Belgian Malinois Hybrid Mixes Dog Breed Guide

A simple review of this breed shows it is versatile, loyal, and a typical world-class worker. The owner of this dog breed should never stop it from having the fun and pleasure that helps it express its purest nature.

Features of the Belgian Malinois

  • Weight: 40-60 pounds (females), and 60-80 pounds (males)
  • Height: 22-24 inches (females), and 24-26 inches (males)
  • Life span: 14-16 years

Details of The Belgian Malinois

The average height of this breed is between 22 to 26 inches. They are a squarely built and proud breed, known for being alert herders. These dogs are energetic, with well-built muscles, and have an elegant appearance.

They look very confident and fierce, corroborating with their construct as hard workers especially when it comes to getting their feed. The way the breed positions its head also defines the general look of elegance and its coat colors range between fawn and mahogany. These dogs also have a set of black ears and dark Belgian-chocolate eyes.

There is a clear display of elegance and smartness on the field of play whenever this dog breed is before an audience. Never keep this dog unemployed or sad; shake up its mood by giving it lots of exercises consistently.

Care of the Belgian Malinois

Feeding and Nutrition

The rule of thumb for every meal you want to offer your dog is that anything your dog will consume should be advised by the veterinarian. Belgian Malinois thrives well on a high-quality meal (dog food) that is made at home or commercially. The diet to be given to your dog must be appropriate for the age of your dog/puppy.

The recommended amount of feed you should give your dog daily is 2-3 cups of rich dry food.

When you want to feed your dog, always put its age into serious consideration, whether it is a puppy, an adult, or a senior. Certain dogs have a very high tendency for being overweight and take extra caution for them.

For dogs that become overweight, watch out for the level of calories they are given. While training your dog, treats could be considerably helpful, but make sure you give them in moderation as they can cause obesity in excess. Find out the human foods that are appropriate for your canines and the ones that aren’t.

For you to ascertain whether your dog can be overweight, check them out using the hands-on test and eye-test.

Make sure you properly consult with your vet to be clarified about the diet required for your dog’s weight. Always make fresh and clean water available every single time.

Grooming

It is easy to maintain the short and waterproof coat of the Belgian Malinois. You can make use of a grooming tool, medium-bristle brush, or hound glove to keep the clean appearance of your dog. These tools make the dog look at its best, distribute the skin oil all over the coat, and stimulates new hair growth.

This dog breed is known to shed about two times every year; at these times, using a slicker brush over their coat at least once a day is acceptable. 

Trim its nails regularly to prevent pains from ensuing when the dog moves about or runs.

Exercise

The Malinois’ attachment with its owner is also very crucial in its development and well-being. It is a strong and athletic breed that has a high level of loyalty to its owner. It requires a regular engagement with its owner, both physically and mentally.

For you to keep this breed happy, give it regular exercise side-by-side with its owner- this is a very crucial task for its mental development. If you strip off the Malinois from its connecting with its human companion and exercise, you threaten its existence.

The Malinois thrives in small quarters if they are getting adequate exercise. Cool climates are their preference, but they also do well in warmer environments. Ensure to include this dog breed as an integral member of the family.

When you want to go hiking, running, or biking, the Belgian Malinois is a noble companion. They are also good at several other competitions such as:

  • Herding
  • Agility
  • Obedience
  • Tracking
  • Schutzhund/Protection

Training

Malinois have the primary instinct of their herding breed counterparts. Their drive for prey is very high, and they have a strong interest in moving objects and small animals. The trait could make them chase children, other animals, or even vehicles. During training, consciously channel these traits for better productivity.

Every dog owner must imbibe socialization into the dog at a very early stage in their development.

When you train this dog breed, ensure to be patient, firm, and loving altogether. Mals are a highly-sensitive breed and very trainable. Two counterproductive elements while training these dogs include physical force and Anger.

Health

The Belgian is quite a healthy breed, and it is responsible to examine all breeding stock for specific health conditions. Some health issues to look out for include eye problems and elbow dysplasia. Again, check the ears regularly to ensure that there is no infection-also brush the teeth frequently.

Here are a few recommended Health Tests:

  • Elbow evaluation
  • Hip evaluation
  • Ophthalmologist Evaluation

History of the Belgian Malinois

The Belgian Malinois is part of the herding dog family, and there are four closely related breed variants. They raised it first in the Belgian city of Malines, in the northwestern part. Some countries classify this dog breed together with Laekenois, Belgian Shepherd, and Tervuren, as one breed. 

These breeds together are identified by the name ‘Belgian Sheepdog.’

Since 1959, they have registered the Belgian Malinois as a unique breed. The Malinois bears a strong resemblance with the German shepherd, but its head is different and has other features that differ from that of the German shepherd.

For a long time, they have identified Mals to be livestock herder (peerless) in their homeland. The first breeders of this dog-type had the wanted dogs that would supersede the expectations and fancies of owners. There was a great emphasis on how the dogs would perform, and this made the Mals to become the dog of choice for cattlemen and sheepherders.

The Belgian Malinois first came into America in the year 1911. They thrived on the American land until there was a ban placed on importing stocks from Europe in the heart of World War II.  The breed suffered from the policies and impact of the second world war; even their numbers dwindled.

There was the dawning of a new day for this breed in 1960 when the breed’s admirers started restoring its population.

They still credit this breed with being the herder of a variety of stock; the high drive for work and versatility has birthed lots of occupations. The characteristics and endowment of this dog breed make them highly sought-after by the police to serve as K-9s. The bronze statue, erected by North Carolina’s memorial to dogs used in the military, is the image of a Belgian Malinois.

Here are some interesting facts about the Belgian Malinois

  • The Belgian Malinois has a common origin with the Belgian Tervuren and Belgian Sheepdog
  • In other countries asides from the United States, all Belgian breeds share the same specification
  • The name of this dog-breed stems from the region it originated from, the city of Malines.
  • It is part of the four Belgian dogs used in sheepherding
  • It is a protector and a sheepherding dog.
  • Today, it is a precious asset to the military. In 2011, during the raid that ended the terror of Osama Bin Laden, a Belgian Malinois was a key member.

Personality of Malinois

They are excellent working dogs and are very protective as well as confident in any situation. They show great affection towards family and are quite reserved towards strangers until they get familiar. This breed also has an excellent watchdog quality/ability and uses force in defense.

When you discover aggression and shyness in this breed, take note, as it is not appropriate behavior. 

Having established that fact, you do not get to build temperament in this breed overnight, and specific factors come into play.  Some of these factors include socialization, heredity, and training. Puppies that have good inclinations are friendly and even playful; they are willing to be helped by people.

When you want to determine just how the dogs would be like when they grow older, check out the parents of the dog and its siblings.

As it is with every single type of dog, the Malinois must be made to socialize early. The process of socialization involves exposing your dog to many persons, experiences, sounds, and sights at a young age. The benefit of socialization is to make sure your dog is an all-rounder.

A gigantic step in the right direction is to enroll this breed into a kindergarten class for puppies. To help them sharpen their social skills, take them regularly to stores that permit pets, busy parks, etc. Take your dogs on regular strolls as they will easily be able to meet with strangers and socialize.

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