Belgian Malinois

“Belgian malinois are courageous, loyal dogs that have served bravely in the military of several nations.”

Belgian Malinois Introduction

The Belgian malinois is a medium-sized sheep-herding dog originating in Belgium. It is also called the Belgian shepherd or the Belgian sheepdog. They look similar to German shepherds but have a more slender and elegant build. Dogs of this breed come in four different varieties with coats of different textures, colors, and lengths. These brave and loyal dogs have served with distinction as military service animals in both World Wars and more recent conflicts. They make excellent guard dogs and respond well to firm, loving training, but can be domineering with children, other dogs, and unconfident owners. The Belgian malinois can adapt to living indoors but requires a lot of exercise. This is a dog that needs an attentive, consistent owner, but when properly trained, will reward your effort by being a loyal and loving companion.

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The 4 Types of Belgian Malinois and 6 Belgian Malinois Mixes

The Belgian malinois comes in four varieties with different types of coats. The American Kennel Club classifies these as separate breeds. They are:

• The Groenendael – has a long solid black double coat. They have long hair on their shoulders, neck, and chest, feathered legs and tail, and short fur on the face.
• The Laekenois – has a fawn-colored coat with black tips. The coat is rough, dry, and tangled looking.
• The Malinois – has short, fawn-colored hair with a black overlay and charcoal coloring on its face and legs.
• The Tervuren – is a long-haired variety with fawn-colored hair with black overlay. It has black legs, a ruff of long hair around the neck, and feathered legs.

There are several noted mixes of Belgian malinois with other breeds. These are:

• Malinois Akita (Akita mix)
• Mali-dutchie (Dutch shepherd mix)
• German Malinois or Malinois X (German shepherd mix)
• Malinois Greyhound (Greyhound mix)
• Malinois Mastiff (Mastiff mix)
• Belusky (Siberian Husky mix)

3 Pros and Cons of Owning a Belgian Malinois

The Best Dog Food For Belgian Malinois

Regardless of breed, it’s important to provide your dog with a high-quality food with all the healthy ingredients needed for development at all ages.

Dry or wet dog food, or both mixed together, are fine. Meat scraps and meat broth can be added to food to make it tastier, but in moderation. Overfeeding is a common problem that results in obesity in dogs, resulting in more health issues as they age. Many commercial brands have special formulas for puppies, adult dogs, and seniors.

Athletic dogs such as the Belgian malinois need especially good nutrition with a high protein level. A-Z Animals recommends Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream Dry Dog Food. This high-quality brand has real protein as the number one ingredient. It does not contain grain products, artificial colors, or preservatives. It’s available in multiple flavors and suitable for dogs of all ages.

Health and Entertainment for your Belgian Malinois

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Best for Large Dogs

Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

•Nutritional, high protein food for large breed dogs

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•Fruits & superfoods for vitamins & minerals

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Belgian Malinois Size and Weight

The Belgian malinois is a medium-sized dog with a solid build. Males stand 24-26 inches tall and weigh 55-66 pounds. Females are smaller, at 22-24 inches tall and 44-55 pounds. They are athletic, strong, and carry themselves confidently. Their appearance is slenderer and more elegant than a German shepherd.

Belgian Malinois Common Health Issues

This is considered to be a healthy breed with comparatively few health problems. They can live 12 to 14 years. Some of the problems reported include skin allergies, eye problems, and hip and elbow dysplasia. Belgian malinois should also be tested for epilepsy. All dog breeds should receive regular veterinary checkups, grooming, and have their nails clipped and teeth brushed. These preventative measures will help protect your pet from bacteria and infections and catch any health issues early.

This is a summary of the possible health issues your vet should screen your pet for:

• Skin allergies
• Eye problems
• Hip dysplasia
• Elbow dysplasia
• Epilepsy

Belgian Malinois Temperament and Behavior

This breed is intelligent, athletic, protective, and loyal. They love pleasing their owners and are easily trained. Any activity that stimulates their mind, such as learning tricks, puzzles, searching, and fetching are interesting to them. They are mostly friendly with strangers but can become aggressive if they feel their owner or territory are under threat.

