11Mar

Belgian Malinois

The Belgian Malinois is a medium sized elegant shepherd dog. Malinois are very rare breed in the United States but very popular in Belgium, where the breed originated. They usually get confused with the German shepherd but they are smaller in size and have less dense bones. The Belgian Malinois are the favorite dogs in Belgium, and recently became the world’s most used breed as police and military dog.

Physical Traits

Area of Origin: Belgium
Used for: Herding, Police work
Average Life Span: 12-14 years
Color: Fawn, mahogany, red, brown, with black tips on the hair
Coat: Short, smooth, with a water proof double coat
Average Height: 23-25 inches
Average Weight: 40-75 pounds
Group: Herding

History and Domestication

Belgian Malinois are named after Malines, a Belgian city. There are four types of Belgian shepherd dogs with similar roots according to the Belgians: The Belgian Malinois that has short hair, the Belgian Groenendael that has long black hair, the Belgian Tervuren with long hair of any other color and the Belgian Laekenois which has wiry hair and is the rarest of the four.

In other countries those four breeds are considered as one. Belgiun recognized them as separate since 1959 as well as the AKC (except for the Belgian Laekenois). The four breeds served as herding dogs but their use was extended to tracking, messenger, transport, detection, search, protection, rescue, guide and even as sled cart pulling.

These dogs also enjoy doing shows and competitions such as agility as they are extremely quick and smart. They have also reached the big screen TV shows such as CSI and movies like Apocalypto, The Brave One and Gladiator. Hollywood actress Eva Mendez also fell in love with the breed and got a Malinois named Hugo.

Standard Physical Characteristics

Belgian Malinois have a square-type body with a very strong, elegant and rugged appearance. The head is well proportionate compared to the body, has a dark face mask and a little bit of long hair around the neck. The muzzle has the same distance than the top of the flat skull and has a triangular shape. The upright black ears are also triangular. The pointy nose and oval shape eyes are very dark as well. The feet remain somehow feline in shape. Most of the times, the dewclaws are removed. The tail is hairy and arched and always presents a dark tip at the end. The overall dog look is very deep and compact without being bulky.

Care, Grooming and Health

This is a very healthy breed. They suffer mainly from minor problems like skin allergies, eye diseases and occasionally hip and elbow dysplasia. These dogs are very easy to groom due to their short and smooth coat. They shed very lightly during the year and heavily twice a year.

Living Conditions

Malinois are rustic working dogs used to high activity since very little age. This breed has one of the highest energy levels of all and in consequence they aren’t suited for apartment living. They need to release their stamina exercising, otherwise can get very hyper, destructive or show other undesirable behavior patterns. Training and leadership are key requirements but they need an open space to run off-leash like a yard.

Temperament

Malinois are very smart, caring, vigilant and bright. They are great with children especially if they are around them from a very young age. Not everybody can own a Belgian Malinois. They need a strong pack leader and their high energy needs time, space and training. Unbalance dogs can show aggressive behavior towards other pets or humans or get extremely shy. Future Malinois owners need to be prepared to deal with this providing their dogs with different types of outdoors activities, participating in training or if indoors, always giving them something to do. These dogs love to engage in challenging activities and are very reward-driven which makes them really easy to train. Some trainers think they respond quicker to tasks than other shepherd dog breeds. They don’t respond well to harsh training. Once trained the can truly be excellent companions.

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