BELGIAN MALINOIS ARE RISING IN POPULARITY. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THE BREED AND WELL MEANING DOG OWNERS? A collaboration post between Shaina of Up N Atom Dog Training, and Lisa of Dog Dynamix.
Due to the rising popularity of the Belgian Malinois, dog trainers are receiving more and more inquiries asking us to help “fix” these dogs as they mature into adults. They’re biting house guests, chasing the children, and getting into bar fights at the dog park…. and their families are feeling hopeless and frustrated, realizing they bit off more than they could chew.
We understand the appeal. They’re beautiful, athletic dogs with hilarious personalities and they’re smart as can be. Videos of their impressive training and abilities regularly go viral on the internet. Done correctly, you’d be hard pressed to find a more loyal breed. But these dogs are not without extreme challenges that can make them completely unsuitable for the average home.
A little background, for good measure.
For those of you that know us, you know that we are incredibly passionate about the breed. For those of you that don’t, a little background on us.
Shaina Zimmerman won the MR1 Nationals in 2019 with her first Malinois and took 3rd place at MR3 in 2021, 2nd place in 2022, and 2nd place overall at FR2 in 2022. In addition, she recently competed for Team USA Mondioring at FMBB in Italy in 2024 with her second Malinois, Flinke. She currently has six consecutive years of experience actively competing with Malinois, and has acheived MR3 with both of her competition dogs. Shaina has owned Belgian Malinois, and has raised, trained, and fostered many others.
Lisa Lucero, of Denver Dog Dynamix and Shaina’s training mentor, won the USA Mondioring Nationals in 2021 and 2022 with her Malinois, Hero; and competed in Romania in the International competition with him in Oct. 2021 – placing in the top 15 in the world. She has been in the Malinois breed for thirteen years, and is currently with her third competition dog of the breed, two of which achieved MR3.
Both of us have also been involved in rescue and placement of the breed, as well as puppy selection and rearing for some of the top breeders in the country. Prior to Malinois, Lisa and Shaina both competed with working line German Shepherds. We have titled in AKC and ASCA Obedience and Rally, in addition to protection sports. We have trained with the best of the best in the country, and in the world. The point is, we have extensive breeding and training experience with Belgian Malinois.
We care about the breed. A lot.
We aren’t going to sugarcoat what it takes to be successful with a young Malinois in a pet home. One of our well-respected colleagues, that we refer to for private lessons and group classes (since we do not offer those services) has decided to refer out all Malinois inquiries that come in as she has had almost no success helping people with these dogs as pets. The breed has gained exponentially in popularity since the rise of the public’s exposure to them. Unfortunately, this has led to many more of them being bred and put out into the world – from those in shelter situations, to those being purchased from working line breeders, to those being bred by less scrupulous breeders looking to cash in on their popularity. It’s easy to find breeders regularly mixing Malinois with Dutch Shepherds and German Shepherds, touting them as the perfect family protector and companion, selling them to ill-prepared families. They are a truly singular breed in their needs, and in how their brains work. Even those from the very best breeders require a completely different type of life and training than most trainers offer, or most homes are willing to provide. While we do not subscribe to the theory that Malinois need hours of intensive training and exercise every day, we do know that they need more structure and understanding of training theories and genetic behaviors than most homes are willing to learn and implement.
What makes a good malinois?
Malinois are purposefully bred to be a bit neurotic, with a lot of drive, suspicion, and aggression. This can be a hard balance to get right, as genetics have a huge influence on behavior and despite the most thoughtful of breeding, the result can be undesirable. Some Malinois like dogs. Some like people. If you’re lucky, you end up with a dog that likes both (we call this a UNICORN)… but most often, they dislike both. And that doesn’t make them a bad Malinois.
