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Ultimate Training Guide for
Your Belgian Malinois

May 12, 2020/in Articles & News | Pet Food, Health, Dog
Blog, Guest Post /
If you’re considering purchasing a Belgian Malinois personal
protection dog for your family, it’s essential that you know
how to train your dog. These are amazing animals that need
consistent training to become the best possible member of
your family. Here’s everything you need to know to help your
Belgian Malinois fit in.
Start With the Basics
As with any puppy, training needs to start at the very

beginning. The earlier you begin training your pup, the better
he will respond, and the faster your training becomes
cemented. As commands transition from foreign to familiar,
your pup will learn to obey you. They’ll start to look to you as
the lead dog, and they will be far better prepared to continue
training with you as they progress in age.
Socialization
Socializing your dog is vital and should start as early as
possible. From four to fourteen weeks especially, expose your
dog to as many places and people as you can. This will teach
your dog that new, varied, and exciting places and people are
part of regular life.
When first introducing your puppy to high-traffic areas, you
can carry them so they don’t feel overwhelmed and
threatened. Help them get used to being around people in
the comfort and safety of your presence. As they gain
confidence, have them walk with you on a leash through the
same places. This exposure helps them learn that not all
strangers and unfamiliar people are dangerous.
Socialization should also happen at home. Have a variety of

friends and family members come over to visit. This will help
your dog understand that it is normal for people he may not
know to come to your home. When you have friends over,
they’ll be used to the occurrence rather than feeling
threatened.
Create a Solid Bond

Nothing takes the place of creating a bond with your dog.
Engage in daily playtime with your puppy to build your
relationship. Belgian Malinois, similar to Belgian Laekenois,
are very loving and will thrive in an active environment where
they get to spend time with you. Daily playtime should begin
when you bring them home and continue throughout their
lives. Mals need a minimum of 30 minutes of play every day
as a puppy. When they’re older, they’ll require much more
time to burn off energy.
Teach Commands
Obedience and following commands are the lifeblood for well-
trained dogs. Begin when they’re young and start with basic
commands you’ll use every day such as, “sit,” “lie,” “stay,”
and “come.” As they get older, you can progress to more
complex commands and tasks. Belgian Malinois are known
for their keen intelligence and ability to learn nearly any
command or job given to them. Commands, however, are
where you should begin, along with potty training, to help
your dog develop an even and responsive temperament.
Use Rewards-Based Training

Belgian Malinois family dogs respond to rewards-based
training far better than anything else. The idea is to reward
them every time they perform a command perfectly and act
appropriately. Did they sit all the way down when you said,
“sit”? Reward them with a treat or a pat on the back, and
say, “Good girl!” For training to be effective, they need to
follow through on commands perfectly. If someone comes to
the door and you say “stay,” and they stay for a few seconds,
then get up to follow you to the door, go back to where the
dog was supposed to be, and repeat the command. When
they stay the entire time and watch you greet your friend and
return to the room where they’re at, then give them a special
treat. Rewards help solidify the command and help your dog
learn what you expect them to do.
Discourage Bad Behavior
If rewards-based training is misused, your dog will get the
wrong message, and confusion will ensue. If your dog isn’t
trained to obey completely, they will take half-hearted
obedience and run with it. Just as much as you should
encourage correct behavior, any bad behavior should be
firmly and consistently discouraged.
If you find that your pooch has begun to bark every time the
doorbell rings, you’ll want to train your dog with a “leave it”
command. If they tend to jump up on you, you’ll want to
teach and reinforce “down.” Any action that you do not like
or is inappropriate should be addressed and corrected every
time it happens. Consistency and a loving but firm voice are
the most significant factors when training a Malinois to
behave and discourage bad behavior.
Highly Trainable Dogs
Thanks to the Belgian Malinois’s incredible intelligence, they

can be trained to do nearly anything. It’s vital, however, to be
consistent and dedicated to the training process if you want a
dog that responds well to your commands. Are you ready to
begin training your dog?

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Ultimate Training Guide for

Your Belgian Malinois

As with any puppy, training needs to start at the very

Socialization should also happen at home. Have a variety of

Create a Solid Bond

Use Rewards-Based Training

Highly Trainable Dogs

Thanks to the Belgian Malinois’s incredible intelligence, they

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