Mary Allen
Proper training and husbandry are of great importance for any breed of dog. We have briefly summarized here for you what you should pay particular attention to with the Groenendael.
Dog training
The Groenendael is one of the dog breeds that stay young for a relatively long time. He is often referred to as a late developer since he is only fully grown mentally and physically from about the age of three. Until then, he is still very playful and you should keep that in mind when training.
At a young age, the focus should be more on teaching basic rules of conduct and norms. The best way to do this is in a playful way. Up to the tenth month, it is particularly important that your Groenendael starts to get to know the people around him. After that, one can begin more disciplined and demanding training.
Good to know: A Groenendael loves a challenge. He not only wants to be encouraged physically but also mentally. It is therefore important to give him these opportunities and to adapt his training plan to his needs.
A high level of intelligence paired with a high willingness to learn. Training with a Groenendael is not a big challenge for the owner because your dog wants to learn. He doesn’t need big rewards to stay motivated. For him, simple praise and affection are enough motivation to keep learning new things and putting them into practice.
Tip: Because of this characteristic, Groenendaels are popular service dogs that are trained and used for a wide variety of tasks.
Living environment
The Groenendael feels most comfortable outdoors in nature. So city life isn’t really for him. It would be best if he had a home where he could be given plenty of exercises. A house in the country with a large garden would be the dream environment for a Groenendael.
But if you don’t have a garden, you don’t have to give up buying this breed right away. If you take him out often enough and satisfy his urge to move, your four-legged friend can also be happy in a smaller living environment.
The same applies here: the right balance counts.
Did you know that Groenendaels don’t like to be alone? If you leave them unattended and without a task for too long, they may vent their frustrations on furniture. It is therefore a good idea to get a second dog if you are away more often.