Are Belgian Malinois Heavy Shedders? Here's What You Should Know

The Belgian Malinois is a smart, highly energetic breed that requires a lot of training. But as with all dogs, shedding is a factor that needs to be considered.
Belgian Malinois is considered to be a dog breed that sheds a moderate amount of fur - so they’ll shed more than a bichon frize, but less fur than a Corgi.
They also tend to shed more fur during two points in the year, which is considered to be seasonal shedding. This is sometimes referred to as “coat blow”, and is actually a process that most double-coated dogs go through.
It’s nothing to be overly concerned about, as this is just your dog’s body preparing itself for the change in seasons. As such, you’ll notice that your Belgian Malinois tends to shed their heavier coat in the spring, as they don’t need as much insulation in the warmer weather.
When your Mal starts to shed their winter or summer coats, you may be wondering how long you’ll have to put up with the excess hair for.
Typically, they’ll only shed more of their fur for around 2 to 3 weeks, so once this period ends, they should go back to normal shedding.
You may also wonder why your Belgian Malinois is shedding so much of their fur.
Well if this isn’t their normal seasonal shedding twice a year - then it could be because of the fact that your Mal is a double-coated breed.
Not every dog has a double coat, but most working dogs like Belgian Malinois and German Shepherds have been bred to have this double coat to protect them from harsh weather.
A double coat typically features an outer coat of straighter hairs, which serves to keep the undercoat dry and protected, while the undercoat is much denser, and very soft.
This works to insulate the dog’s body, which can be highly beneficial when they’re outside in varying weather conditions.
The good news is that there are a couple of methods you can use to manage their shedding. When dealing with normal shedding, you can brush your dog roughly two days a week.
And when they start to enter their seasonal shedding period, you may need to increase the amount of brushing to around 4 to 5 times per week. But luckily, their fur is relatively short and fairly easy to groom.
Brushing will help to remove any loose or dead hair, which will then save you from having to clean it off of your floor, and if your dog is going through their seasonal shedding, try brushing them outside to prevent any excess hair collecting in your home.
Despite the shedding, your Belgian Malinois won’t need to have a haircut or be taken to the groomers on a regular basis. Since their fur is relatively short, it won’t need as much maintenance as a breed that has longer fur.
Another common question people have about Belgian malinois is whether or not they’re hypoallergenic. Unfortunately, they aren’t considered hypoallergenic since they shed a decent amount of fur, which will contain allergens.
So if you’re allergic to dogs, you’ll want to avoid getting a Mal since this frequent shedding will only irritate your allergy further.

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