The Belgian Malinois is among the four Belgian Shepherd varieties – Malinois, Tervueren, Groenendael and Laekenois. These four distinct breeds are genetically and temperamentally almost similar, and only varies in regard to their coats. The malinois and the most popular among them, is an extremely intelligent and devoted dog to his family and handler. His performance level puzzles trainers especially in the field of agility competitions where sometimes complex tasks are imposed on competing dogs. We Jitta, have seen the need to reciprocate this devotion by doing our best to maintain the breed standard and improve where we can.
There are other values equally seen in a malinois; his alertness, inexhaustible energy when channelled are valuable assests. It is for this relentless energy that the Malinois is not recommended to new dog owners who do not have enough time for their dog. Its a lifetime commitment, not only in time devotion but also in the fact that his active presence in a family alters lifestyles too. He is not a couch dog who can be ignored. He will ask for attention when he deems it necessary.
A malinois is a sensitive dog and does not tolerate harsh punishment and corrections. This is one fact that differentiates him from other dogs like the German shepherd. Unlike others, he reacts positively to non-inflicting correctional training methods due to his unwavering loyalty to his handler.
To have a suitable malinois, we advocate for appropriate breeding, where health and temperament are vital considerations. Then we support socialization and training from an early age. Even though training a malinois is a daily thing, showing him what is acceptable from an early age gives him a strong non-conflicting bond with his owner.
Breeders will most of the time inquire owners to be their experience with other breeds. This is to ensure that a malinois is rehomed to a person of experience since a malinois can easily overwhelm a first-time owner. However, there are unique first-time dog owners who are determined to go a further mile to be a suitable malinois owner. It is essential that this breed is consistently exposed to different environments, people included so that that he may accept people even in their later stage of adulthood. This will also divert them from aggression behaviour.
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