They are very energetic and need a great deal of exercise, mental stimulation, and companionship with their owner. Lacking these, they may bark excessively and engage in destructive behaviors. They do not do well living outdoors separate from a family because they thrive on attention and socializing. Apartment living is not a great choice for them because their frequent barking will surely annoy neighbors. The best environment for them is to live with their owners in a house, with daily access to open countryside.

How To Take Care of Belgian Malinois

Maintenance and Grooming

The Belgian malinois comes in four varieties that differ by hair type and color. Varieties include long-haired, short-haired, and rough-haired. Their coats do not require a great deal of maintenance, but this depends on their activities and family lifestyle. Most of the time they just need an occasional brushing, but twice a year when they are shedding owners should brush them daily to remove loose hair. Their coats have two layers that make them water-resistant. When washing them, owners or groomers need to lift the layers of the coat so the water can penetrate to the skin. When drying, lift the hair to make sure moisture evaporates off the skin and undercoat. Owners should also trim their nails and brush their teeth on a regular basis.

Training

Belgian malinois have been described as bright and obedient. Their intelligence and eagerness to please makes them easy to train, if done properly.

They are highly alert and have strong guarding instincts. These traits make them outstanding guard dogs and working dogs for the police and military. However, they do display domineering behavior toward children, other pets, and owners who do not understand alpha behavior and intentionally maintain that role for themselves. If trained inadequately, they may engage in herding behavior: chasing, circling, and nipping to control the movements of people or pets they see as lower in the pack hierarchy.

Controlling such behavior requires a great deal of socialization and intentional training, which can make them into agreeable, loving companions and family pets. Remember though that this is a sensitive and intelligent breed. Owners who are too harsh or heavy-handed with them will find their pet quickly becomes uncooperative. Basically, try to build a relationship of mutual respect, with clearly defined and firmly, lovingly enforced boundaries.

Exercise

Belgian malinois need a great deal of vigorous exercise on a daily basis. Walking them daily is not enough—they need to run, jump, and do drills and jobs that stimulate their mind as well as their body and let them bond with their owner. The ideal owner for this dog is someone with a physically active lifestyle and the time to invest in daily workouts and bonding with their pet.

Belgian Malinois and Children

Breeder have bred these dogs for generations for herding and guarding, not as family pets. These instincts are still just below the surface, so they may chase, snap, and grab running things, including other animals and children. They can also be aggressively territorial toward neighbors, guests, and passers-by.

With careful training and socialization, a puppy can learn to moderate these behaviors and become a more congenial family pet. But overall, they are only a good match for households with adults and older children who can understand and cooperate in consistent training. This breed is not well-suited to families with smaller children.  

Dogs similar to Belgian Malinois

• Bouvier des Flanders – A herding dog indigenous to Belgium and France. It is similar in temperament, size and weight to the Belgian malinois but requires more grooming.
• Dutch Shepherd – A rare breed about the same size as the Belgian malinois. It has a wiry coat that requires little grooming and it rarely barks.
• German Shepherd – An extremely popular and easy-to-find breed. Males are heavier than the Belgian malinois. They shed a great deal and are sensitive to disruptions in the household routine, such as guest visits.

Famous Belgian Malinois

U.S. President Herbert Hoover owned a Belgian malinois named “King Tut.” He was the President’s favorite dog.

Belgian malinois have earned great distinction as military and police service animals. Here are a few examples:

• “Cairo” helped the US Navy SEALs operation that killed Osama bin Laden.
• “Conan” assisted the US Army capture and kill Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
• “Kuga” received an award after capturing a terrorist after being shot in the war in Afghanistan.
• “Kuno” saved British soldiers’ lives in Afghanistan, despite having been shot.
• “Mali” completed a mission for the British Army while injured in Afghanistan.
• “K9 Killer” received a gold medal for helping to capture 115 poachers in South Africa’s Kruger National Park

Popular Names for Belgian Malinois

Male Names Include:

• Magnus – “Great one”
• Beau – “Handsome”
• Baz – “Royal”
• Hans – “Gift from God”
• Marvel – “To wonder”

Female Names Include:

• Belle – “Beautiful”
• Anika – “Grace”
• Nadia – “Hope”
• Zara – “Princess”
• Adal – “Sweet”

Related Animals

• Wolf
• Coyote
• Jackal