Pastoral group · Belgium
Belgian Malinois
Also called Malinois, Belgian Shepherd Malinois, Mechelaar.
Large dog, needs a serious amount of exercise, learns almost anything, fast.
- Confident
- Smart
- Hardworking
- Protective
- Driven
- Size
- Large
- Weight
- 18 to 36 kg40 to 80 lb
- Lives
- 14 to 16 years
- Energy
- Very High
- Trains
- Very High
- Barks
- High
Training
Training a Belgian Malinois
Pastoral breeds. Give the brain a job or it will find one. Chasing, nipping and fixating are the breed doing its work.
Not for Novice Owners
Start here
Extremely high drive requires experienced handler. Without proper outlets, can become destructive or neurotic.
Job Required
Working breed needs a job, protection sports, detection work, agility, or intensive obedience training.
Early Socialisation
Strong protective instincts require extensive early exposure to people and situations.
The app turns this into five to fifteen minutes a day.
Add your Belgian Malinois and it builds the plan around their age, where they came from and what they already know, on video with Atlas and Shango.
Free to start. iPhone. No card needed.
At home
Living with one
Bred to herd and guard livestock. Watchful, responsive, and wired to control movement.
Gets on with
- ChildrenModerate
- Other dogsModerate
- StrangersLow
- CatsLow
Breed averages. Early socialisation and the individual dog matter more.
- Exercise
- 2+ hours daily. Intense physical AND mental exercise required. Thrives in working roles.
- Grooming
- Moderate shedding. Weekly brushing, more during shedding season.
- Drool
- Low
- Coat
- Short, Dense, Weather-resistantFawn with Black Mask, Mahogany with Black Mask
- In a flat
- Needs more space than a flat gives.
Health
Things to ask a breeder or vet about
Hip Dysplasia
Moderate
Joint condition common in active large breeds
Elbow Dysplasia
Moderate
Developmental abnormality of the elbow joint
Progressive Retinal Atrophy
Moderate
Inherited eye disease causing vision loss
Where they come from
History
Developed in the city of Malines, Belgium in the late 1800s. Originally a herding dog, now the preferred breed for police, military, and protection work worldwide. Used by Navy SEALs and Secret Service.
- Cairo · Navy SEAL dog on the Osama bin Laden raid
- Conan · Military working dog injured in al-Baghdadi raid
