How to Train a Belgian Malinois

The Belgian Malinois is a herding breed with many traits similar to the German Shepherd, including the need for specialized training and care. It's advisable to start training your Belgian Malinois while they are still a puppy. Early and thorough training will help prevent territorial or aggressive behaviors that could develop if they aren't properly trained. With consistent, clear, and experienced training, a Belgian Malinois can excel at tasks such as guarding and herding livestock.

Socialize your puppy early on. Between 4 and 14 (or even up to 18) weeks old, puppies go through a socialization phase. During this time, introduce your puppy to various places and people to help them understand that new environments and individuals are a normal part of life.

• Take your puppy to busy public areas like streets with bustling shops and markets to help them become familiar with crowded spaces. Early exposure will reduce their fear when meeting strangers later on.
• Invite multiple people over to your home. Having strangers visit your house will help your puppy learn that new people entering the home is a normal occurrence, reducing the chances of future fear or aggression.

Spend quality time with your dog. Play is essential in a dog's life and is also a great way to bond with your pet. The Belgian Malinois is a breed that is particularly affectionate and enjoys spending time with its owner. Therefore, from a young age, you should spend quality time with your Belgian Malinois every day. For puppies, a minimum of 30 minutes of playtime per day is appropriate, while older dogs may require more time for play and training with you.

• For example, you could give your Belgian Malinois a rubber ball as a toy. Throw the ball for your dog and train it to bring it back to you.

Be gentle with your dog. To lay a solid foundation for future training, avoid getting angry or using harsh methods with your dog. Belgian Malinois typically do not respond well to aggressive training methods. Moreover, you should avoid being too strict with your puppy to build trust and enthusiasm in following your commands.

• Manage your expectations regarding your dog's behavior and focus on creating a bond based on love, not fear.
• While it's important to stop bad behaviors, such as indoor accidents, redirecting your dog and showing them what they should do is more effective than yelling or scolding. Remember, when you yell, the dog doesn't understand why you're upset.

Start training when your puppy is 8 weeks old. Puppies are fully capable of learning commands, and starting training early will help prevent the formation of bad habits. Ask your dog to 'sit,' 'stay,' and 'come' when you want them to perform these actions. While it's unlikely that your puppy will execute these commands perfectly at such a young age, using verbal commands will teach them to obey as they grow.

• For a Belgian Malinois, early training can be the key to developing a friendly and well-mannered personality in the future.
• For example, you should start teaching your puppy proper bathroom habits as early as possible. Take them outside regularly and bring them to the same spot so they learn that they should only relieve themselves outdoors.

Use positive reinforcement training techniques. Instead of punishing your dog for mistakes, praise and reward them when they exhibit positive behavior. When your dog goes outside to relieve itself, sits, or comes to you on command, pat their head, praise them in an encouraging tone, or give them a treat right away. By reinforcing good behavior early on, your dog will be more motivated to please you in the future.

• You can begin these positive reinforcements early on and continue them as your puppy grows, which will make advanced training easier in the future.

Consider clicker training your dog. Clicker training is a method that involves rewarding your dog with a special sound from a clicker when they follow a command. Pressing the clicker helps the dog understand when they have successfully completed the task at hand.

• Clicker training is highly effective because it eliminates confusion that might arise between the trainer and the dog. The sound of the clicker immediately signals to the dog that they've completed the command correctly.
• This method is especially useful for advanced training, particularly for Belgian Malinois dogs.

Adjust training session durations according to your dog's age. For young Belgian Malinois puppies, training sessions should last no longer than 10 minutes. As your dog matures, you can gradually extend the training time to 30 minutes or even up to an hour per session.

• Belgian Malinois dogs are eager learners, love physical activity, and enjoy spending time with their owners, so most are happy to engage in several training sessions each day.

Teach your dog to sit down. To ask your dog to sit, wait for them to start sitting, say 'sit', and reward them. By repeating this process, your dog will begin to associate the action with the reward.

• Practice this command while taking your dog on walks. When you stop somewhere, be ready with a reward or praise, as dogs tend to sit when they pause during walks.
• The time it takes for your dog to learn the 'sit' command can vary. Be patient and consistent as your dog connects the action with the reward.

Introduce additional commands once your dog has mastered 'sit'. Sitting is just the beginning of many other commands, such as 'stay' and 'lie down'. For example, once your dog is sitting, you can issue the command 'lie down' and guide them to lie down. Wait for your dog to prepare to lie down, give the command, and reward them, just like with the 'sit' command.

• Remember to use positive reinforcement by praising your dog with words like 'well done' when they follow the command.
• Repeat this process daily until your dog reliably follows your command.

Control your dog's prey drive. To reduce your dog's natural hunting instincts, it's essential to introduce them to new environments and people as the first step. However, this isn't the only solution. Train your dog to walk closely beside you while on walks outside. You can also teach your Belgian Malinois the 'leave it' command to prevent them from approaching certain objects. Using positive reinforcement in training this command will help control their prey drive.

• Belgian Malinois dogs have a strong prey drive, meaning they are likely to chase small animals like cats, smaller dogs, and possibly even children. Therefore, it's crucial to control this instinct as early as possible.
• Additionally, when walking your Belgian Malinois, be sure to secure the leash tightly so they cannot escape if they decide to chase something.

Reduce chasing behavior. When your Belgian Malinois begins to chase you or others, it's important to stop this behavior immediately, as it can quickly escalate to biting. A first step to address this is to distract your dog by engaging them in something else, like playing with a toy or going for a walk. Alternatively, you can train your dog the 'stay' command to prevent them from pursuing targets.

• Belgian Malinois are herding dogs, so don't get frustrated when they follow you around the house constantly.
• Chasing can become a serious issue if your dog starts chasing children or elderly people who may not be able to defend themselves.

Minimize begging behavior. It's important to clearly distinguish between meal times for you and your dog. During training, teach your dog not to stand in front of you while you're eating. Instead, train them to sit near the door while you and your family are having meals.

• When training, give the command 'no' or 'stop' before your dog engages in undesirable behavior. Waiting until after the negative behavior occurs may unintentionally reinforce it.

• Training a Belgian Malinois dog thoroughly is extremely important, and it is crucial to keep them occupied every day. These dogs are bred to be protective and hardworking, so if left to their own devices, they might become aggressive towards strangers, cause trouble, or develop undesirable behaviors.