16d • Breed of the Week
Belgian Malinois
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The Belgian Malinois, or Belgian Shepherd, known for being an intense all around canine athlete that is not for the faint of heart and certainly not recommended for a first time dog owner. The Belgian Malinois, who was bred in and named after the Belgian town Mechelen (pronounced Malines) in the late 19th century from local shepherd dogs by Belgian farmers. Their first jobs were: guard the farm, herd, pull carts and keep track of their small flocks of sheep, goats, geese and ducks.
The Belgian Malinois were different as they lived inside the home unlike our other herding breeds, such as the Great Pyrenees, but were no doubt still very aware of anything afoot. They are also one of four Belgian shepherds: Belgian Sheepdog (aka Groenendael or Chien de Berger Belge), Belgian Tervuren and Belgian Laekenois. They are very similar in build but where they vary is their coat length, color and texture. Each breed is named after the region they originated in much like the spaniels.
Louis Huyghebeart is credited as one of the early primary key figures of the development of the Belgian Malinois. He was a hugely passionate dog enthusiast and breeder from the area of origin. He owned his own fawn colored dog Vos de Polders who was renowned for his amazing working capabilities. Vos, who apparently had a fawn coat, is considered part of the foundation of the Malinois lineage. He did have offspring who also had amazing working capabilities. Although Vos de Polders is not the only early shepherd dog to be credited with foundational lineage.
A breed standard was established in 1892 called The Belgian Shepherd Dog Club. In May of that year the first Belgian Shepherd show would take place where a variety of the different types of shepherd dog were displayed on stage. This did bring plenty of debate and discussions as to how to separate the different types. They did eventually recognize and establish guidelines for each type based on coat texture, color and length through the Société Royal Saint-Hubert.
The Société Royal Saint-Hubert registered Vos de Polders which marked a significant step in the breed’s history.
Due to the breeds intelligence, stamina, quick learning, agility and other highly valuable skills they were perfect for police work and excel at it and are still used to this day.
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Belgian Malinois
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