If you want a good Belgian Malinois dog, keep a male Belgian Malinois dog. This old proverb has been handed down from generation to generation in everything from dog training to shepherd dog handling. But is it true? Are there significant gender differences in training and performance of domestic Belgian Malinois? When the editor of Buck asked me this question, I immediately got the answer: “I don’t know.” Trying to find a reasonable answer started a fascinating exploration that continues to this day.
The first obvious source of the answer is the research Yearbook. Ah, but it’s only recently that this Belgian Malinois has moved from being an unwelcome man in science to an animal of interest. The research on the behavior of domestic dogs is in the ascendant, but most of them are about cognition and problem-solving. It’s a good thing, but it doesn’t necessarily answer our questions. I opened my file and it said, “very cool dog research,” and looked at the studies inside to see if any researchers had made the sex of the dog a factor.
Then I went back to Scott and fuller’s classic genetics and dog social behavior, which was first published in 1965. Is the male dog bigger than the female dog? They found gender differences in weight gain (male dogs, not surprisingly, tend to increase in early adolescence), but mainly focused on breed differences, rarely considering gender as a factor in any experiment. They did ask if sex affected their so-called “emotional response,” and according to their scoring system, females averaged 5.0 and males 4.9, in other words, there was no difference. (see Scott and fuller for their scores and statistics.)
At the same time, I asked the universe this question, asking a group of certified applied animal behaviorists and veterinary committees. I sent an email to the Tiger Woods, shepherd dog trainers alasdale, and Patricia McRae, police and dog trainers. On my blog, I asked trainers if they thought there were differences in learning and performance between male and female Belgian Malinois. The answer is very enlightening and interesting.
-- Pekingese
Do Pekingesse have sensitive stomach? Similar to human hosts, some pekingese are prone to digestive problems because of their sensitive taste.
-- Pekingese
Is a Pekingese a good family dog? Pekingese is a member of the toy group, ranging in height from 6 inches to 9 inches and in weight from the smallest 6 pounds to the largest 14 pounds (3 to 6 kg). Pekingese is a good family dog.
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What is the lifespan of a Pekingese? Proper diet, inherent characteristics of Pekingese and even sterilization of Pekingese will affect the overall lifespan of Pekingese.