Dogs developed in Belgium for sheepherding were initially referred to
as Chien de Berger Belge. In the late 1800s, one strain was developed near
the Belgian town of Tervuren and was noted for being fawn colored with black
tipped hairs on its back, neck and head. (See Belgian Tervuren) Another
strain, an entirely black-coated dog, was bred by the owner of Chateau Groenendael
and became known as the Groenendael or Belgian Sheepdog. (See Belgian Sheepdog).
Both are merely color phases of the same basic stock so have similar characteristics.
A third strain, Belgian Malinois, named for the area of Malines, is structurally
the same as both of the above, except that it is shorthaired and has the
coat color of the Tervuren. It is also structurally similar to the German
Shepherd. These three strains of Belgian Shepherds were recognized in the
United States by the AKC as separate breeds in 1959.
The Belgian Malinois is intelligent, courageous, and alert with unwavering
devotion to their master. They are used today for herding, therapy dogs,
search and rescue, obedience, among other things. They move in a single
track with a lively, graceful stride covering maximum ground without effort.
The Malinois' head is long with the skull and muzzle being of equal length.
His eyes are almond shaped and dark brown in color. His jaws are strong
and powerful with black lip lines and a scissors bite. His ears are equilateral
triangles and stand erect on the head. His tail is carried low when he is
at rest but raised in a curl when he is at work. The Malinois' coat is short,
straight, and abundant. The colors range from fawn to mahogany with a black
masking and black ears. It is a double coat with the inner coat being dense.
The outer coat is short, straight, and hard enough to be weather resistant.
It is somewhat longer around the neck, on the tail and backs of the thighs.
He is adaptable to extremes of climate. Malinois should be between 22 and
26 inches in height while weight is about 60 pounds.
moore93@comcast.net of Florence, AL writes:
Best dog ever for us.
My husband and I brought our Malinois from Germany. We did not know
what we had gotten into and learned the hard way how headstrong these dogs
are. After we went through obedience training and learned from each other,
he was the best friend and protector. The breed is not for everybody who
is just looking for a dog. A lot of strength (on your part) is needed (mentally
and physically). Mals love to travel and spend a lot of time with the family,
because they think they own each and everyone. The breed loves children,
but outsiders must be introduced slowly and accepted by the dog. Mals never
forget (if you are naughty or nice) and they problem-solve. My huband and
I had our dog for nine years before he passed away and we both learned to
love the breed. Our two-year-old daughter lost her best protector and first
best friend. There is a lot to say about the breed, but we learned that
it is not the dog's fault how they turn out but how they are taught or treated
by us humans. Because of our Mal we became better companions to our other
animals.
Name withheld by request of Bakersfield, California writes:
The breed for me!
I have been training and showing German Shepherd Dogs and Shelties for
the last 23 years in obedience. I have owned Malinois for the last seven
years. I switched to Mals because of the problems that I was having with
bad hips and elbows on my Shepherds. I had seen Malinois at police K-9 trials,
and since I love a high-energy dog for training, I decided to try one. I
had never been around a Mal before and took a chance and called a breeder
and wound up having a four-month-old puppy shipped to me. I must admit that
when I brought her home and let her loose in my living room I asked myself,
"What have I done?!" She was flying over and around my furniture
at warp speed. She has turned out to be the smartest dog that I have ever
owned. She is currently in training for her UD and is starting agility training
also. She has had very limited training and catches on to anything I show
her amazingly fast. I now have four Malinois and love everyone of them.
I would not recommend a Malinois for anyone who does not have the time to
spend with their dogs as Mals are super active and need to be exercised
every day. If you do not provide them with something to do they will find
something to do that could be quite destructive. Toys usually do not last
very long and are usually shredded in a few minutes. They make super competition
dogs if you take the time to train them correctly. They can out-think the
average person. They are super fast and trying to slow them down in agility
can be a problem.
I love the breed and hope that if you are thinking about one that you do
a lot of searching and find some good breeders to talk to. I would also
highly recommend getting a puppy into a GOOD socialization class run by
your local kennel club. They need to be around other people and dogs at
an early age. Go see breeders and see their dogs and puppies. I recommend
searching, looking at, be prepared for an active dog, but if given a good,
loving home you will have fun and enjoy your Mal as much as I do. Good luck!
Name withheld by request of Wisconsin writes:
For experienced handlers.
I have been a dog handler most of my life and have owned and trained
Dobermans, German Shepherds and Collies. I have also owned Belgian Malinois.
Just a precautionary statement. These dogs are bred for extreme prey drive.
What does that mean? They are predators. They live to prey on something.
This is great for Schutzhund training. However, do not mistake this breed
for an animal you leave alone with children or pets. They will attack and
kill cats and other small animals and will also attack other dog breeds.
They are a beautiful and functional dog. But their function is best served
with an experienced handler such as a police officer. They are very hyper
and too destructive for the average home. They are loyal animals and very
good guard dogs. Just do not own a Belgian Malinois without a lot of experience
and I strongly recommend they are not in a home with small animals or children.
arjune@libero.it of Italy writes on 9/3/01:
A sport champion, and a great companion.
I have three Belgian Malinois from working lines. They look quite different
from "show" Malinois, and also their temperament is different.
They are medium sized, but really powerfull, very "physical",
they love to play rough, they are fearless and with a great desire to please.
They are one-man dogs, this mean they don't care about strangers, not that
they are aggressive. They love to play, to run, to jump, and are really
easy to train. I feel they are like iron and fire, as their coat is. Almost
male can also be very kind, gentle, show a great attachment to their human
friends. One problem with Malinois can be their fearless attitude: they
would jump into hell to catch the ball, and can seriosly get hurt if you
push them too far. I've rated them just 4 stars becouse it isn't always
easy to live with such a dog: you need to keep always an eye on your Malinois!
They are super healthy. They need to exercise not only their body, but also
their mind: a great dog for competition, of any kind! My Malinois are trained
for RCI3, Mondioring3, Agility and Obedience. PS, I'm a young woman!