What makes a malinois a good working dog, generally makes them a bad pet. Most dog owners are not looking to get a dog that cannot be handled carelessly by strangers. But, with Malinois, that is not just a risk; it should almost be an expectation. When we travel and cannot bring our dogs with us, the HARDEST task on the list is finding competent pet care… and we are fortunate to have pretty social, easy-to-handle (for the breed) Malinois! Belgian Malinois are impulsive, and they can get themselves into trouble quick. They are athletic, fast, and driven. Even if they are friendly, they are often way too much for the average family member or friend to take care of. Shaina’s own mother is known for saying “I’m not afraid of him, but I respect him” in regards to one of her Malinois, who is not aggressive but certainly has a presence. If you choose a Malinois, you’ll want to have a Malinois-savvy support system as well.
Malinois are not dog park dogs.
No matter how social a Malinois is (or appears to be), dog parks and daycare are not appropriate outlets for their energy. These dogs are obsessive — of their toys, their interactions, and their environments. Putting them in situations where they are able to obsess over dogs, people, and items will inevitably result in behaviors such as barking and lunging on walks, aggression due to possession of their toys, running off after dogs while off leash, etc.
Any interactions our own dogs have with other dogs and strangers are well thought out, and for the benefit of the dog. This is not a breed to hang out at a backyard BBQ with intoxicated houseguests who don’t understand high drive dogs. Even sober overzealous greeters can get into trouble with a Malinois. (HIIII PUPPPY!)
You should have a goal for getting a malinois.
Buying a malinois puppy because you like the way they look, have met a trained one, were in the military, or saw one on TikTok is not setting you or a puppy up to succeed. Impulse buying a working breed dog without doing the proper research almost always ends poorly. What makes a Belgian Malinois right for you? Just wanting an active dog isn’t enough; there are plenty of other active breeds that don’t enjoy jumping out of helicopters to find “the bad guy” in their spare time. If you aren’t interested in genetically fulfilling the breed, please consider a different choice. Rescues are overflowing with abandoned Malinois.
If you DO like the lifestyle choice of a Belgian Malinois, we recommend finding a training club/dog trainer BEFORE you get a puppy. What?! Yes, you heard us right. This is a whole blog post by itself, but here is the short of the long:
- There are a lot of shady Belgian Malinois breeders out there, and when you’re interested in a working breed that excels in biting, you want to make sure the dog bites for the right reasons. A BYB Belgian Malinois can be a ticking time bomb of bad nerves and inappropriate aggression.
- If you visit various training clubs, you’ll notice a trend of club members often getting dogs from particular breeders. In protection sports, for example, some “decoys” (the men in the suits that work dogs in protection training) have very specific types of dogs they prefer in their training programs, so asking for their advice on where to get a dog can save you a lot of problems later on.
- You can learn a lot by observing training. There is no way to better prepare yourself for a Malinois than to immerse yourself in them, and that means observing them in person, watching training sessions, visiting different clubs, asking breeders questions, and continuing to show up with an open mind.
- Many training clubs are often full, and you might have to visit multiple before finding one that has the space that you jive with. Most clubs will allow spectators (we call them “auditors”, usually) to visit the club and watch their training in action. You’d be surprised to know that sometimes an unexpected spot will open for a helpful person that shows up every week, without a dog, with snacks in hand.
- You might just come to find that you aren’t as interested in the time-commitment fulfilling a Malinois’ needs take, after all. Better to find that out before you get a puppy! On the flipside, if you show up to club each week and feel like you’ve found “your people”, it might be time to start your puppy hunt.
Malinois can be challenging, but we love them for a reason.
While we are not saying owning a Malinois is akin to a tiger that needs to be kept in a cage, we are telling you that they require a much higher level of obedience control, and coaching other people how to interact (management) than other dogs in order to be mentally well adjusted, happy dogs, to prevent dog fights, and bites to people. Even an accidental bite can have devastating consequences for a dog and it is our job to respect this breed for what it is, and for what it isn’t, and to avoid and/or intervene in bad situations. While we can help our clients get rock-solid obedience training, direct them to appropriate training outlets, and help them live the best life together, we cannot, and will not, help them make a Malinois what they are not (a Golden Retriever, by example). It is not possible, and it would be unprofessional and unethical for us to take a clients money promising to do so.
If you’re considering this breed, feel free to reach out. We’d be happy to discuss your needs and whether or not this is the dog for you.
