Belgian Malinois
About The Breed
Malinois are 1 of 4 varities of Belgian Shepherds (the other 3 are Tervuren, Groenendael and Laekenois). Malinois are the short-coated version and vary in color tone. Some may be a light fawn to a deep red, while others are a fawn sable to a dark sable.
They are very versatile and can excel in just about any sport from Agility, Herding, Protection Sports, Police work, Obedience and many other venues. They are highly intelligence, quick to learn and very intune to their handler. This is a very active breed that is generally medium in size. Females average between 22-24 inches and the Males between 24-26 inches in height.
Malinois Standard | Living with Belgian Malinois | Health Concerns
Living with Belgian Malinois
Written as experienced by Corina Annette Gonzalez
Malinois are loyal and loving with their owners and household family members. This breed prefers to live inside the home with her people. While they don't make for the greatest of house dogs...it’s important to accept and include her as part of the family. This breed needs an understanding owner to teach her proper house manners, to forgive little mistakes (i.e. rearranging household items or defluffing throw pillows) and appreciate their quirks (i.e. collecting random household items in one spot: crate, bed, area of a room, etc. or helping themselves to unattended food items). They have been known to have overexagerated separation anxiety at times (Malinois can be such drama queens and kings) so the dog should be taught that the world will not come crashing down should she be left alone for a few hours. While they do rely a lot on their people, they are also independent thinkers.
They are pack-orientated animals (but some have less pack drive then others) and with proper guidance can develop into great family pets, however they may or may not tolerate strangers. As a general rule they are not typically stranger friendly but some are a bit more open and accepting of new people. Though they can be social tolerant, this doesn’t mean that they should be subjected to any “harassment” or excessive petting from anyone if the dog is uncomfortable. Ownership of this breed means using good judgment to avoid any stressful situations for both the dog and other people. The dog should be taught to mind her manners in public, reguardless of temperment/personality. Proper, ongoing exposure and socialization is essential and necessary for the Malinois. As Malinois tend to have a low-tolerance threshold and are quick to react.
Just like children they test their boundaries, to see what they can get away with. They are super clever but still possess a very child-like way of thinking. They require a loving but firm handling to keep them in check.
Mali’s seem to have an insane amount of energy; extremely high drive. So they do need plenty of physical and mental exercises to keep themselves sane (and their people too!) =]. Mental stimulation is important since their brains are constantly on the go. So you'd be doing your dog a favor by giving her a job. It is essential for this breed to have some kind of job or task to perform.
Most Malinois are involved in performance venues (i.e. obedience, agility and flyball), sportwork (i.e. schutzhund, french ring and mondio ring) or have actual working jobs (i.e. security, detection, search and rescue) and then do chores around the house during their “off-days” =].
In the right home, the Malinois can become a valued family member. However, should they be left to their own devices, especially when bored…they will become destructive and often invent their own games much to their owner’s dismay.
Health Concerns
They are prone to contracting outside diseases from their environment, just like any other dog. Proper preventatives need to be taken into measure in order to help protect your dog from outside diseases and parasites. Genetically speaking, the Malinois is a relatively sound and healthy breed, however, here are some possible health concerns that may come up in certain individuals but they are rare. The Anesthesia Sensitivity is very common and virtually most, if not all, Malinois are at risk.
For example, a special kind of anesthesia is required for the Malinois should your dog need to go under. Try to avoid anesthesia if at all possible, otherwise please consult with your veterinarian and make sure pre-tests are done to ensure the safety of your Malinois. Also, lower then the average prescribed dosage will probably be more then enough for a Mali.
Such as seizures and epilepsy.
Such as Hypothyroidism.