Your breeder or vet can provide you with a reference chart for good puppy development. ... Care and Feeding Malinois need diets that are low in fiber and high in protein. Can You Use A Spray Bottle To Train A Dog? This helps you monitor your puppy’s growth. Diets specifically for large breeds are less dense and lower in fat, with an appropriate calcium to protein ratio. This diet offers high-quality proteins and helps build strong, lean muscles. The right diet for your dog impacts health, happiness and overall condition. Reduce the Mal's daily food consumption by one-fourth, and add an extra jog, walk, or play period to its daily exercise schedule. Belgian Malinois breeds are the face of these canines since they exhibit the intelligence and character needed for a guard dog. AAFCO recommends at least 18 percent protein content for adult dogs. 23% | Fat (min.) If this isn't possible, the owners say, a game of "double fetch" is great: throw one ball or stick in one direction, then after the Mal retrieves it and is coming back to you, throw another one in the other direction. So let’s get started. As is their herding instinct, Mals will love spending time roaming around outdoors--but they'll need some indoor time with their loved ones as well. Additionally, feed your Belgian Malinois healthy, nutritious dog food that contains 25-30% protein. Foods that offer a lot of empty calories may cause the Belgian brain to become foggy and could put this dog at risk of weight gain and fatigue. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Natural Puppy Large Breed Dry Dog Food, Chicken and Brown Rice is perfect for Belgian Malinois puppies expected to grow to a larger size. Your adult dog food now needs less protein and calories. This guidebook is packed with valuable knowledge covering everything from your first few days home with your dog to caring for your aging Malinois. Feeding a raw meat and bones diet is our modern-day attempt to replicate the ancestral diet of our dogs, which they are genetically designed to eat. We recommend 25 percent of the new food and 75 percent of the old food for the first two days. The Belgian Malinois is a medium- to large-sized breed that is intelligent and extremely active. How much should you feed your dog? Don’t just make a sudden switch, though. Many vets recommend a high-quality commercial dog food. Good food for a Belgian Malinois needs to support abundant energy stores, healthy muscles, and a keen mind. Although the Belgian Malinois is generally a healthy breed, there are always certain health conditions and issues to be aware of a preemptively discuss with your veterinarian, including hip and/or elbow dysplasia, and progressive retinal atrophy (PRA). The best foods for this breed would include poultry, ocean fish, and wheat. Researchers don’t recommend raw diets right now because it is often difficult to get the right levels of nutrition for your dog. As your Belgian Malinois puppy starts to grow, he will be able to eat larger meals less often. Interestingly, growing Malinois puppies don't need much less food--and more, in some cases: a six-month-old Mal puppy, for example, can eat three cups of food, divided into three meals. Your email address will not be published. Commercial and home-sourced raw food diets may also be insufficient in certain nutrients, and too high in others. Nutro Ultra Large Breed Adult Dry Dog Food. Vets recommend putting your Mal's food dish down only at mealtimes, then picking it up about 20 minutes after the dog begins eating. If you get a puppy from a breeder, or a rescue shelter, you’ll likely start out by feeding the dog the type of diet that he’s accustomed to. If you are feeding him raw food, make sure he gets regular checkups so you can adjust if needed. The average life expectancy for the Belgian Malinois is 14 – 16 years. DHA and ARA support retinal and cognitive growth. You need proper nutritional information to make sure your dog’s meal is balanced properly. No matter which diet above that you choose, just make sure it’s ideal and healthy for your dog to have maximum health. Gas and trouble with bowel movements are also signs of unhealthy weight. Do note, they can be fickle about their food choice, and their fast metabolisms will often require more than expected. A Belgian Malinois is a herding dog that has similar attributes to a German shepherd, including that it requires a lot of training and attention. In regards to climate, a Mal will handle warm and cool weather with equal ease, but will likely be uncomfortable in temperature extremes. You won’t be able to see them in an overweight dog, but you’ll see too much of them in an underweight one. As a combination of protein kibble and freeze-dried raw dog food, this one is made with a chicken recipe in which chicken (cage-free) is the first ingredient. But of course, dogs and owners should be considered individually. And regardless of age, Mals have incredibly strong herding instincts and will try to "herd" most moving objects they encounter--people, other pets, bicyclists, even cars! Why Do German Shepherd Puppies Bite So Much? An under-exercised Mal will be a hyperactive, disobedient mess: it'll bark, dig, pace, and become an undisciplined nuisance. Working pets may need slightly different rations of proteins and fats in their diets. Plan the transition to last about a week. Therefore, you should always ensure that the AAFCO statement on the dog food packaging clearly states that the food is formulated for growth or all life stages. See the following puppy