Male vs Female Belgian Malinois: 5 Key Differences

Belgian Malinois are quickly becoming more and more popular. These dogs are known for being incredibly intelligent, loyal, and trainable. They’re quickly outcompeting German Shepherds and similar breeds as professional working dogs in the military and police forces.

If you’ve decided to adopt one of these canines, it’s important to consider whether to get a male or female. While genetics and training play a huge role in temperament, there are some differences between each gender that you need to keep in mind.

Here are some of the most significant differences between male vs. female Belgian Malinois:

Male vs. Female Belgian Malinois: Size

Males are often significantly larger than females, which is common in bigger dog breeds. Males are typically 24-26 inches tall at the shoulder and weigh 60-80 pounds. Females are 22-24 inches tall at the shoulder and weigh 40-60 pounds.

Therefore, if you want a larger dog, you may want to select a male. If you’re looking for a smaller dog, a female is the way to go. This difference is the most obvious and set in stone. You won’t see many dogs falling outside of these size ranges.

Males also have more muscle mass than females, which makes them heavier. Partially, this is due to their increased testosterone, which increases their muscle growth. The extra muscle mass can make them more powerful and intimidating, making them better suited for police work and similar jobs.

Male vs. Female Belgian Malinois: Temperament

Males tend to be a bit more dominant than females, especially if they are intact (not neutered). In all likelihood, this is due to the influence of testosterone. Dominate dogs may be slightly more challenging to train and tend towards stubborn tendencies. However, these dogs are exceptionally trainable, so this is less of an issue for this breed.

Still, males may be better for those with more experience training dogs.

Males may also be more protective than females. Again, this is caused by higher testosterone levels. Males may be more likely to bark or act aggressively towards strangers they perceive as a threat.

However, socialization and training play a huge role in this. You need to properly socialize both males and females to prevent potential aggression from their protective instincts.

Females will experience more hormonal changes, which can cause their temperament to change more. When in heat, females may be more affectionate – or not affectionate at all. If spayed, females won’t experience these hormonal fluctuations, though.

Both males and females can be good with children. However, males may be a bit better because they are larger. Therefore, they’re less likely to fear children when properly socialized and less likely to be hurt by them.

Male vs. Female Belgian Malinois: Trainability

The Belgian Malinois is known for its trainability. They’re extremely intelligent and eager to please, making them one of the most trainable dogs out there.

However, males may go through a stubborn phase around two years of age (when they are “teens”). This stubbornness is brought on by puberty, which may make them more independent.

That said, females can experience this shift as well. It’s important to understand that all dogs experience temperament changes around sexual maturity, just like people.

Male vs. Female Belgian Malinois: Energy Level

Both males and females are high-energy dogs. They were built to work and can easily become bored and destructive if not given a job to do. Therefore, we only recommend them for active families who can handle their high exercise needs.

You should plan to provide at least two hours of exercise a day. However, males may need more than that, especially when they are younger. They can be a bit more hyperactive and need more room to run due to their larger size.

Male vs. Female Belgian Malinois: Grooming Needs

Both males and females need regular grooming. While these dogs have a coat that pretty much takes care of itself, they do shed quite a bit. Therefore, it’s important to brush them regularly to prevent tons of fur from ending up all over your house.

However, shedding is somewhat motivated by hormones. Therefore, females may shed more on certain parts of their cycle. It’s important to remember this when setting up a grooming schedule.

Should I Get a Male or Female Belgian Malinois?

For the most part, choosing what gender to get is one of the least important decisions when choosing a dog. Obviously, males and females have some pretty significant differences when it comes to breeding. Males can’t get pregnant, for instance.

That said, studies have found that gender does affect some parts of a dog’s temperament and behavior. For instance, males are typically less sociable towards others and may be more protective.

You may decide that you want a male dog because you’re looking for a guard or protection animal. In this case, a larger, more protective dog makes sense. Other times, you may want more of a family dog, which may make you pick a female dog.

However, training, socialization, and genetics also play a huge role. A female Belgian Malinois can be aggressive and overprotective when untrained and unsocialized. A male can become very friendly and accepting of others when socialized well. How you raise the dog plays a huge role.

In many cases, it makes sense to emphasize choosing a good breeder who socializes their puppies and performs the correct health tests – even if that means getting a puppy that isn’t the gender you want. If you’re set on a particular gender, you may have to wait longer for a puppy from a quality breed. This may push you to choose a lower-quality breeder with the gender puppy you want instead of waiting.

Furthermore, some breeders require you to pay a higher deposit if you’re absolutely set on a very particular puppy. Often, many particular preferences mean that the breeder must select your puppy first, which may cause someone on the waitlist to wait longer. It isn’t odd for them to charge for this inconvenience.

Are Female Belgian Malinois Calmer?

There does seem to be some evidence that female Belgian Malinoises are calmer. However, this breed tends to be a bit more uptight than other breeds, and they have huge exercise needs. You are not going to find a Belgian Malinois that simply lays around your house all day.

If you’re looking for an exceptionally calm canine, we recommend looking at another breed entirely.

We don’t have any scientific information on how much a female Belgian Malinois needs to exercise compared to a male. However, a male may need 15 minutes of exercise more than a female. While this is significant enough to mention, it is very little in the real world.

Therefore, how you train and socialize a dog plays a much larger role in how calm that dog is. It’s important to get your dog around lots of other people, especially when they’re from a protective breed. This helps them learn that other people and new situations aren’t scary threats, which helps them remain calmer in a range of different situations.

As we discussed above, gender is often one of the less significant factors in a dog’s temperament.

Are Female Belgian Malinois Protective?

Yes! All Belgian Malinoises are protective, including females. These dogs are one of the most protective breeds out there, which means that they need tons of socialization and training. Of course, if you’re looking for a more protective dog, this can be a boon. However, it also means that these dogs are a lot more work.

Because this breed was bred to be almost exclusively protective, females do have serious protection instincts. Males may be slightly more protective, especially around sexual maturity. However, this difference is small.

Don’t plan to get a female in the hopes that she will need less socialization or training.