Belgian Malinois - Breed Profile

Origin: Belgia
Colors: Fawn to mahogany with a black mask and ears
Size: Large
Type of Owner: Experienced
Exercise: A lot of daily exercise needed
Grooming: Little
Trainability: Easy to train
Combativeness: Sometimes slightly dog-aggressive
Noise: Average barker

The Belgian Malinois is widely used for personal protection; this is police and military dog, guide dog, search-and-rescue dog. This is a breed that shows utmost loyalty to its master.

Physical characteristics 

Belgian Malinois generally looks like a smaller German Shepherd. It is a typical square-proportioned working dog of the sheepdog family. The Malinois is usually recognized by short brownish-yellow coat and black ears. The breed has quite large ears that stick straight up. The Belgian Malinois has a sturdy athletic build with an intelligent and alert steak. Their height ranges from 22 to 26 inches (56 to 66 cm) at the withers. Their weight is around 55-75 pounds (25-34 kg).

Temperament

The Belgian Malinois is a keen and responsible dog. It is very smart, obedient, serious, and watchful. The Belgian Malinois has strong protective and territorial instincts albeit some Belgian Malinois are very shy and sensitive. The Belgian Malinois breed needs extensive socialization from an early age. It also needs firm, but not harsh, training from an experienced master. You should make sure that the Belgian Malinois is given plenty of attention and kept busy. For example, take your dog fog jogging - Malinous make perfect jogging companions.

Coat and grooming

Pure-bred Malinois dog colour varies from fawn to mahogany. A black mask and black ears are pretty common. It also may have some degree of black tipping on the hairs that gives the dog an overlay appearance. The Belgian Malinois is a breed that sheds hair all year long, so you will need to brush its coat on a daily basis. Grooming requirements are not very high for this breed, in spite of the shedding tendency.

Health

This breed may have such health problems as cataracts, epilepsy, thyroid problems, PRA, HD, and pannus. However, these problems occur rather seldom due to extensive breeding to eliminate the issues. With due care, the lifespan of the Belgian Malinois is about 9-14 years.

Other interesting facts

During the two Great World Wars, the military forces of Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, and other European countries used the Belgian Malinois as border patrollers, scouts, messengers and Red Cross dogs.

Image credit: marymactavish