development chart for more info: The Belgian Malinois is an extremely active breed--in fact, these dogs are often considered as energetic as any dog breed known. Puppies can begin exercising at three months of age by going on relatively short (15- to 20-minute) walks; owners can increase the walks' duration and intensity as the puppy grows. If you would like to change your puppy’s food, you can certainly do so. Does the Belgian Malinois shed a lot overall? So it's important to give your Mal some obedience training when the dog is young, and it's best to leash these dogs when in public. The Belgian Malinois is an especially active dog, so you should take that into account. And puppies need extra nutrients, including calcium and protein. Look for signs of digestive upset, such as vomiting, diarrhea, gas, weight loss and lack of appetite. This can happen, for example, when they are moving to a new home. If the dog is not adjusting, you may need to transition back to the old food to avoid allergic reactions. For more info, see this Belgian Malinois feeding guide: Like many breeds, obesity in Belgian Malinois dogs is a serious--and often overlooked--health issue. One good sign is that the first ingredient is a whole protein source. If your Belgian Malinois is drooling excessively, it may be a sign of a medical issue, in which case veterinary care is needed. We look at this question in a scientific way, so you can rest assured that the knowledge you get from this article is as factual as possible. Gradually minimize the amount of the old food every day, while adding more of the new food. https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Buffalo-Protection-Formula-Large/dp/B000GZ1BNE/ref=sr_1_2?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1549386629&sr=1-2-spons&keywords=large+breed+puppy+food&psc=1. As adults, they can be fed once or twice a day. The Belgian Malinois is a well balanced, square dog, elegant in appearance with an exceedingly proud carriage of the head and neck. American Kennel Club has placed them in Herding dogs group. Health. Your dog needs some transition time to switch over to a BARF regimen. For all things Malinois-related, keep reading! It’s convenient, digestible and tasty. For more info, see this Belgian Malinois feeding guide: Like many breeds, obesity in Belgian Malinois dogs is a serious--and often overlooked--health issue. However, you should be more careful here because not all wet puppy foods offer the same level of complete nutrition you’d get from kibble. Although raw food diets are popular and recommended by many breeders and vets, the science has not yet caught up. We considered a German Shepard, but felt that the size and the shorter hair of the Malinois would be more suitable since the dog will be welcome inside the home." The formula contains proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. They grow rapidly and have limited space for food in their stomachs. Otherwise, her gut bacteria may be disrupted. The Belgian Malinois will generally need a high calorie diet with lots of protein, but you will also need to watch what he eats so that he doesn’t gain too much weight. The Malinois is also a very beautiful and unique dog. Belgian Malinois dog breed guide, Belgian Shepherd information, dog care, handling and training, Belgian Malinois history, dog description and Belgian Malinois pictures. As with most puppies, Belgian Malinois are considered adults after one year, although they may still be growing and developing after that time. Even so, these dogs will still leave some hair on clothes and furniture, so owners will need to use the vacuum cleaner and lint rollers fairly regularly. Even so, it’s important to keep in mind that the Belgian Malinois is actually relatively small in weight compared to humans and it has a lighter frame that can be a little deceptive, so be sure not to overfeed your dog. Your vet can tell you exactly how much you should be feeding your puppy. Origin. Consider a breed-specific food for your fully grown dog that can optimize nutrition based on genetic, lifestyle and geographical differences in dogs. Ot Vitosha Malinois we feed and recommend the finest food and supplements for your Malinois – Oma’s Pride! Overall, the Belgian Malinois is both an inside and outside dog. That’s because your puppy will go through a lot of changes. Check the ribs. Stay away from foods that use cheap fillers, added sugars, sweeteners, artificial flavors, colors and preservatives. So give it three full meals a day and pay attention to the snacks you feed it. If you plan to feed him a homemade diet, you must consult a veterinarian to make sure your dog is receiving sufficient nutrition. This gives your puppy’s digestive system time to adjust. As a general rule, though, puppies need to eat a lot. Depends on the time of year. The Tervs that we know today have longhaired Belgian Malinois and Groenendael blood behind them. What should you feed him? The Malinois emerged at the same time as three other Belgian herding breeds: the Teruvren, Laekinois and the Belgian Sheepdog. They are also good as treats. As medium-to-large sized puppies, Belgian Malinois puppies can thrive on a general diet designed for puppies. However, if they don’t eat for more than a meal or two, and if that lack of appetite is paired with other symptoms such as diarrhea or vomiting, you may have a problem. Valuable knowledge covering everything from your first few days home with your dog to caring your! 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