushy and reaches to hocks.

Height

Male – 24 to 26 inches
Female – 22 to 24 inches

Weight – 55 to 65 pounds

FCI classification

Section – Section 1, Sheepdogs
Group no 1
Date of acceptance – 1/1/1956

Country of origin – Belgium

FCI standard no – 015c

Belgian Malinois Grooming

Although your Belgian Malinois is short coated but, they shade heavily all year round. They are double coated so, they need proper brushing of their coat once a week. During heavy shedding months like during spring and fall, you will need to brush them with slicker brush daily.

Coat blowout is good practice during heavy shedding months. They are to be bathed only when they get too dirty or emit doggie odour. They can be safely bathed once in 6 weeks or whenever needed. It is best if you brush your Malinois coat before giving bath to loosen up dirt and debris on the skin.
As Belgian Malinois is very active, they don’t need regular nail trimming except when you hear clicking sound while your dog is walking on the floor. That means their nails are touching the floor and is need to be trimmed.
Teeth of your Malinois should be brushed daily.
Ears should be checked for build ups weekly and should be cleaned if anything like wax build-up is found. If an infection is found then consult a doctor. Otherwise, in a routine, you should clean outer ears with cotton balls once in a month.

Belgian Malinois Nutrition

Belgian Malinois diet is larger in amount in comparison to other dogs of that size. They should be served good amount of meat daily. They should be offered eggs and yoghurt once a week. Small amount of vegetables and fruits should be offered 3 to 4 times a week to your Malinois. If you use your dog in some sports or use them to perform high amount of exercises and need good performance then high fat and high protein diet is recommended with multivitamins and little bit of electrolyte in water. The protein percentage should be around 32% and fat around 25 to 32% of total food intake daily for highly active dogs used for sports.

Belgian Malinois Training

Your Malinois needs firm training and socialization to be a well behaved and happy pooch when grows up. Malinois are stubborn in nature so, you will have to be confident, repetitive and firm in training. As they are intelligent, they learn very easily making them be trained easily but, for that, you will have to be smarter than your Malinois. Obedience puppy classes are must for your Malinois pup. As they are territorial early socialization with animals and strangers is must to curb shy and aggressive behavior in your pooch.

As it is a herding dog they love to herd and can unintentionally hurt children or small pets. This behavior should be curbed from early with firm training. They should be made known what are their boundaries. You should establish authority first to train your Malinois especially the intense ones. After that positive reinforcement is good for training your Malinois. For the Alpha place you need not to become dominant but, you will have to clearly communicate to your dog that you are the pack leader. It is a little bit difficult to own a Malinois without any prior experience with the dog as it is not that easy dog like Labrador.

Belgian Malinois Health Challenges

Belgian Malinois are almost healthy except some occasional genetic predisposition to some ailments. As they are deep-chested, chances of bloating are quite high in this breed. Other ailments are which are mainly genetic are elbow dysplasia, Progressive Retinal Atrophy, cataract, hemangiosarcoma, and pannus.

Litter size of Belgian Malinois is around 6 to 10 puppies.
Life expectancy is quite good for around 10 to 15 years.

Belgian Malinois Dog : Temprament Training and Nutrition