Belgian Sheepdog Training

Belgian Sheepdog is a medium-sized dog breed that was bred for herding livestock It was originated in Belgium which has very much similar appearance to the German Sheperd and Dutch Sheperd. It has a black coat that is thick and dense.

Belgian Sheepdog is a muscular dog breed with high energy. They need a good amount of training for their happy and healthy life. So, in this article, you will learn about the training methods for Belgian Sheepdog.

When to Start Training Belgian Sheepdog?

Training should be started at a very young age. When they are of 8 weeks old, they can soak up new instruction and commands. So, it is the best time to start housetraining them. As they are 3 to 4 months old, you can start basic obedience training like calling their name, commending them to sit, come, stop, etc. It should be continued with additional commands for a few months.

When the Belgian Sheepdog puppy is about 6 months old, start pre-agility training. Involve them in minor physical exercises like fetching balls, dog’s sports, and other games to keep them interested in the training and for their mental stimulation. Advance training should be started as they reach 10 months old. As they are herding dogs, teach them herding techniques and other activities.

Where to Start Training Belgian Sheepdog?

The training place depends on the level of training you are giving to your Belgian Sheepdog. If it is a start and you are housetraining, then the house itself is the best place for training them or the yard. For basic obedience training, train them inside the house or garden and yard where they have a little space to roam around and play by themselves.

10-20 minutes of daily obedience training will do but if you try to train the, for a long time, they might get bored and find something to entertain themselves. For agility, take them to a park or some big open place where they can perform their advance training. Since they are a very active herding dog, challenge them physically and mentally to keep them into the training.

How to Define Task for Belgian Sheepdog?

For easy and efficient training, defining the task to your dog helps them a lot to understand the instruction and command. Use hand gestures and vocals to make them understand what you want them to do. For instance, if you want them to sit, wave your hand down saying the word down at the same time to make them understand more clearly what you are trying to make them do.

While training them advance and agility, you can train them by giving a demonstration first. For example, if you want them to roll, you do it first so they can learn by seeing your activity. Use a single word for a particular task so it does not confuse them.

Training Process

The Belgian Sheepdog is a very smart and intelligent dog breed with energetic nature which makes training the, easy. Although they cannot be trained by a novice owner and need an experienced dog owner.

Leadership: The Belgian Sheepdog needs an experienced dog owner who can train them with consistency and firmness. Leadership should be established when they are still young otherwise, they end up being a leader themselves.

Positive Reinforcement: Training your dog with positive reinforcement is a very effective method of training. As they complete a particular task, reward them with delicious treats and lots of vocal praises to motivate them.

Socialization: Socializing is very important when your Belgian Sheepdog is still young. It will make them get friendly with people and other canines. If they are not socialized at their young age, they can get shy and timid around strangers.

Agility: Since The Belgian Sheepdog is a working dog with high energy, they should be given proper agility training for their mental stimulation. As the master the basic obedience training and pre-agility, enroll them in advance trining which included lots of physical and mental challenges.

Visit Doglime for more information about training your dog breeds.

• Belgian Sheepdog Training Methods
• Dogs Training