STEP 1: CREATING THE LINK
A Belgian Shepherd is an extraordinary breed, full of love for its human. The great breeder of the "Chemin des Dames", Mrs. Jacquelin Aubry (who had her first Groenendael in 1913: Pitou des Barricades), wrote: From a Belgian Shepherd whose love you know how to make you, you can obtain everything .
A Belgian Shepherd is entirely devoted to understanding and satisfying its primary human, but to win its love, you must win its trust.
It's quite easy to win and you should start from the very first moment you go to get it from its breeder.
When in the car, always be accompanied by someone who is driving and take your puppy on your lap (prepare towels and paper in case he vomits) and start showing him that you are there for him and that he can always count on you.
As soon as you get home, show him his water bowl, his food bowl, put towels with his mother's scent on his bed (before leaving the farm, rub a clean towel taken for this purpose against his mother to take her scent with you) and let him come in, then do what you have to do.
As soon as your puppy comes to you and looks at you, look back and try to understand what he's telling you: Does he want to feel safe in your arms? Is he asking for food (if you're cooking)? Does he want to go outside? Make a guess and show him that you're trying to understand. With this simple gesture, you show him that you're there for him and that you'll do your best to communicate with him, encouraging him to interact with you.
As soon as you start cooking, whether it's chicken or meat, take a few pieces in your hand and give them to him while saying his name. The goal is to create a perfect and pleasant connection between the sound (of his name) and the pleasure of eating something delicious. Give him four or five pieces and stop there. If he follows you after that, go to the kitchen and repeat once or twice. You can do this every time you cook, and in a few days, he'll start to understand his name even if he's in the garden and will quickly come to you. Always have treats available for the first few weeks, as you'll need to reward him a lot.
By doing this, you will have created a strong bond, you will have taught him to respond to his name, you will also have prepared the recall for your future walks and you will finally have facilitated the learning of walking on a leash.
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