Training Belgian Malinois – How to train a herding dog like the Belgian Malinois?

Training Belgian Malinois is relatively easy because they are a highly intelligent breed. They are herding dogs and like to be given ‘tasks’ to accomplish. The most important key to remember with a Belgian Malinois puppy is that training should start early and be very consistent. Your pup will enjoy challenges, but like all puppies, he’ll have a relatively short attention span to begin with. Because of this, he wants the challenges to be relatively easy at first and let them gradually get more complicated and difficult. Although Belgian Malinois make excellent family dogs, you’ll want to be diligent with them around small children, as the natural herding instinct will take over when they see children running around.

Training Belgian Malinois puppies will involve the effective use of positive reinforcement. Because this breed is extremely loyal and eager to please, simply indicating clearly when you are pleased will guide your pup toward good behavior. Keep a pocket full of puppy treats at all times, ready to reward good behavior when you find it. Your puppy’s memory of what he has done lasts no more than 3 to 5 seconds; after that, he won’t know what the prize is for. You must be diligent and focused during training sessions at all times.

Puppies learn much of their world through their mouths and noses, so behaviors like chewing and littering will not be “wrong” in their understanding. Punishing them for these behaviors only confuses and annoys them. When training the Belgian Malinois, one of the first command words worked on is “Stop.” With a firm, even low voice command, stop and reward him with a treat when he does. In a short time, any behavior that you consider negative will be able to be controlled with this command.

Your Belgian Malinois will be happiest with moderate to frequent activity, and they do well in obstacle courses and herding competitions. If you can’t get them to participate in these types of competitions, consider regular exercise in the park with games of fetch, frisbees and ‘tag’. Training Belgian Shepherd Malinois puppies to “play” is easy and rewarding and will give you many hours of pleasure throughout their lives. Never threaten or inflict physical punishment on your puppy, this will only make him nervous and cranky. Instead, use consistency and positive reinforcement to help your pup grow into a well-behaved dog.