Belgian Malinois FAQ
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What is a Belgian Malinois?
A Belgian Malinois is the short haired variety of the
Belgian Shepherd dog. They are normally a fawn to red color, with a black mask, black
ears, and maybe a black spot on the tip of their tail. They also have what is called
"blackening", where the tips of the hair on their body is black. The darkness of
the blackening is dependent on how much of the hair is black, how many hairs are black
tipped, and the base color of the dog (a light fawn dog would show the black more than a
deep red dog). Dogs are to be 24 to 26 inches at the shoulder and weigh 60 to 80 pounds.
Bitches are to be 22 to 24 inches and weigh 40 to 60 pounds.
What was the Malinois originally
bred for?
The Malinois was originally bred as a herding dog. They
have also become an ideal choice for law enforcement, personal protection, and the
protection sports. Although a Malinois should be an "all purpose dog", many
breeders are concentrating on one area of work in their breeding programs, so you should
find a breeder who is trying to breed dogs intended for the area you are interested in.
What is a Malinois temperament
like?
A well bred Malinois is intelligent, active, social dog.
They have high "prey" drive (the desire to chase and catch things) and are very
good at frisbee, agility, flyball, herding, Schutzhund, French Ring Sport, and other
similar activities. They are sensitive to their handlers, and do not take a heavy hand.
You puppies should be actively socialized to all types of people, sounds, animals, etc so
they are confident and outgoing. Lack of socialization can result in a dog that is
skittish.
In what way is a Malinois different
than a German Shepherd?
In general, Malinois tend to be a lighter
built dog. They are also a square dog, without the sloping back the GSD has. They have
fewer health problems than the GSD.
What type of health issues do the
Malinois have?
Malinois can suffer from CHD (canine hip
dysplasia), PRA (progressive retinal atrophy) and other eye problems such as cataracts,
epilepsy, and elbow dysplasia.
Are Malinois good with children?
When raised around children, many Malinois
can be great with kids. Care does need to be taken that the child does not run around the
dog waving their arms and making loud noises, as this type of behaviour can trigger the
Malinois high prey drive.
How can I find out more about the
Malinois?
The ABMC and USBDA can each send you information packets
about the Malinois, and also put you in touch with your local breed club. Another good
place to meet and greet Malinois is local dog shows (conformation, agility, obedience,
etc) or at Schutzhund or French Ring trials.