Belgian Malinois Dog Breed Information

Belgian Malinois Colors

The coat colors of Belgian Malinois are mixed. They can be fawn to mahogany with their mask, ears, and tips on the hairs are black. They appear in tan, black-tipped fawn, fawn sable, red and red sable, and black too. A four-year-old black Belgian Malinois, Billie, acted in the “Reed and Billie” series by Dustin Stevens.

Belgian Malinois Pronunciation

There will be no confusion about the first word “Belgian”. But, you have to pronounce the second word as “Mal-in-wah” and not “Mal-i-noise”.

Belgian Malinois Shedding

As Belgian Malinois is a double-coated breed, it sheds two times a year generally. If you want to keep the dog in good condition, give a shampoo bath when he or she is dirty, brush one or two times a week and clip the nails.

Belgian Malinois and German Shepherd have a quite a few differences. Let’s look at them

Many Belgian Malinois dogs have been recorded to have lived as far as 16 years. Mostly this breed has an average life span of 12 – 14 years but as a matter of fact; the healthiest pet gets to live longer.

This breed is quite active and requires a lot of physical and mental exercise. They may turn aggressive if left neglected for a long time.

Just like all Belgian sheepdog breeds, the Malinois were bred to protect cattle; owing to this birth trait, they need to be kept active all the time. Malinois always expect their masters to take them on a long walk or play around with them for a while.

So, if you are planning to bring home a Belgian Malinois, then ensure you have the time to spend training and taking care of your pet. Alertness, watchfulness, a little tinge of stubbornness and lot of protectiveness are a few characteristics that define this breed’s nature.

Belgian Malinois is a dog breed known for its sturdiness and excellent physical endurance. Nevertheless, there are times when this dog to suffers from health issues that do turn fatal sometimes. Here’s a list of health issues found commonly in Belgian Malinois;

Hip Dysplasia

This degenerative disease is common in all dogs and Malinois is no exception. Hip Dysplasia may go unnoticed in the early stages but if left untreated will result in the pet’s lameness. If you note any of the following symptoms, then ensure to take your dog to the vet;

• Limping
• Inactivity
• Difficulty in jumping, running, etc
• Swaying gait

Balanced and quality diet, a lot of exercises and a maintained weight are enough to keep the dog healthy and void of such diseases.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy

This eye disease is mostly a hereditary problem and its severity may vary from one breed to another. Here are a few common symptoms of eye disease in the canine breeds;

• Loss of night vision
• Failure in responding to light
• Early cataracts

If you notice any of the above-mentioned symptoms; ensure to take your pet to a vet specialized in eye treatments and get all necessary medications as early as possible.

Thyroid Disease

Belgian Malinois suffer from hypothyroidism; this again could be counted as a genetic disorder and is very common in all types of dog breeds. Hypothyroidism can be marked by unexplained weight gain, skin problems, and sudden changes in the behavior.

This is a good-sized breed and it will require a heavy yet balanced diet. When you are buying a pup from the breeder, ensure to inquire about the food brand that he has used to feed the pup all these days.

A sudden change in food habits can cause digestive problems; so, in order to avoid this, ensure to change the food brand gradually.

A healthy level of DHA is required to be given in order to help their brain development in the early stages.

Start giving them wet food only after they are slightly grown up and trained enough to allow you to clean up their teeth and gum. Until then keep feeding them with dry food that has equal proportions of all nutrients.

• This breed was named after the Belgian city.
• Malinois are great skydivers.
• They are great at detecting explosives and have served in World War 1.
• Few Mals are even reported to have turned destructive when not given the required hours of exercise.
• The Belgian Malinois is believed to guard the White House.

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The average price range of a Belgian Malinois is $1500 – $2500; few breeders may even charge you extra for additional medical reports, vaccination details,  and health guarantee papers.

As a final advice, buy a Malinois pup only if you are ready to match up to its exercising habits and willing to spend time taking care of it.

Finding a good breeder is growing to be more important than choosing the right puppy. You need to thoroughly research about a breeder before buying a pup from him.

As a rule of the thumb, avoid buying Mal pups from puppy farms or mills and if you are buying from one, ensure they are licensed and have a good reputation.

You should avoid bringing home an unhealthy pup since it would lead to over expense on your end as years go by.

Beyond expenditure, you will have to compromise with your affection and emotions while you watch your pet suffer from a disease. So, getting a guaranteed paper signed from the breeder would be best while buying a pet.

Consider buying from rescue groups because these shelter homes are run by experts who work towards restoring dog’s health.