Professional Training of the Belgian Shepherd

The Belgian Shepherd dog is one of the most popular choices when it comes to working as police dogs, therapy dogs, or drug detection dogs. To perform these tasks, they require specialized training. However, if you have one as a pet, you could also opt for professional training of the Belgian Shepherd dog and enjoy 100% of its skills.

Thanks to the similarity with the German Shepherd, this pet was chosen for different jobs. Its resemblance goes beyond mere physical aspects. That is, this breed shows great intelligence, perseverance, loyalty, and a great ability when undergoing training.

Professional training of the Belgian Shepherd, the K9

K9 training is a professional training system, commonly used to train police dogs. However, you can use it to train the Belgian Shepherd even if the animal isn’t actually going to fulfill this role. So, what does the professional training of the Belgian Shepherd entail?

Basically, it consists of instructing these animals to carry out the same types of tasks that a police dog performs. These can be useful for day to day life. Some of these include defense and personal protection, search and rescue of people, and the identification of fire debris.

How long does the training last?

As you may have thought, this type of professional training of the Belgian Shepherd must take place at an academy or with a private trainer duly certified for this purpose.

The training lasts between 12 and 16 weeks, and experience has shown that the Belgian Shepherd dog is suitable for this type of training. In fact, many countries have chosen to replace the German Shepherd with the Belgian Shepherd in much of their professional work.

What dogs can be trained with the K9?

Although each dog breed shares a set of common characteristics, each individual dog has a different personality and nature. Therefore, it’s important to understand that not every Belgian Shepherd is suitable for professional K9 training.

What characteristics must a dog possess in order to be a K9?

• Concentration. A dog that undergoes this type of training must have a high capacity to concentrate. It must obey orders no matter what environment it’s in, and circumstances can’t have any sort of influence over its obedience.
• Behavior. A dog that’s trained professionally must know how to behave at all times and to keep its manners, especially when working. Even if there are other dogs or children, the animal must remain on guard and aware of what’s happening around it. That way, it’ll be able to react in case of emergency.
• Be respectful. The animal must show respect to other dogs as well as to people.
• Strength control. Dogs the size of the Belgian Shepherd are strong, but whether in rescue or on a daily basis, the animal must be able to control its own strength so as not to harm anyone.

These are some of the basic characteristics that a professionally trained Belgian Shepherd should possess.

So now the question remains: Is there anything you can do to professionally train your dog in the future?

What you can do

Yes, there are things you can do with Belgian Shepherds to make them fit to be police dogs in the future. Here are a few:

• Socialize them. If you have them from the time they’re puppies, let them interact with other dogs and also with people. Correct them if you see any aggressive behavior, no matter how minor, toward another dog or person.
• Teach them basic commands. Simple things such as coming, staying still, or picking up and dropping something are essential commands to encourage their sense of obedience from the time they’re small.
• Canine sports. Dog sports like canicross are perfect for teaching dogs discipline. These sports will help them to be disciplined, obedient, and well-behaved dogs, qualities required for professional training.

So, would you like to carry out training for your Belgian Shepherd?