Big Dog Care The Belgian Malinois

Youve most likely seen these dogs in military or police teams, leading people and helping them avoid bombs, traps and capturing the target. You also might think that this dog is a German Shepherdgoog guess, but its actually a distant cousin.

The Belgian Malinois or Belgian Shepherd Dog is one of the most well known guard dog breeds out there. Its a medium to large sized dog that has a short, mahogany colored coat with obvious black markings. Its ears stand erect and are usually colored black. It also has a black muzzle and a build that closely resembles that of a German Shepherd.

If youre planning to get one of these wonderful dogs, here are a few tips on how to take care of it.

Food

Giving this dog the right nutrition is vital to avoid any illness and to support its growth. As puppies, they need a bit more protein in their diets, but too much can cause them to have growth spurts and might face degenerative myelopathy when they get older. You can also start with a puppy starter kit to assure that it gets enough vitamins and minerals.

Grooming

Grooming is easy with this dog. Since it only has short and coarse fur, it doesnt shed a lot. The best way to take care of their fur is to brush it down three or four times a week and give it a bath once a week. If you live somewhere cold, you can just brush it more frequently and bath it every other week. Use shampoo specifically for short and coarse fur to help keep their coat shiny and strong.

Exercise

Malinois are naturally active dogs so a few hours of exercise a week is needed. Its a big help to have an active lifestyle so that your dog can just easily go with you when youre jogging to exercising. A few good laps around the park should be enough. Since these dogs are prone to degenerative myelopathy, its important to keep them active to avoid it.

Temperament

These dogs are very loyal and smart. You need to make sure that you socialize them at an early age so that it gets used to people. There have been a few reports of Malinois attacking and becoming aggressive to strangers, but this can easily be avoided if the dog is properly trained as a puppy.

Enjoy your new Malinois and treat it well. This breed is also very loveable so its not hard to fall in love with them.